A friend of mine said recently that she wasn’t surprised that adults who were mistreated by their parents tend to mistreat their children. She pointed out that at moments of stress we are all inclined to reach for what we heard or experienced ourselves from our own parents. This is certainly true for me.
There are favourite phrases my mother used with me that I find myself using very regularly, a sample:
Me: How many people are there in this family?
Small voice: 5
Me: Not just one?
Small voice: No, 5
Or “All I want is for everyone to be happy”. Or “This place looks like a bomb hit it” Or “You would drive a horse from his oats”. Or “You would try the patience of a saint”. Or “Sometimes in life, you can’t have everything you want.” Or “Do you think we are made of money?” Or “Don’t mind me, I’ll just sit here in the dark while you enjoy yourselves”
Alright, that last one I made up, but you get the picture.