I partied until 4 a.m. when I was in college. My Gen Z twins are home before midnight and work at 6:30 a.m.

The author jokes his twins would rather work than party. Courtesy of the author My 20-year-old son told his grandfather he lives "a quiet life." His twin agreed. At their age, my Saturday nights ended with a kebab at 4 a.m. They're a different generation, and I'm proud of the people they've become. At dinner at my parents' house, my dad asked my 20-year-old twins, Charlie and Thomas, if they'd been going out. Thomas said he didn't really go out much. Charlie said, "I live a quiet life." My dad summed it up. "You aren't party guys," he said. That got us talking about how differently we used to spend our weekends. My dad proudly shared that his mother occasionally found him passed out on their front lawn. Their weekend starts with a 6:30 a.m. shift Since they were 16, both boys have worked in the produce department at the same grocery store. They start work early every Saturday and Sunday morning. Those were the hours they were given when they started, and they've stuck with them ever since. On weekdays, they fit their shifts around university, where both are doing well. Like most Australian students, they still live at home. They aren't antisocial. Both have girlfriends, go to the gym, play golf, and hang out with friends. Neither seems to think a good weekend requires a late night or a hangover. The author's sons' rarely drink. Courtesy of the author Legally, they've been old enough to drink here for two years, but they rarely do. Charlie spends plenty of Saturday nights with his girlfriend. But she goes out a lot more than he does, and when she's at a party, he offers to drive over late, pick her up, and take her home. Thomas goes out a bit more. He'll go to an occasional rave or a concert, but he's usually home well before midnight. My parents barely saw me on a weekend At university, I worked in a department store, but I never had an early shift. On Saturday nights, we'd start with drinks at a friend's house because it was cheaper than paying bar prices, then head to a club to drink, catch up, and dance. Or try to. Most nights ended with a kebab around 4 a.m., my late-night street food of choice. That's about two hours before my sons' alarms go off now. The one Saturday I was sick and stayed home, I told my friends it was my first Saturday night in for three years. My parents never minded my late nights out. Given his fondness for the front lawn, my dad wasn't in a position to. My wife, Cece, is American and went to LSU. She definitely enjoyed the party scene the school is famous for. She knows times have changed, but she's still surprised by how little the boys go out. Some of our friends have the opposite problem. Their kids spend too much money on alcohol, stay out late, and sleep all Sunday. Compared to that, I've got nothing to complain about. Even their birthday didn't count as a special occasion It takes something big to get them out. At their 20th birthday dinner, neither of them would have a beer with us or go to a bar. The author says his twins have a very different lifestyle to what he had in his 20s. Courtesy of the author Schoolies was one occasion. It's the Aussie version of spring break, and after high school, they traveled interstate with a big group of friends. A year later, Thomas spent six weeks in Europe and went out far more often than usual. For Charlie, it took Oasis. When we saw the band last year, his first concert, he suggested a few rounds of beers before they even came on. I was surprised. I'm extremely proud of them They've got jobs, great friends, and good grades. If I raised them to be too responsible, I've no idea how. They didn't learn it from their dad, Cece, or their grandpa. They're just a different generation from us, and most of the changes are good ones. I don't need them to end up passed out on anyone's front lawn. I'd just like them to occasionally come home late with a story they can tell their grandkids. So I ask if they're going out, and if they want a drink, I offer to drive. Most weekends, they say no. They've got work in the morning. Read the original article on Business Insider

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