"Wear Your Retainer" and 14+ Other Simple Pieces Of Advice To Follow

Ignoring the wise words of your parents – it's kind of a teenage rite of passage, like your first kiss, a waltz at prom, or crashing a car or two or maybe even seven (you didn’t hear that last one). But in reality, this is simple advice that you should follow.

It might feel like mom and dad (or any other combination) are cramping your style, but these little nuggets of advice really are coming from a good place. Your best intentions are in mind, and listening the first time around is much easier than learning the hard way. Take it from our very own Casey Foster. Casey revealed on today’s taping of the Preston & Steve show that he’s got a big ole snaggletooth on the bottom set of his teeth. It came as a result of not wearing his retainer after getting his braces. Thankfully, the Foster kids have not fallen into the same trap. All three of his kids had braces, had being the key word, because Casey’s son just got his set of braces off yesterday.

Casey’s son wasn’t too attentive at first, but the realization that he wanted his braces off made him start to follow the Orthodontist's advice to a tee (sidenote, why is it orthodontist and not orthodentist). Now, he’s making sure to wear his retainer, unlike his dad.

We wished Casey’s son good luck, but it also made us curious. We took calls from listeners, asking them what tiny little nuggets of advice they thought would be valuable to dispense. The following is an unfiltered list of advice from the Preston & Steve faaaaaaamily:

Wear Your Retainer

You don't want to do it. It's hard to remember to do it. When you're older, you'll be so happy that you did.

Assume Good Intentions

Many younger people are skeptical of others and assume that those people are thinking negatively of them. Instead, assume that people are okay with you, until they directly tell you that there is a issue.

Don't worry what other people are thinking about you, because they're not thinking about you, they're thinking about what they think you are thinking about them.

Pay Off Your Credit Cards Every Month

TikTok user, @iteachcredit, called in with this advice:

Pay your credit cards to ZERO every 7 days.
Never miss a payment
Never pay interest
Never have Credit Card debt
Low utilization increases credit score and limits
Earn free travel to see the world

There are 340M people in the country... at LEAST 110M have credit scores below 700. His channel teaches people the best ways to build 800 Credit Scores with $100K Credit limits. His mission is to bridge the gap of lifestyle inequality through financial literacy. See for yourself: https://www.tiktok.com/@iteachcredit

Travel While You're Young

This piece of advice hits at many points in your life. Travel during college when you have the opportunity to study abroad. Travel before you have family, financial or other big commitments holding you back. Take every opportunity to travel!

Never stop traveling!

Listen to Fashion Advice From Women In Your Life

People around you are dressing you in what looks best on you. If you don't consider yourself stylish, then listen to the people around you when it comes to your overall look. They have your best interest in mind!

Also, just because it's trendy and stylish, doesn't mean that it looks good on you.

Don't Quit Your Instrument

When you're a kid, instrument lessons can be annoying. There are other a million other things that you may want to do instead of practicing. But what you don't know at that time is that it's a great skill to have later in life. If you did quit, remember that it's never too late to pick it up again!

Walk with Purpouse

Walking with purpose is the best way to avoid getting targeted when you are wandering around a public place. Don't let someone stop you for the time or a match or an odd request, there's a chance that you could be getting scammed or robbed.

Keep a Blanket In Your Car

Drunk driving should never happen. It just shouldn't. If you drove, but you find yourself impaired, stay where you are and get some sleep.

Open a Roth IRA with Your First Paycheck

According to Schwab.com, a Roth IRA is an Individual Retirement Account. Your contributions and earnings can grow tax-free, and you can withdraw them tax-free and penalty free after age 59½ and once the account has been open for five years. FREE MONEY!

Always Carry Cash

"Walking around money" sounds so old school, but you can't predict a moment that you are stuck and you need cash. Keep an emergency $20 in your wallet. While you're at it, make sure you have ID on you at all times too.

Trade School Is A Great Option

If you know what you want to do while you're in high school, that's great. But you don't have to have your whole life figured out at 16 years old. Explore your options, see what's out there, and don't get pressured into something you don't want to do because someone tells you that's what you should do.

Follow your passion!

Don't Carry Booze Or Drugs For Someonelse

Don't be a mule.

Buy Into Your 401K

As soon as you start your career, find out about the 401K program. If they match your contributions, that's free money!

Wear Sunscreen

This is a two-fer. Take care of your skin, protect yourself, lengthen your health of your skin. Also, the song, "Everyone's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" from Baz Luhrmann has tons of good advice to follow:

The real troubles in your lifeAre apt to be things that never crossed your worried mindThe kind that blindsides you at 4 p.m. on some idle TuesdayDo one thing every day that scares you

Saying, don't be reckless with other people's heartsDon't put up with people who are reckless with yours

Floss

Don't waste your time on jealousySometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behindThe race is long and in the end, it's only with yourselfRemember compliments you receive, forget the insultsIf you succeed in doing this, tell me howKeep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements

Stretch

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your lifeThe most interesting people I knowDidn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their livesSome of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don'tGet plenty of calciumBe kind to your kneesYou'll miss them when they're gone

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won'tMaybe you'll have children, maybe you won'tMaybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the 'Funky Chicken'On your 75th wedding anniversaryWhatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too muchOr berate yourself eitherYour choices are half chance, so are everybody else's

Enjoy your body, use it every way you canDon't be afraid of it or what other people think of itIt's the greatest instrument you'll ever ownDance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your own living roomRead the directions even if you don't follow themDo not read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly

Get to know your parents, you never know when they'll be gone for goodBe nice to your siblings, they're your best link to your pastAnd the people most likely to stick with you in the future

Understand that friends come and goBut a precious few, who should hold on

Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyleFor as the older you getThe more you need the people you knew when you were youngLive in New York City once but leave before it makes you hardLive in northern California once but leave before it makes you soft

Travel

Accept certain inalienable truthsPrices will rise, politicians will philander, you too, will get oldAnd when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were youngPrices were reasonable, politicians were nobleAnd children respected their elders

Respect your elders

Don't expect anyone else to support youMaybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouseBut you never know when either one might run out

Don't mess too much with your hairOr by the time you're 40 it will look 85

Be careful whose advice you buy but be patient with those who supply itAdvice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the pastFrom the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly partsAnd recycling it for more than it's worth

But trust me on the sunscreen

Addional Advice:

From the 93.3 WMMR Listeners:

@cmgsavage: Talk to your Professors because late grades are better than None. 20 years at local colleges experience talking here.
BE MORE EMPATHETIC. It will change you dramatically.
Get the gas the night before. Don't wait til morning.
Have a firm handshake.
Do routine maintenance! Change your oil, change your filters, clean your lint trap, drain your water heater. Little steps save huge expenses!
Don't put in writing anything you wouldn't say to someone's face. So don't talk shit in a text message.
Make sure you are eating a balanced diet. It's so easy to gain the weight and so hard to lose it.
Wear a helmet.
Do stuff, value experiences over possessions.
Change your wiper blades before car inspection so they don't charge you triple the price.
Simply just listen to your parents the reason we are telling you something is because we've lived through it and learned from it.

Advice

The Preston & Steve ShowAuthor

The Preston & Steve Show has been a cornerstone of the Philly morning radio scene since 1998. Hosts Preston Elliot and Steve Morrison are joined by Casey Boy Foster, Kathy Romano, Nick McIlwain & Marisa Magnatta. Read on for all things rock, Philly, and everything in between.

“Wear Your Retainer” and 14+ Other Simple Pieces Of Advice To Follow

Ignoring the wise words of your parents – it’s kind of a teenage rite of passage, like your first kiss, a waltz at prom, or crashing a car or two…

The Preston & Steve Show