Looked around ... surprised we didn't have one of these threads. If we've got one, mods can feel free to move this post.
I'll start:
My 15yo daughter and I live about 1/4 mile from the high school. She's the manager for the girls softball team. She also pretty much has her own apartment in the lower floor of the house. Guess what shows up at my place every day at about 6? Yeah, about half the girl's softball team and the gaggle of boys that follow them around. So I feed 6 to 10 teens reeking of hormones and sweat pizza or tacos most evenings. I don't mind it a bit though. April's had a tough couple of years living in California with her mom, and being back in Montana with her old friends is doing her a world of good. And I get to tell my buddies I won't make the pool game at the bar tonight because I've got 6 teenage girls locked in the basement.
It's also fun to walk in on them and shout, "Hey! What's rule number one!?" They know the answer is "safety first." I make damn sure they know they can have fun, but I also make damn sure they know they've got to keep their shit together if they want to keep coming over. They do a fair job cleaning up after themselves; they know they can't play the boombox loud in the yard so as to disturb the neighbors. They know I'm a softy with an iron hand.
Anyhow, I walk with April to school most days. She puts her arm in mine as we walk (that makes me smile every day) and we talk about what's going on in her world. Usually it's just silly stuff: lines from a comic she's heard; the status of various friends; shit they say to each other. Yesterday, as we were walking, we somehow got onto the subject of her friends enjoying their nightly visits, and what they thought of me.
April said, "They think you're cool, but a little scary."
"Perfect," said I.
That made me smile.