Have we become our parents?

[DaveNV]

The "doggy bag" thread got me to thinking: How many of us have become our parents? When I was a teenager, I laughed whenever my Dad blew his nose. It sounded like a foghorn. He just looked at me and said, "Just wait, smarta$$. I used to laugh at my father, too!" Every time I blow my nose now I realize he was right.

The terms used in that other thread - doggy bag, Davenport, dinner vs. supper - and some others that come to mind - soda vs. pop, "Take me to the store" vs. "Carry me to the store" - makes me wonder how many terms we use because our parents used them. How many are regional expressions, and how many are found in one area because of migrating folks from other parts of the country brought the terms with them?

I swore I'd never become like my parents. They sometimes did and said things I felt were silly, inconsiderate, and often just plain wrong. And then I had kids of my own, and everything changed. There was one time I was arguing with my headstrong son, trying to get him to do as he was told, and he kept challenging me about WHY he was being told to do (whatever it was), and I said, "Because I said so!" I realize I had just become my Mother. It was a watershed moment for me.

What about you? Is there anything you do or say these days that reminds you of the good, bad, or frustrating things your parents did? Do you think you've become your parents? I try to deny it, but some days it's very difficult.

Dave

 

[Cornell]

Yes, I have found myself hollering at my daughter for leaving lights on (which used to really annoy my dad).

But I can honestly say that I try to emulate my parents. I hit the lottery of life when I was born to my parents. I often think "how would my parents handle this?" when I'm raising my daughter.

 

[Luanne]

I can hear phrases my mother used coming out of my mouth, but I can't think of any specifically. I do know that I've used two pieces of information she's given me over the year, and relayed that information to many others.

 

[chellej]

My Dad lived with us for 16 years ( wow until right now I didn't realize how long). Dh was pretty good through all those years but there were things that annoyed him for instance my dad would often treat the serving dish like it was his personal bowl. Last night at dinner DH started stabbing pieces of watermelon and eating them out of the bowl and I had to jab him and say "you know that's the serving bowl" My dad would also have a collection of napkins at his plate (depression child) and now dh does the same thing...I just keep gathering them up and throw them away or he would just accumulate them too. He uses lots of his favorite sayings too like " It's Hell to get old"... and he was right.

DH is turning into My dad...ut that is actually a very good thing.

 

[bbodb1]

@chellej - here in a few moments, I will return my avatar photo to the reason why we both (wife and I) tend to accumulate napkins around the kitchen table....

Done. Napkins around the kitchen table are a necessity in our household!

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

In many ways, as we grow older we fall into natural patterns. It requires conscious effort to break out of those patterns. If you just go on default, you will tend to do what comes easiest and most naturally.

One area where DW strove to break away was in some aspects of child-rearing, driven by the desire to have better relationships with our kids when they became adults than either of us had with our parents. We both loved our parents dearly, but really didn't want to spend much time around them because of various issues. In that regard we have succeeded. For example, our kids have no qualms about spending one or two weeks together on a vacation. We had zero interest in ever doing something like that with our parents.

 

[Icc5]

I constantly talk finances with my kids. My Dad never had much to say except his retirement plan was to go to the brokerage and watch the exchange. When he passed my Mom did great in the market (lot of it was stocks my Dad bought but never talked about) and her and I talked stocks every day. My parents gave us some money every year after we were established with no questions asked. We do the same with our kids.
My father n law sort of grunted when getting out of a recliner and now my wife and I do the same.

 

[geoand]

Yes, I have found myself hollering at my daughter for leaving lights on (which used to really annoy my dad).

But I can honestly say that I try to emulate my parents. I hit the lottery of life when I was born to my parents. I often think "how would my parents handle this?" when I'm raising my daughter.

Install LED lights & you won’t have to worry about leaving the lights on.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Shux, I even look like the old man.

When DMV handed me my latest driver license (10 years ago -- I'll need to renew later this year), it looked like it had the old man's photo on it.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​

 

[slip]

Yes, I have found myself hollering at my daughter for leaving lights on (which used to really annoy my dad).

But I can honestly say that I try to emulate my parents. I hit the lottery of life when I was born to my parents. I often think "how would my parents handle this?" when I'm raising my daughter.

The lights on comment was definitely my dad. He worked for Commonwealth Edison for 38 years. He always said I only work for the company, I don’t own it.

I am like you also, I do and say somethings like them on purpose. When I do my wife says OK Ralph. My fathers name of course.

 

[nerodog]

Some old familiar phrases:
For cryin out loud, dont get your sh*t hot, holy moly, take a spin, up yours, saying Yellow rather than hello on phone, half in the bag, holy cow,

 

[nerodog]

You got that right

 

[clifffaith]

My father n law sort of grunted when getting out of a recliner and now my wife and I do the same.

I was 27 and thin/fit when my boss commented that I sounded like an old lady getting up. So I picked grunting up early on (my Dad's parents were in their 40s when they had him, and we're both deaf, so I assume he picked up grunting from older parents who couldn't hear the noise they made). Now I have reason to grunt and groan when I get up out of my TV chair. I notice my severely debilitated dad says "uh uh uh" as my mother moves him. I suppose that's next in my repertoire.

 

[nerodog]

Some old familiar phrases:
For cryin out loud, dont get your sh*t hot, holy moly, take a spin, up yours, saying Yellow rather than hello on phone, half in the bag, holy cow,

What do you think we live in a barn ? Shut the door. You're letting cold air in.

 

[Passepartout]

Think about This as you raise your kids. We are all products of who raised us. (Except me, or course) For years, when I'd BBQ some ribs or a pork roast, Paula would say, "Now, what kind of fruit will we have with that-My Mom always said, "You need fruit with pork."" Now, I just say, " Thanks Edna", her mom.
I see my dad in my photos. And sometimes catch myself saying 'dad-isms'. Not often though, as he died while I was in high school.

Jim

 

[Glynda]

How many of you had/have a Fibber McGee drawer?

 

[easyrider]

Nope. Hasn't happened to me Dave, lol. I was told on the day I was born, the nurses all gathered around, and gazed in wide wonder at the joy they had found. But then the head nurse spoke up and said leave that one alone. She could tell right away, I was bad to the bone. BBBBBad.

Bill

 

[PcflEZFlng]

How many of you had/have a Fibber McGee drawer?

Never heard that one. We've always said junk drawer.

 

[PcflEZFlng]

My parents: "They drive like Ma and Pa Kettle." Said no one else I ever knew, ever.

 

[Glynda]

Never heard that one. We've always said junk drawer.

My mother loved listening to radio shows. When I was little, I remember our family sitting around the radio listening. I don't recall listening to Fibber McGee and Molly but we always referred to our "junk drawer" as a "Fibber McGee drawer" and I've carried on the tradition. Not sure if my daughter has.

 

[PigsDad]

My parents: "They drive like Ma and Pa Kettle." Said no one else I never knew, ever.

I remember watching those movies!

Kurt

 

[stmartinfan]

My parents were both the children of Norwegian immigrants and I grew up in a small town with lots of people of Scandinavian ancestry. I had never realized how much I had picked up the sounds of immigrant speech in my speaking until I returned home after living in Euripe for 3 years as a young adult in an era of few overseas telephone calls. When I heard my mother speak and then conversed with her, I could hear the accents and vowel sounds that mark that Norwegian influence coming from my mouth too!

And of course there were phrases like uff da that I'd grown up with.

 

[clifffaith]

Never heard that one. We've always said junk drawer.

We are blessed with 8 additional drawers in our kitchen/nook area -- so all our "junk" can be categorized so there really isn't a junk drawer!

 

[DaveNV]

My parents: "They drive like Ma and Pa Kettle." Said no one else I ever knew, ever.

Does it count if I know who they were? Their shows were on reruns in my town when I was a kid.

Dave

 

[DaveNV]

And of course there were phrases like uff da that I'd grown up with.

I'm not Norwegian, but I speak Uff Da, too.

Dave