I was adamant that when my time came to become a parent, I would never resemble my mother. I envisioned myself as the fun mom who did yoga alongside her kids and maintained a calm demeanor. Spontaneous outings would be our norm, and our living room walls would welcome artistic expression with washable crayons, all while soothing French language tapes played in the background.
Then I became a parent.
Those “washable” crayons? They’ve left a permanent mark on my walls. As for the language tapes, they captivated my children for a mere seven minutes before they demanded to watch their favorite cartoons. My spontaneous escapades turned into desperate drives to Starbucks… or the local liquor store.
I thought I was still the cool mom until a moment of weakness hit me. I pretended to have a headache to get some peace and quiet from my little ones. If this trick works on my partner, surely it would resonate with the kids too. But then it dawned on me—wait a minute, that tactic felt oddly familiar! Suddenly, I realized with a jolt: I am morphing into my mother! Before you panic, take a moment to reflect and see if you’re guilty of any of these 24 signs that you may be becoming your mother too!
- No child leaves your home without undergoing a thorough “mom inspection” involving sniff tests and questions about their bathroom needs.
- You find yourself complaining about bloating, back pain, the need for more coffee, or just feeling exhausted.
- Your wardrobe consists of yoga pants, sweatpants, or elastic-waist jeans.
- You utter cryptic phrases like, “I need to put my face on,” only to rush through the application of mascara.
- You’ve been caught plucking a stray chin hair while staring into the toaster’s reflection.
- You mutter to yourself so much that your own voice has become the soothing background noise of your life.
- You’ve started countless lectures with “When I was your age…”
- You’ve been seen wearing a coat over your pajamas, causing your kids immense embarrassment during morning drop-off.
- You belt out songs from the ’80s in the car, fully embracing your inner rock star.
- You’ve perfected the art of the never-ending goodbye, initiating new conversations right as you’re trying to leave.
- Everyone in your household is acutely aware when you’ve indulged in ice cream, thanks to the lactose intolerance that sneaks up in mid-life (thanks #11!).
- When your kids’ fashion choices include rips and graphics, suddenly you adopt a conservative approach to their clothing.
- You find yourself saying things like, “1, 2…OMG! Don’t make me say 3!”
- You’ve inherited your mother’s signature disapproving glare, which now works wonders on both your kids and their friends.
- You actually find excitement in attending the PTA meetings. (Wait, did I just say that?!)
- After years of parenting, you’ve come to understand that what your mom sipped at those events wasn’t always coffee.
- You’ve spun so many tales about food that you’re starting to believe spaghetti is, in fact, hair from a giant evil ninja, and eating it will earn you a magical sword.
- You can’t resist sharing embarrassing stories about your kids, like the time your son mooned the brownie troop.
- Moms apparently have no shame when it comes to bodily functions, especially after indulging in ice cream.
- The phrase “because I gave birth to you” comes in quite handy.
- Your children are thoroughly mortified by your workout outfits and the sight of you doing Pilates via DVD in the living room. Hello, Jane Fonda!
- You’ve jokingly wished for your daughter to have kids just like her, thinking it’ll teach her a lesson.
- You now require half a pot of coffee to function in the morning and, by the end of the day, half a bottle of wine to unwind.
- Your opinions on Spanx, diets, and the limits of wearing maternity pants post-baby delivery have become surprisingly strong.
Admit it, there will come a time when you sneak an extra slice of cake and mutter about starting a diet tomorrow, and then it will hit you—yep, you are becoming your mother.
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Summary: It’s all too easy to slip into the habits and quirks of our mothers as we navigate parenthood. From wardrobe choices to parenting techniques, these 24 signs will help you identify if you’re becoming just like her. Embrace the journey, with a sense of humor, and remember that many of these traits likely come from a place of love and care.