Most of us dread the day when we realise we have turned into our parents. There are plenty of qualities we don't wish to inherit from them, most of which are synonymous with aging: worrying, complaining and becoming victim to certain sayings. But, try as we might to resist the natural progression, the behavioural transformation is inevitable.
We were witness to them becoming like their parents, too - the similarities became more and more apparent with age (much to their dismay when you dared to point it out). Although we thought we had a bit more time to be youthfully detached from the older generations, new research has determined the age at which we will officially turn into our parents, and it’s younger than we thought.
According to the research conducted by Appletiser, the age at which Brits ‘become’ their parents - talking and acting in a manner you recognise as theirs – is 30-years-old. While almost half (49 percent) of Brits surveyed admitted that they feared turning into their parents, 48 percent were actually proud to be like them, and 58 percent hoped their children would also adopt their behaviours in the future.
There are phrases that seem to seep into every older person’s vocabulary despite their upbringing and course of life, namely the phrase, ‘when I was your age,' which the research showed was the most popular repeated parenting phrase. Following this was ‘eat with your mouth closed’ (34 percent), ‘you’ll understand when you’re older’ (31 percent) and ‘if your friends jumped off a cliff, would you?’ (29 percent). Do you recognise any of these? Better yet, do you already say them?
The list of popular repeated parenting phrases also included the retelling of old wives’ tales, such as insisting that eating carrots will improve eyesight, and the strange adage: ‘don’t pull that face, because if the wind changes you’ll stay like that.’
The research also asked Brits which celebrities they would love to have as their mum and dad, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, David Attenborourgh and Helen Mirren were crowned top (gaining 25 percent and 22 percent of votes respectively). They were closely followed by Dawn French (21 percent), Sean Connery (20 percent), Julie Walters (18 percent) and Phillip Schofield (17 percent).
According to the research, the most common signs you’re turning into your mum or dad include being more frugal with spending (especially loving a bargain) and ‘choosing comfort over style’ when shopping for clothes.
See the top 10 signs you're turning into your parents...
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Not recognising some current chart music (74 percent)
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Getting happy when you find a bargain (72 percent)
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Choosing clothes for comfort over fashion (71 percent)
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Not knowing some of the latest celebrities (71 percent)
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Going to the toilet immediately before you leave to go anywhere (68 percent)
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Caring less about what people think (68 percent)
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Not going on a night out without a coat (66 percent)
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Not understanding the latest social media trend (64 percent)
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Questioning the latest fashion trends (64 percent)
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Spending more on items for the home than you do on clothes (63 percent)
‘It’s true that there are defining moments in our lives where the penny drops and we realise that we’ve picked up more habits and behaviours from our parents than we care to admit to,' says family psychologist Dr. Becky Spelman. 'But for many, these are moments to be celebrated! When we catch ourselves doing or saying something that our parents said to us, it evokes a sense of nostalgia and makes us feel like we’re on the right track. After all, we got by ourselves on the same good advice.’
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