Mamma's Boy

By Brian French
Posted Thursday, Mar 20, 2008

Have you ever wondered how you became your parents? If you have children you know what I am referring to. Recently my two kids were arguing and out of my mouth without a split second warning I said,"I hope when you are older that you have kids just likeyou ". I'm not quite sure the sense that statement really makes or the real impact or lack thereof it had on their behavior, but it was the best I could muster up at that moment. It wasn't something that I came up on my own, no I had heard it before, when I was a boy from my mother. Have you ever stopped to think about how much you are like your parents and how your parenting style is sometimes influenced by your childhood? I remember as a teenager thinking I know I'll never say that to my kids, or I'll never make my kids do something they didn't want to do. Well, needless to say, there are times when I do things or say things that my mother used to "just because that's the way it is." By the way, that's another saying I used to hear, along with if my son or daughter says something is not fair, then my response is "Life's not fair". That too borrowed from my mother. Anyways, as I get older and hopefully wiser, there are times that we remember our past as we influence the present with our children. Sometimesit makesme chuckle.And in time, they too willdo the same. I guess 'it's just part of growing up", and that too has been passed along as well.