What traits and habits have your children picked up from you?

All ours are good at maths and music so completely unlike me but like their dad. I'm more practical. As for looks: one must have been swapped at birth as he's tall and handsome while his parents are short. Another looks exactly like her gran, DH's mum. The thing that I've always found almost spooky, is when our DS's voice broke, my mum thought for a moment it was her dead husband come back to life. His voice was exactly the same as his GF whom he'd never met. Genes are responsible for a lot.

My eldest DGD (12) has started to say “what a bloomin’ carry on” straight out of my mouth ! DS said he had a good laugh when she first said it !

Both my DDs are readers just like me. Youngest is keen on computer games and is very practical like her dad so she does the DIY rather than her husband. One thing we had forgotten was the other day my 2 year old DGD was rolling her eyes and my DH said why was she doing that at which point we all laughed. My DD said she had learnt it made people laugh at her and there are family photos of both my DD and DH doing it as young children. So many photos of them involve them making funny faces so it is interesting my DGD seems to also do this without either of them teaching her. The ability to be the family clown apparently is inherited.

My son looks like me and has my sense of humour. My daughter treats me exactly how I used to treat my mother. Sometimes she's cheerful and happy to be with me, but a lot of the time I obviously get on her nerves! I understand because my mum got on my nerves as well, although I wish she was here now. My granddaughter is very like me as a child, as she is artistic and sunny natured, but looks just like her mum (my daughter) and can pull the same withering looks as her mum. My daughter is a very kind person and loves animals, which I think she probably gets from my mum. Both children are bright and capable, which they also get from me. My grandson is very much like my son (his uncle) and only cries when he's angry or feels something is unfair, not when he's hurt, which is very much like my son.

My mother was very judgemental. She thought herself better than others. I go out of my way to be not like her. And I think I have succeeded. My children are both like DH. Clever, funny and with their feet firmly on the ground. They are both extremely tolerant of others , wise, open, and free thinking. Just what DH and I hoped for.

My 3 are like mostly like me. They do to much for others, they are "fixers" just like me. They are thoughtful and enjoy life. My DD1 can become anxious and worries about silly things that's her dad. DD2 is bossy and tries to take over, me before my illness. DS is very like hubby's brother, getting info out of him is like getting water from a stone even if it's just "how was your day" .

LittleFlo wrote:

"This is a subject I find fascinating. Where people have very opposite personalities, I wonder what has influenced them. Maybe it is genetics. My 2 nephews are exactly like my brother. Very quiet, but also disdainful."

It is fascinating Flo. How can we tell which traits are genetic and which are learned from parents , teachers, even the media?

Apart from beauty and brains , I can't think of many ways in which my DSs resemble me, although DS2 shares my tendency to hoard. They are both politically minded and, like me, veer to the left in a green kind of way. Non-religious, and devoted dads.

My eldest daughter is like her dad, more quiet , thoughtful , sometimes shy. My youngest daughter is more like me , outgoing, focussed will do what it takes to get where she wants to be .

But mostly they are kind hearted, caring compassionate young women . That’ll do me ?

From their father, enough self confidence to persue their dreams and not hold back.
From me, the ability to think things through and find a balance between dreams and everyday life. Also from me, unfortunately, the younger DS has inherited the tendency to get rather stressed in certain circumstances, but I am so proud of him for not letting it hold him back in the way that I have.

DD1 is more like me, a deep-thinker, chose to be baptised as a Christian and loves singing, good at maths, has a small number of close friends and loves brightly coloured clothes. DD2 more like her Dad; they both had jobs in the construction industry. Like him she does not believe in God and prefers to wear more neutral colours. However DD1 has followed in her Dad's footsteps by becoming a school governor. DD2 has a wide circle of friends and will chat easily with anyone- she gets that from my MIL, I think!

This is an interesting discussion.
Eldest son is outgoing, calm in a crisis (delivered his daughter!), confident, will talk to anyone on any level or subject, generous, creative, and hardworking. Just like his father, whom he shares his curly hair with.

Second son is a bit shy, lacks confidence in himself and his abilities, dislikes social gatherings, happy in his own company, hardworking, generous and very artistic, and very good looking - almost a carbon copy of me!

Youngest son is friendly, gregarious, fun loving, talkative, hardworking, artistic and creative with his hands. Also has his Dad's curly hair.

All three sons are kind, loving, loyal and have my silly sense of humour which often reduces us all to fits of giggles.

DS looks like a clone of DH but his character traits are mine. Strong work ethic; over developed sense of responsibility and an eye for detail. We share the same sense of humour and only have to look at each other to know what the other is thinking and go into howls of laughter.

Only 3 of my DC are birth children and all the rest are adopted. My eldest DD is a mixture of her father and me. She is rather reserved and never volunteers information but isnt gregarious like me. If I hadnt given birth at home and the fact that DD2 looks like me and my family I would have said she was swapped at birth. She is gregarious but she will borrow money from anyone and never feels a compulsion to pay it back. Her attitude to life is very different to the rest. My birth DS is again a mixture of both parents and while he is the quietest of the lot he doesn't suffer fools gladly. None of them have my generosity but they are very good at maths which comes from me.

My sons have learned mannerisms from their father . Apart from that superficial resemblance it's impossible to sift through anyone's tremendous complexity of motivations.

Their father and I shared the same cultural ethos which was also common to grandparents.

My DS has some of my traits, avid reader, clever and focussed at work, he loves books and gardening and can talk to his children about anything. He looks like me facially but has his fathers height and colouring. He can talk the hind leg off a donkey like his father. He can cook like his father too.

My eldest DGD is like me, bossy, organising, teacher like and with a voice that can carry across 3 classrooms.

Own.

My DD seems to have inherited my ‘late’ gene. My own mother used to tell me I’d be late for my ow funeral

Protestant work ethic - neither of them seem to be able to sit still for five minutes without leaping up for something they've noticed that 'needs doing', and an overdeveloped sense of responsibility for the happiness of other people. Not the best of traits probably....neither of them relax much .
On the plus side, our two family mottos of 'Never give in' , and choosing to laugh rather than cry seem to have carried all of us through the bad times, so not all traits learned from us have been questionable!

Ambitious and go for it without a second thought.

They all love dogs,cats and horses. Job done.

After spending a day with me, DGD, aged two and a half had everyone at home in stitches when she said ‘What the dickens!’ I dread to think what other things I’ve said that she might repeat.

My children have got all my best bits and all their father's worst bits!

DS is a worrier - and can see a problem before it might happen [just like me], is a good planner though [like me] but takes on too much [also like me!]
DD has my temperament [up and down like me] and is very good at organising [much better than me]
DH is the calming influence in our family - he and I are chalk and cheese really! Perhaps that's why we're still together.

Well my d is strong willed, independent and kind which is exactly what I am. But her dad is very clever with money, and thinks things over before he rushes into anything which is our d too. So bit of both I think.