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'He walks like his grandad': 7 parents share the family habits their kids have already picked up

Kids are like sponges, right? We asked mums and dads to share the traits their kids have learned from them.

WHEN IT COMES to being pregnant, or parenting a newborn, everyone’s just figuring things out as they go. That’s why it can be so helpful to hear how other people are getting through the mess of it all, from the first nappy change to the countless sleepless nights.

Our Toddler and Preschool Parents Panel is made up of parents with little ones from 24 months up to age five.

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This week, we asked our panel about the habits they  see their children picking up, from the phrases they exclaim when anyone uses the loo, to the way they hold their hands when they walk down the street.

Most parents don’t realise they do some of these odd things until they wonder where it’s coming from in their kids. 

We asked the panel: What’s one habit your child has already picked up from you?

Here are a few of the best responses:

I was scolded for talking to strangers: My three-year-old has become a stickler for good manners and keeps roaring at us all to sit up straight and keep our elbows off the table. She also scolded me for talking to strangers the other day!

- Tracy Kilgallon

Our boys walk like their grandad: It can be tricky to recognise your own traits in your kids, but I can see mannerisms of our parents in our boys: they sometimes walk with their hands behind their backs like my dad does, and when they cough they say “my goodness” like my husband’s mum would say. It is hilarious coming out of the mouths of two- and four-year-old boys. The one thing our older boy is doing that I also do is holding his thumbs between his index and middle fingers when he watches TV. It’s an odd one but it’s definitely something he picked up from me.

- Kaisu Healy

My daughter inherited my ability to throw a dirty look: I can certainly see a lot of myself reflected in my daughter, particularly her ability to throw a dirty look! Her face can tell no lies and if she’s not impressed with you, you’ll be able to tell immediately. She certainly does not suffer fools lightly. Thankfully, I find her brutal honesty charming (and hilarious!).

- Nicola Barry 

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My three-year-old learned the F-word: We had an awful phase of the three-year-old using certain words beginning with F in very accurate and meaningful contexts. Not good and thankfully was a short phase! I do get a good laugh out of hearing colloquial phrases come out of toddler mouths though. I sometimes hear “Shur can’t I…” and “Shur I was only…”! The Clare accent breaking out in the Laois born boy!

- Michelle O’Brien

When we are on the loo we get asked, ‘Are you doing a poo or a wee wee?’: Currently the funniest habit that our daughter has picked up from us has been to do with toilet training. When you have young kids, you very rarely get to go to the loo alone, especially if you’re a stay at home parent. So Tara coming to the loo with us is nothing new, but since we started toilet training there is a whole new aspect to her coming to the toilet with us. 

We used stickers and loads of praise to encourage Tara to use the toilet. So now when we are on the loo we get asked, “Are you doing a poo or a wee wee?”, “Is it a big poo?”, “Come on poo, hurry up, you can do it!” When we finish we get an enthusiastic “Mammy, you did it!” and “Well done, you need a sticker!” 

On leaving the toilet she also likes to make sure that the people who weren’t in the toilet are fully updated on what you’ve been up to, “Daddy, Mammy did a wee wee and a poo poo!” All of this is quite funny when it happens in the privacy of your own home but can be slightly mortifying when it occurs in the middle of a busy restaurant!

- Deirdre McCormack

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My son is cursed with the affliction of over-apologising: It’s a typical Irish thing, but I know I apologise too much (sorry about that!). Alas, I’ve noticed lately that my son Jonah is cursed with the same affliction. A rushing woman knocked him over at the library the other day and he was full of apologies. He’s constantly saying “Sorry mammy” even when he hasn’t done anything. When arguing with his twin sister he is always the one to feel bad and say sorry. She, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to know the meaning of the word. Must take after her dad!

- Joanne Burke

A declaration of the sound of ‘music’: This may be a little TMI, but when our son’s bum makes plenty of ‘music’, we always say in an American accent,  “Ewwww you filthy animal,” whilst laughing. Now anytime there is a sound of a trumpet bum, be it a stranger or family, he says this mantra and laughs. Very funny.

- Cliondhna Kerrigan

More Parents Panel: What was the last tantrum your toddler threw – and where did it happen?

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    Mute Brian Kelly
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    Jan 26th 2022, 2:33 PM

    It’s a good thing there is still dialogue between them. I’m still on the side of Ukrainian people and their government. They should be allowed to join what ever they want be it the EU and NATO. No other country should dictate to them what they can and cannot do. This is what is called democracy!

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    Mute Fr. Fintan Stack
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    Jan 26th 2022, 4:18 PM

    @Brian Kelly: True, Ukraine should be allowed to join what they want. And I’m sure NATO would be only too glad to have them join. It would mean NATO/US bases set up in Ukraine right in the face of Russia.
    On the other hand could you imagine if Canada or Mexico decided to join a Russian military alliance? With Russian bases set up around Canada or Mexico peering in to the US? I wonder what the US reaction to that would be to that? Maybe they would put 100,000 troops on the border as a show of strength?

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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Jan 26th 2022, 4:41 PM

    @Fr. Fintan Stack: Something tells me Canada isn’t going to quit NATO and join Russia any time soon.

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    Mute Fr. Fintan Stack
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    Jan 26th 2022, 4:49 PM

    @Roy Dowling: of course Canada are not going to join a Russian military alliance. Do I really have to explain to you what the point of using Canada and Mexico in my comment was for?

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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 26th 2022, 5:04 PM

    @Fr. Fintan Stack: russia is a bad neighbour especially with Putin harboring territorial ambitions. you cant blame any country bordering russia from looking for assisstance keeping the bear from the door.

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    Mute Kerrill Thornhill
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    Jan 26th 2022, 5:45 PM

    @Brian Kelly: It’s oxymoronic to keep say you are on the side of democracy and support the violent coup that overthrew democracy in Ukraine in 2014, installing a fascist regime – who incidentally are the only country (with US) who recently refused to condemn the glorification of nazism in the UN. There is a huge swath of Ukraine that does not support the current regime, pretending there is a united Ukrainian voice is garbage, who is going to protect them from more atrocities like this, carried out by Western backed forces: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/02/ukraine-dead-odessa-building-fire

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    Mute Vonvonic
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    Jan 26th 2022, 5:48 PM

    @Roy Dowling: Hypothetical arguments are hard.

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    Mute Jim Buckley Barrett
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    Jan 26th 2022, 6:41 PM

    @superdooper: wouldn’t disagree with you but Cuba felt the same about the US and we nearly had WWIII over Russia attempt at setting up in Cuba.

    There’s still sanctions imposed on Cuba by US today for being a communism country.

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    Jan 26th 2022, 6:49 PM

    @Jim Buckley Barrett: true. i think the americans found it useful to have cuba as a bogeyman. gave them a handy enemy.

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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:09 PM

    @superdooper: Israel and Saudi Arabia are bad neighbors. Don’t see the EU, NATO or the US imposing sanctions and threatening them if they keep attacking there neighbors.

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    Jan 26th 2022, 8:34 PM

    @Roy Dowling: true.

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    Mute Thomas Harrington
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    Jan 26th 2022, 9:40 PM

    @Fr. Fintan Stack: they’re all gangsters dude – the yanks/ nato in Iraq – the russkis in Syria – the only ones that gain are the crooks at the top and regular folk suffer – until we have a brotherhood of man nothing will change

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    Mute Paul Duffy
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    Jan 26th 2022, 10:10 PM

    @Fr. Fintan Stack: didn’t we have something like that before…. oh yeah Cuba
    The yanks didn’t like that one little bit

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    Mute Niall Dunne
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    Jan 26th 2022, 11:12 PM

    @Roy Dowling: yeah he’s just showing it from Russia’s point of view. This thing is the Cuban missile crisis in reverse. Now it’s the Americans who are friendly with Russia’s neibhours and they’re worried about first strike missiles being placed in ukraine a couple of thousand miles from Moscow. America lost the rag when it was the Russians putting their missiles in Cuba. And yes America invaded Cuba too they just got some separatists to do the work much like what Russia is claiming.
    Recently both countries have been shooting down their own satellights in a message that says don’t try putting the missiles in space attached to satellights. Now we have space debris that presents a hazard. Both of these countries have no right to involve the rest of the planet but that’s the status quo.

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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Jan 27th 2022, 12:01 AM

    @Brian Kelly: Funny but when the Soviet Union put missiles in Cuba the US responded just like Russia is now. Where was the democracy when the U.S. supported by the coalition ( NATO ) invaded Iraq. Hypocrisy and propaganda at it’s best

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    Mute Vonvonic
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    Jan 26th 2022, 3:49 PM

    The Americans need to back out of this. Everything they do is influenced by their own internal division now. Biden is the only one making threats at the moment. Putin has been playing the American division for years and there’s nothing to suggest this is any different. The Americans need to concentrate on how to fix their own union before all he’ll breaks lose there.

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    Mute superdooper
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    Jan 26th 2022, 5:05 PM

    @Vonvonic: you remember russia invaded ukraine in 2014 right and seized the crimea. he got away with it then and now hes looking for more. appeasdidnt work with the nazis and it wont work here

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    Mute Fr. Fintan Stack
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    Jan 26th 2022, 5:16 PM

    @superdooper: do you remember when the US and its allies invaded half the middle east and got away with it?

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    Jan 26th 2022, 5:17 PM

    @superdooper: “Appeasment didn’t work with the Nazis” is a cliche based on a misunderstanding of the facts; and propagated by Curchillites. In reality, it allowed Britain the time to arm up. Even after the Nazis invaded Poland; it took months before Britain were in a position to enter the war properly.
    In any case; it’s has no resemblance to current events. The absolute imperative in Ukraine is to avoid war. The French are far more likely to achieve this through diplomacy than a US which doesn’t know what to do with itself; never mind Ukraine. Biden is making a complete fool of himself with the tough talk.

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    Mute Fachtna Roe
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    Jan 26th 2022, 6:22 PM

    @superdooper: The last thing Russia needs is more land. It’s already the largest country on the planet, by a very long margin. This is about security for Russia. They do not trust NATO. They accepted NATO as a neighbour in the smaller Baltic states, but they’ve said repeatedly and consistently that Ukraine is a line too far, because of those security concerns; which appear justified considering that NATO keeps prodding at them. If there are parallels with Nazis in the 1930′s, then the lines run in exactly the opposite direction to that which you think they do.

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    Jan 26th 2022, 6:30 PM

    @Fr. Fintan Stack: so the fact that us invaded iraq means that russia gets a free invasion of ukraine is it?

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    Jan 26th 2022, 6:32 PM

    @Vonvonic: the war could have been avoided altogether if france and britain had refused to allow germany to rearm in the first place. they ignored the nazis rearmament and allowed hitler act with impunity on the mistaken belief that if they acceeded then he would stop. he never did

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    Jan 26th 2022, 6:35 PM

    @superdooper: The nazis had rearmed well before appeasement came about. Go.away and read about.
    Again, nothing to do with the current situation in Ukraine. It’s not a zero sum game. Nothing is black and white here.

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    Jan 26th 2022, 6:51 PM

    @Vonvonic: the Ukrainians would say its pretty black and white.

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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:00 PM

    @Vonvonic: appeasement continued for almost the entirety of the 1930s. if the allies had taken a stronger unified approach at the reoccupation of the rhineland it might ( and what were both talking about is whataboutery) have deterred the nazis.

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    Mute Vonvonic
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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:30 PM

    @superdooper: The British military stated over and over in the 30s that they didn’t have the capacity to defend the med and the homeland. It was the main reason for appeasement. They wanted to keep their empire.
    No, the Ukranians wouldn’t say it’s black and white. Their stated aim is a diplomatic solution. Are you saying that someone should go to war with the Russia?

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    Jan 26th 2022, 7:52 PM

    @Vonvonic: i dont russia should go to war with anyone. i think russia should withdraw from crimea

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    Mute Damian Moylan
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    Jan 26th 2022, 10:03 PM

    @superdooper: Russia have been invaded in the past by Germany and Napoleon. Russia wishes to protect its border and do not want Nato military bases on its border as was agreed in 1991. Russia is the largest country on earth full of minerals, metals, oil and gas. They have no need for small additional tracts of land in Eastern Europe. Russia needs access to the Black Sea so they can get to the Meditteranean and the Indian Ocean. The Russian Navy is based in Crimea and they have been there for centuries since Elizabeth The Great defeated the Ottoman Empire who previously defeated the Greeks. So no way they were going to give up those Navy bases.

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    Jan 26th 2022, 10:24 PM

    @Damian Moylan: in 1994 ukraine returned 1700 nuclear weapons to Russia in exchange for territorial agreements. Russia broke those sgreements when they invaded in 2014

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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Jan 27th 2022, 12:04 AM

    @superdooper: Think the Russians have experienced the Nazi regime before. Wonder why you didn’t mention the coup that brought the present Ukraine government to power. If you can remember the Western media claimed the new government were right wing fascists..Funny how that has suddenly changed.

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    Mute Colm O'Leary
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    Jan 27th 2022, 6:38 AM

    @Damian Moylan: this isn’t about Russia gaining land it’s about Putin rebuilding the USSR in his image and longing for his old KGB days and for that he needs Ukraine, and if he’s let get away with seizing that where will he stop? The border with Germany? Will he try to get eastern Germany back. At what point does he get told enough is enough. After he invaded Hungary or the Czech Republic.??

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    Mute andrew
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    Jan 26th 2022, 10:06 PM

    Russian minorities in Ukraine don’t want to be under Kiev rule and is Russian a language of the EU when their are minorities in the Baltic states and decades of Russian influence in eastern and central europe. Europe needs to make overture to Russia that shows that it respects its security issues.

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    Jan 26th 2022, 10:27 PM

    @andrew: so russia is allowed sponsor rebellion amongst their populations living abroad then seize territory

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    Mute Colm O'Leary
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    Jan 27th 2022, 6:43 AM

    @andrew: This is nothing to do with security. That’s just Russian propaganda. It’s to do with Russia taking back land that it considers to be Russian. Despite the fact hat it isn’t Russia’s to take back!

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    Mute George Vladisavljevic
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    Jan 26th 2022, 4:00 PM

    The best solution to this crisis and conflict would be best resolved by dialogue between the people of the Ukraine and the people of Russia, as they are the ones that have the most to lose if this conflict escalates.

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    Mute Splat
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    Jan 26th 2022, 6:40 PM

    @George Vladisavljevic: oh the democratic peoples of Russia?… I just fell off my chair.

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    Mute Seán Ó Briain
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    Jan 26th 2022, 9:55 PM

    @George Vladisavljevic: Russia isn’t interested in dialogue. Where was the dialogue when they annexed Crimea? Where was the dialogue when they sent in soldiers and funding to terrorists in Eastern Ukraine? Zilch.

    Putin is a tyrant.

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    Mute Damian Moylan
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    Jan 26th 2022, 10:11 PM

    @Seán Ó Briain: Ukraine broke the agreement about Crimea where was agreed annual lease for the land upon which the Russian Navy have their bases. Turns out Russia has been in Crimea for centuries (1783) and most people working there are connected to the Russian Navy complex. As a largely land locked country they need Crimea as access point to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. No way they were going to be forced to leave the Black Sea and replaced by the U.S. Navy or Nato ships in Crimea on their doorstep.

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    Mute Zmeevo Libe
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    Jan 26th 2022, 11:05 PM

    It is great that France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia are having talks without the Americans. By all that was written in the last week it looks like the US of A are doing their best to ramp up the tensions. After all, if a war starts they will be on a different continent, so why not start s small profitable war in Europe? I wonder how long will NATO last. It is so blatantly pushing for American interests over those of their allies, you wonder how would European countries keep up the appearances?

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    Mute Colm O'Leary
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    Jan 27th 2022, 6:48 AM

    Russia is the kid in the playground who’s parents had a really bad divorce and he’s going around bullying other kids because it gives him a sense of power. Now substitute that bully for Putin.

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