By Mallory Hickethier
At 24 years old, I never would have guessed that I would be so much like my mom. In middle school, we do anything to not be like our parents. We don’t want people telling us that we are like our parents. How dare someone says that, I am my own person. But now that my generation is learning how to ‘adult’ there are things that we have picked up from our parents just by aimlessly watching them or from them teaching us how certain things should be done.
This is a list that I have gathered from different people, both men and women of differing ages, that have grown up to have similar habits like their parents. Whether we like it or not.
“It’s completely normal to sound and act like your parents, no matter how hard you have tried to be different. It doesn’t mean you have become them.” (Psychology Today)
Taking your hat off when you walk into a building
Most people don’t do this anymore but there are still some people, mostly men, who do this without even thinking about it anymore; it’s just habit now. This gentleman was taught this by his dad and grandpa.
Eat a spoon full of sugar to cure the hiccups
Well if this isn’t the biggest myth I have ever heard but people and their families swear by it. I guess it time for me to give it a try!
Back seat driving
My dad would probably agree with this… I am just as bad at back seat driving as my mom. Sorry mom and dad, I learned from you and I am sure many other people would say that’s where they have learned their back seat driving and road rage from too.
Loading the dishwasher
I’ll be honest, I have a specific way that I load the dishwasher and if the people I am living with don’t load it the way I am used to, I will rearrange it. Maybe it is a little bit OCD but Tupperware ALWAYS go on the top, knives do NOT go in the dishwasher at all, pots and pans don’t go in unless there is room and plates gets lined up in a row. One thing that has made college life sooo much easier, was getting a magnet that you can flip that says ‘clean’ on one side and ‘dirty’ on the other. No more wondering if the dishes are clean or not. Here is an Amazon link to buy one because they are game changers!
Underestimating time
Like when your mom tells you that something will take a couple of minutes, but it really turns into a couple of hours… *SIGH*
Ending phone calls the same way
Next time you hear your mom on the phone, listen to how she says goodbye. (Obviously it will be different depending on who she is talking to, but you’re not any different.) You might surprise yourself about how much you are starting to talk like her.
Deep clean your house weekly
Some people might deep clean their house weekly, others monthly, or maybe even never. Whichever one you do, that is probably how your parents did it.
Always check in with each other when traveling
My mom and I are constantly on the road. We let each other know when we are leaving our destination and when we arrive at the next destination. It is always a good check in for both of us. I highly recommend to this, if you don’t already.
Check your vehicle before a road trip
My roommate has made it a habit to check his oil, tires, gas, etc. before long road trips, which is especially practical in Montana when you can travel miles and miles before seeing another car or gas station.
Putting sheets and towels away
Put your clean sheets and towels away on the top when you are done washing them. But the real part of this plan is to pull from the bottom when you need to use them. This is for those that own more than one set of sheets and towels that is…
Feeling guilty if you have dessert first
Well this most definitely is not about me, but there are people who were taught a young age that they HAD to eat their dinner first before they were allowed to have dessert. I think most of the time my parents were just happy if I ate anything as a kid. Nonetheless, I think this is generally a good rule to follow so you don’t fill up on sweets before dinner even if the dessert looks better than the main course.
Keep everything possible in the freezer
We have always been taught to freeze things and then unthaw them if we want to eat it. Why waste food when you can freeze it and save it for later?
Do the dishes while you are cooking or right after you are done eating
This tends to be a little bit harder for some people to follow just because of the fast-paced life they live. My mom rarely leaves dishes in the sink after dinner. I try not to do this either but ya know… life. If I have learned anything, it’s that I need to be more like my grandma and mom in the sense of cleaning up right afterwards instead of procrastinating.
Always have a beer when you come home from work
I have lived with my roommate for the last two years and he never walks his dog before he has a beer. I asked where he got this idea from and immediately, he said his dad. I kind of second guessed him as we both laughed and then he looked back at me and said “YEP! Definitely my dad.” He claims it is the best way to end the work day.
These aren’t necessarily lessons but yet tendencies or propensities that we learned over the years while living with our parents. Most of these have become habits that we mindlessly do. These are the things that help us think about our past generations and what they were taught as young adults too. Once we take that step back and think about what weird things we do and ask our parents if they did those things, it is then that we realize who we got those routines from.
If I could be half the woman my mom is, I would be so fortunate and mostly because of the things she taught me when I was growing up. Something that I will never forget from her is every day she would tell my brother and I to be “kind, honest and respectful.” And to tell you the truth, I will probably repeat those same three words to my kids someday.