I am not always a believer that kids are a reflection of their parents. To truly be reflections would assume your kids have the same personality as you do. And, while you may find similarities (sometimes scary similarities), they all tend to have personalities all their own.
That being said, they are sponges. They will pick up your good habits and your bad ones. But I tend to think of them as a way of reflecting those things back at the parents.
For example, I have determined that I drink too much coffee around my kids. Why? While out and about yesterday, I decided I needed a second cup of coffee, so hit a drive thru coffee place to get one. Right before I pull up to order, I hear this from the backseat:
“Hello. I would like a tall non-fat two pump vanilla latte. Can I also have a tall vanilla steamer too? Thank you.”
I turned and looked at my little parrot named Indigo who asks,
“Did I get it right?”
She did. Then she said, “If daddy was here, he would get a non-fat pumpkin spice with no whip. And, DJ would get a tall cocoa.”
They she added as we were leaving that she wants to be a barista when she grows up, and a teacher, and a snow board instructor.
I think it is time to cut back on the coffee.
(Oh, and I should mention, we rarely go out and buy coffee – we make it at home because it saves a ton of money. I think we figured the espresso machine paid for itself in 2 months, to give some perspective. I think she got this from the couple times a week we get coffee before or after taekwondo. Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself.)
There is nothing more fun then hearing your children parrot you. Especially when they do a gesture or tone that you do and your 1st thought is ‘how freakin annoying’