Why do parents think they know everything?

I think if you think your parents know everything, that in some way you feel controlled by them. They aren't quite letting be yourself. They are not letting you make your own mistakes and that's a difficult thing, because mistakes are learning experiences. And our experience is what makes us a person and if you are not allowed learning experiences, how can you ever be the person you want to be. So I see why you are struggling with this. Because it is painful when you can't be yourself. It is painful to feel controlled. Parents might think they know everything, but you know everything about you.

Some people believe that the older you are the more you know. This, however, is not usually true. There are rather a lot of ignorant old people out there. Everyone can not know everything. One person might know one thing while another might know another. And just because the other is younger the older one will refuse to believe them because 'they are young and do not know what they are talking about'.

As a child, I am qualified to answer this. Also as a parent I am qualified to answer this. Then, again, as a grandparent, I believe I have the qualifications to answer this. Which one would you prefer to hear from? As a child, I didn't like to listen to advice my parents gave me, because I wanted to explore the world on my own. As I aged I saw the wisdom and value of listening to my elders, because many have been through the same things I was and did. Either that, or they had first hand knowledge of a given situation. Having children of my own made me realize that everything I took for granted that my parents tried to educate me or correct me on I was now dealing with with my own children. As a grandparent, I now get to see my own offspring run the same course. Parents will always know more than their children do. This does not necessarily mean book smarts, but rather it means life experience. The reason this is true, is for the simple fact that parents have had much more practice at real life than children. This by it's very nature make a parent more qualified in the practical sense of the matter. Life is simply about the stages of development. While infants crawl and teens run, adults learn to pace themselves. Most adults who are parents have learned it is how fast you run the race that life seems to be when youth is in full bloom. No, rather, it is the manner in which you tackle the hurdles that give you the bumps and bruises that teach you to have respect for the challenge that life more often than not, is.

Because they're your parents, they want to seem superior to you. I've been there trust me. Just remember that they were kids once to so they aren't completely blind. Once you move out you won't have to deal with it as much

As I read the question, I couldn't help but chuckle. Many parents think they know everything, but isn't the same true of toddlers, teenagers, young adults, and even grandparents? The reason that people, in general, think they know everything is that it is an intrinsic human trait. Survival is not only where you get your next meal, it is also your perception of the world and what you think is right. Everyone thinks they know everything, and everyone is wrong. That is one of the most freeing thoughts I have.

Maybe they don't and they pretend to know everything. Let them think they do, they themselves will eventually realise how much do they don't know. You opposing them will only make them pretend more as a defense. And it's not like they don't know anything, they do know some things but yeah not everything.

No one knows everything, however your parents may believe that they are more qualified to make decisions because they have more experience. This doesn't necessarily mean they are correct. Sometimes people are blind to their mistakes or flaws.

It probably because their parents did this. They shouldn't be acting like this. I see a lot of the other answers supporting the parent's side but most of the biggest issues and new discoveries occur now. It is why most parents are homophobic and racist. If something happens now, they do no believe it's true, because it didn't happen in their time. I once showed the monty hall riddle to my dad and he dismissed it as fake simply because he didn't understand it.

Parents only think that because they have lived longer than you and been through alot and dont want you to go through the same.

They only want the best for you, they were there from your first moments of light and will be there for you indefinitely, we are all faced with hard decisions, seeing a child grow up is hard for a parent, just be patient and love the time you spend with them !

Because they just want to look out for you and protect you (even though what they probably think is wrong ;-) )

They think so because according they too have gone through the life-cycle that we are going like from being a kid to growing teen n then mature , but they never tries to understand this generation and technology gap that has actually being created.

Parents think they know everything because they've spent more time on this planet than their children, they generally think they've lived through it all.

They don't necessarily know everything. They have just experienced more situations that they have learned from.

Parents think they know everything because they are older and have experienced more in their lives then their children.

Parents think they know everything because they think they have all the answers and solutions toward that person's problems and struggles they may have.

Parents don't think they know everything. Sometimes they just want what they think is best for you. They may believe that because they have brought up their children, they know a lot more than them.

Sometimes parents advice us on what to do because they do have so much more experience than us! We should take time to listen to what they have to say too, instead of assuming that they are not right. :)

Because they know that they've been in your situations once and most parents don't want to have you, their kid, to repeat the same mistake as they did in the past when dealing with the same situation.