Tip of the Day: Get all the stories of your parents' teen years while they are still around to tell you -- and still remember. There are some gems in there!
When I was a teen, I remember seeing my mom do certain things, or being with her during certain events, thinking, "WHY is she doing that?"
Wait, strike that. What I was thinking was, "Oh my god, she's SO EMBARASSING!"
And now? Even without having kids of my own to embarass, I find myself doing the following -- and I completely blame my mother. :)
1. Carrying one, if not two, big bags around with me to work, the gym, a 30-minute car trip instead of just a small purse.... Because what if I need a snack? Water? Adil? Toothbrush? Sweater? Book?
2. Carrying a travel mug of hot tea around with me.... Because what if I need caffeine? Something hot? Something soothing?
3. Not being able to sit down and just do one thing.... Because if I'm not writing AND/OR watching TV AND/OR reading AND/OR working out AND/OR cleaning AND/OR eating -- I might not have time to get everything done during the day and doing just ONE of those things is way too little taxation on my brain!
4. Being "allergic" to certain foods.... Because apparently as a kid I could eat McDonald's and candy and fried foods with no problems, but as an adult I have inherited my mother's inability to eat certain things without feeling ill.
What traits did you swear you would NEVER HAVE that your mother/father did...that now you proudly embrace?
Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing
Oh, I definitely got #3 from my Mom. Also I believe in not knowing the natural color of my hair, another Mom trait I found strange in my hippie years. When I was a kid, my Mom would pick out the cheesiest romance books, so embarrassing. :) Also, she always wanted things quiet: no TV or music. As a teen that seemed crazy, but now I do the same thing.
ReplyDeleteNumber 3 for sure. I also sometimes make lists now when I need to remember things (never used to do that) and fall asleep early so often that I'm irritated by my inability to stay awake late into the night.
ReplyDeleteWearing "Mom" jeans or stretch pants.
ReplyDeleteKate -- I have not dyed my hair yet...but as the greys overtake the time is coming. My mother would agree with you on dye.
ReplyDelete--and OH YEAH! I should add that one about the music being off in the car though as a kid I got "bored" unless music was playing. And now when I leave work I just want QUIET. :)
C.K. -- SLEEP! LOL! YES! Being too tired to socialize during the week after work.
Jennifer -- oh yeah, lounge wear is entirely underrated. :)
UGH. My mom used to use a fan to fall asleep. Whenever we went anywhere together she had that dang fan blowing and the noise irritated me to no end. When I had kids and suddenly heard every single pin drop noise in my house I had trouble falling and/or staying asleep. My husband would occasionally suggest I sleep in the guest bedroom where I would turn on the fan to block out all the noise and try to get an uninterrupted night's sleep. Do you see where this is going?! Now I can't sleep without the fan on. Ever. I still hear the noises, but my fan has become my sleep-inducer. I can't sleep without a little background noise. I even take small fans with me on vacation. Thanks, mom!
ReplyDeleteHa! Deena, you are definitely Mom's kid! I do the standing while watching TV thing that Mom does, but I definitely catch myself being Dad-like more often.
ReplyDeleteKim, the fan thing is hilarious!
ReplyDeleteAndrea, I have my dad moments as well...I should do a post on that!