At the age of five, Talia would have extended conversations with someone on the other end of her pretend Tinkerbell mobile phone. She would tuck it between her ear and shoulder and walk around deep in conversation with I-don’t-know-who, about I-don’t-know-what. She would throw her head back and laugh and went so far as to wave her finger at me as a warning if I dared to interrupt her.
My laughter quickly turned cold as I realised she was doing exactly what I do—talk on the phone way too much and tell her to wait until I’m finished.
She will join me in the bathroom and pretend to take her non-existent make-up off. Or shuffle around my room attempting to walk in my high heels.
And haven’t we all heard phrases thrown back at us with a remarkably familiar ring. The expressions my kids use often leave me wondering where they come from, until I hear my husband use the exact same words.
‘Just so you know . . .’ or ‘We’ll see’; the latter came to me from my grandmother, now that I think about it.
It makes you realise how much children mirror their parents, particularly when you don’t even know it’s happening.
My son hates peas because his dad does. I don’t think he’s even tried them. And John hates them because his mother does.
My son will follow his dad around the house with his tool kit, and watch the same sports on TV.
My daughter talks too much, chats to anyone and won’t take no for an answer. I’ll let you work that one out . . .
But it’s not all bad. I always greet our school lollypop lady and I’m proud to see my kids do now too.
And I know in turn I’ve picked up habits from my parents. My mum’s fantastic deal-with-anything attitude and my dad’s gift of the gab.
So hopefully our children will adopt some of our good habits and not just the bad.