Have you turned into your parents? Top 20 signs that you have and what age you will

Do you ever remind yourself of your parents? Maybe in the way you say a certain phrase, or react to certain situations? Or maybe you've found yourself taking up the habits you used to make fun of them for.

If you've been sleeping in front of the TV, knowing nothing about new technology, cosying up in your favourite chair and listening to a calming radio show, you may have already turned into your parents.

It'll happen to us all one day (if it hasn't already), and a new poll by M&S Credit Card has revealed that the average age of turning into your parents is 43-years-old.

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And there's a sure-fire list of indicators this transition has already happened to you. Here are a few of the biggest signs you've already become your mum or dad.

1. Complaining about the weather

More than one third of participants in the study (36 percent) chose complaining about the weather as the top indicator that you've transformed into your mum or dad (or both).

Next time you're moaning about the cold or the rain, picture yourself looking just like your moody parents.

2. Falling asleep on the sofa

This was the next biggest indicator that you've turned into your parents. Imagine your dad, glasses squint on his head, book open, snoring in front of the snooker. And by 43-years-old, you'll be joining him in the snorefest.

Thirty-three percent of the survey's participants said this was a top indicator the change had come.

3. Dressing for comfort

Have you retired those flattering yet uncomfy jeans yet? Or given away those smart shoes that hurt your feet?

Thirty-one percent said that dressing head-to-toe in comfortable clothes was another major sign that you've turned into one or the other of your parents.

4. Going to bed before 10pm

Do you much prefer being tucked up in bed with a good book before 10pm? Or maybe you go the extra mile by nodding off before the supermarkets are even shut.

Twenty-seven per cent of responses to the poll said going to bed early was a massive sign you've turned into your parents.

5. People say “you look JUST like your mum / dad”

This one's a killer. Whether they mean you look like a younger version of them or just a really old version of yourself will plague you for days every time you get this comment.

If it's a new occurrence, you'll know for sure that your time has come to start complaining about the weather and falling asleep on the sofa. Twenty-seven percent of survey responses said this was the biggest sign you'd become your parents.

While the average age for turning into your parents was 43, there were some gender differences in the stats. Women are thought to go through this change slightly earlier, at 42 on average, whereas men are generally able to hold off until 45-years-old.

Other honourable mentions on the list included feeling guilty for sleeping in at the weekend (15 percent), not knowing new music in the charts (21 percent) and switching the radio to something more "calming" (14 percent).

The research, commissioned by M&S Credit Card , also revealed that half of Brits (58 percent) have noticed their partners behaving more like their parents as they age, with nearly all (95 percent) believing this has become more obvious as they’ve got older.

But it's not the end of the world. More than a quarter (27 percent) of those surveyed found this change to be amusing. Eighty-seven percent of those surveyed agree that you learn how to be a parent yourself from your own parents' example, and 78 percent revealed that having their own children made them realise just how similar they are to their mum and dad.

Paul Stokes, from M&S Credit Card said: “It’s clear to see that many of us find ourselves turning into our parents as we get older, but that isn’t such a bad thing, especially if we’re following in their financially savvy footsteps."

Following your parents’ lead can also have a positive financial impact, as 20 per cent say that one of the tell-tale signs is undertaking a regular review of your finances. One in six say starting to use loyalty cards and rewards vouchers is another sign you’ve turned into your parents.

Top 20 SIGNS YOU’RE TURNING INTO YOUR PARENTS

1. You complain about the weather - 36%

2. You fall asleep on the sofa in the evenings - 33%

3. You’ve started dressing for comfort - 31%

4. You like to be tucked up in bed before 10pm - 27%

5. People say “you look JUST like your mum/dad” - 27%

6. You don’t recognise the latest music in the charts - 21%

7. You start to monitor your household energy consumption - 21%

8. You’ve taken up gardening - 21%

9. You review your finances on a regular basis - 20%

10. You have a favourite chair - 20%

11. You’ve finally realised your parents were right all along - 20%

12. You use loyalty cards and count your rewards or points - 17%

13. You have a hot water bottle - 17%

14. You start to pack your holiday suitcase “neatly” - 17%

15. You stop accepting invitations to parties that start after 8pm - 16%

16. You feel guilty if you sleep in past 8am - 15%

17. You’ve made a household “budget” which you stick to - 15%

18. You’ve switched to a more calming radio station - 14%

19. You repeat the same jokes - 13%

20. You have a thicker duvet for the winter -- 13%

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