Parents see the world differently than teens do. Wisdom and perspective come with more years on the planet.
But parents, remember that the average age of a college admissions officer is much closer to that of your kids than it is to yours.
Admissions officers are in the business of evaluating teens—their accomplishments, their lives, their stories, etc. They expect teens to behave (and to present themselves) like teens. And they hope that parents will remember that they are not the applicant, but the parent of the applicant.
Everyone will enjoy a more successful, less stressful college admissions process when everyone acts their age.