You know, I’ve been morphing into my dad for quite some time now—probably since the day I was born. But nothing speeds up that transformation quite like becoming a parent yourself. The most telling sign that I’m becoming my old man, aside from the backaches and the dark circles under my eyes, is the constant chorus of phrases I find myself shouting at my kids.
Nothing was more exhausting than hearing my dad go on about leaving lights on, doors ajar, the TV blaring, or—wait, that last one is probably more about my partner than my dad. Now, I’m guilty of all the same complaints! Seriously, money doesn’t grow on trees!
When I think about it, I could be turning into every dad out there. It’s just part of the parent experience—getting riled up over your kids’ total obliviousness to household expenses, while they couldn’t care less about whatever concerns you have. This mix leads to a summer filled with me tossing around clichés at my 5-year-old. (Yes, I’ve unleashed the “Money doesn’t grow on trees!” line more times than I can count.)
In the evenings, I wander through the house, switching off lights while muttering to myself. If my siblings dropped by and shut their eyes, they’d think they were at our dad’s place and, no doubt, mock me for it. But guess what? They don’t pay my electricity bills, so they can keep their opinions to themselves!
Utilities aren’t just a nuisance in Monopoly; they’re real expenses! They sneakily drain your budget while kids blissfully ignore them. My 5-year-old likely believes that the electricity powering his Death Star nightlight, his favorite Netflix shows, and the iPad he occasionally gets to use is as abundant and free as the air he breathes. And judging by how he leaves the faucet running while he excitedly talks about his latest Lego creation, I suspect he thinks water is just as limitless.
Not that little ones grasp the concept of money. (My son thinks all coins are pennies, and I once had to sift through a week’s worth of diapers to retrieve a penny he swallowed. Yikes!) But even if they did, I’m convinced they’d still think things like water, electricity, heat, food, and Wi-Fi should all come at no cost.
Children live in a unique kind of privilege, one that I’d like to maintain for a bit longer. I have no intention of burdening my 5-year-old with the heavy knowledge of our budget constraints or growing debts any more than he intends to stress me out about turning into my father before I hit 40 (which is just around the corner!). However, both realities are pretty unavoidable—they’re part of the parent-child dynamic.
It’s inevitable that we become like our parents. It’s also inevitable that our kids will act like kids. And it’s likely that I’ll develop an ulcer from all this stress! But, hopefully, I can shield my children from adult worries for a little while longer—at least until they’ve had their fun childhoods and are old enough to navigate the real world alongside me.
They can always start working at 10, right? That should give me enough time. Until then, whenever they leave a light on, I’ll just pretend to dock their nonexistent allowance. (Spoiler: they don’t get an allowance!)
If you’re interested in more parenting articles, check out our other posts, like this one on our privacy policy. Also, for those curious about fertility topics, this link has some great insights. And if you’re looking into pregnancy resources, the CDC offers excellent information on the subject.
In summary, as parents, we often find ourselves echoing the same concerns our parents had, especially about household expenses. It’s a cyclical part of parenting that blends frustration with a touch of humor, as we navigate our roles and try to shield our kids from adult burdens.