Ever catch yourself turning into your parents? It's funny how one day you're just going about your business, and the next, you catch getting way too excited about a new kitchen gadget. Suddenly, you're turning off lights in empty rooms, making a big deal about grocery store sales, and genuinely enjoying the weather forecast. It's like you've slowly transformed into your parents, right down to the groan when you get up from the couch.
A survey of 2,000 people, conducted by Talker Research for Progressive, took a closer look at how people notice their own "parent-like" habits, especially when they’re traveling.
It turns out that one in four of us (27%) worry about becoming our parents, and this concern is evident even during travel. On average, people first realize they’re adopting their parents’ behaviors at age 30, though they start noticing these habits as early as 20.
While some don’t mind picking up a few parental traits, with a quarter embracing it, 38% try to avoid it entirely. The survey also explored the categories where people see these similarities, with the top three areas being food habits, daily routines, and language.
Generationally Speaking
Travel habits ranked in the top 10 similarities, with Gen Z being the most likely to notice they’re following in their parents' footsteps while traveling (18%).
Interestingly, two in five respondents admit they’ve adopted the “airport dad” persona, arriving at the airport early, staying organized, and keeping track of luggage (41%).
Last-minute habits also seem to run in the family. Gen Z (17%) and millennials (16%) grab food right before or during boarding, while Gen X (15%) and baby boomers (19%) make a last-minute trip to the bathroom.
Despite these similarities, 38% believe they have better travel habits than their parents, with baby boomers feeling the most confident about this (43%).
If there were travel awards, baby boomers would likely win for “the suitcase weight is right” (49%), while Gen Z is most likely to get lost in airport crowds and have the worst sense of direction (41% each).
On the other hand, parents might win the titles for “most likely to act like a tourist” (33%), “biggest complainer” (30%), and “most likely to fall for a tourist trap” (23%).
“While the data shows ‘Parentamorphosis’ — a condition that describes the moment individuals start mirroring their parents’ outdated behaviors — is prominent when traveling, there’s still hope to un-become your parents,” says Dr. Rick, parent-life coach at Progressive.
Respondents shared the moments they first noticed the transformation: fixing cars with Dad, bargain shopping, talking to their kids, or even during a meal out.
Take a look at the complete study here.
