I mean, they really can't expect you to follow what they themselves saw no problem in doing while they were younger. On the other hand, they did do the same things and maybe we can learn from the mistakes that they made. All in all, though, I think that parents should tell their children what not to do, but also let them decide and learn for themselves because that is the only way that some people learn.
Parents are responsible for teaching their children by setting examples.
That is not the message teens want to be sent. We are sent mixed messages a lot of the time and mainly because our parents don't want to follow the same guidelines that they set for us. We can learn to make responsible decisions if we are taught by example. We just want you to set the rules and, believe it or not, if they are strictly set and do not change, most teens and children will try their best to follow them. No, I don't think parents and other adults are hypocrites for using that phrase.