Let’s face it: we all have things about ourselves that we don’t totally love, but we can accept our flaws. Some trouble starts when we can directly where it came from… like our parents. Here’s a light-hearted look at some of the things people wish they hadn’t gotten from their folks.
Many thanks to the Redditors who responded. You can check out more answers from the source at the end of this article.
1. My dad’s unibrow. I’m female.
playing_to_lose
2. My mother has a square face. My father has a big head. Of course I couldn’t get one or the other, so now I’m walking around with this giant ass square head.
sorehip
3. An explosive Temper. You’d never guess by speaking to me that I have rage issues. I’ve worked really hard to not be like my Dad. I don’t let much get to me, and try to live a,mostly, carefree life.
If something sets me off though…. it’s terrifying to see that person come out. It used to just be when I drank. I slowly see it more and more. It scares me sometimes.
Omenowner
4. I was arguing with my mom and realized I was talking just like my Dad. Then when I was arguing with my Dad I realized I was talking just like my mom. It’s a really horrifying realization.
poopellar
5. My mom has beautiful olive toned skin that I’ve never seen have a blemish or sunburn.
My dad, on the other hand…
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has the splotchy red skin of an Irishman that burns if he thinks about the opening sequence of The Lion King too hard.
Guess whose genes I inherited?
Pied1963
6. Really sweaty hands.
Grumblypug
7. Male pattern baldness, with hair loss starting at 20 years old. Screw my genes.
gaymer4ever
8. All of my grandparents and their parents had severe dementia as they grew old.
aRandomOstrich
9. Moles. Moles everywhere.
holy moley
plax1780
10. Poor social skills at first (got better) and now, no huge desire to socialise. Mom never let me out of the house unless there was a “good reason” ie grocery shopping, school, appointments, etc.
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I couldn’t go over to friends to hang out, (“What is the purpose of that?”) or go anywhere she deemed “too far away” and that I should stay home and rest because “I must be tired”. I’m glad she never grasped technology.
ForeignPacksMoarLoot
11. Body hair. God, it’s everywhere.
You know that old dilemma: I look even hairier because I am very pale, and I’m pale because I’m embarrassed of my hairiness.
Also, shortsightedness.
SephyJR
12. Allergies. Could they have kept it to themselves? Also, they made the conscious decision to not pass this trait on to either of my siblings, just me. Thanks mom and dad.
BurnedOut_ITGuy
13. No discipline…I never had any rules growing up, my parents always had some late bill they had to pay, plans were always up in the air…I had to learn a lot of things from my own experience whether i was ready for it or not.
derpado514
14. We always do more than we should not because we’re overachievers but because we’re insecure.
CiprianiMarmont
15. Both parents: oily skin. Though I am sure I’ll appreciate it when I don’t get as many fine lines
My mum: Just BIG legs. Not fat. Muscular I guess. And big knees. My SO calls them “rugby players legs” :l
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My dad: My preference to just sit and listen/absorb which makes me comes across as sullen.
ReinOfGaia
16. Well I guess this is mostly on me but reckless spending, we always grew up poor because my parents would spent money on expensive, useless and tacky stuff. Our house was borderline a hoarders and it was embarrassing to invite people round. I mean one year my parents even bought a $2k vacuum which was ridiculous
Being drunk makes it even worse because I don’t even notice I’ve ordered something half the time until it shows up at my door, my worst was probably sending myself a dildo glitterbomb which was a surprise to say the least. In the last month alone I’ve also bought an electric lighter even though I don’t smoke and an ostrich pillow for a reason I still don’t know.
Drunk me is a jerk.
BadMoneyManagement
17. Poor time-keeping, specifically making me feel like this was always ok growing up. They never picked me up on time, we were always at least a little late for appointments or social events and that was fine.
I’m now trying really hard to break that habit but at 29 its a tough one to shake off.
sharings_caring
18. Chronic depression and anxiety. I resent it even more because they were against treatment, and I spent more than a decade suffering needlessly.
BillieRubenCamGirl
19. Well, the asthma’s not great.
SexAndCandiru
20. Am girl. Have wide feet. Shoe shopping sucks.
BraaainFud
21. Procrastination!!!
My dad would always complain about how my grandad was a huge procrastinator in his grand plans for modernising the farm they lived on etc. which all came to basically nothing.
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I notice my dad has the same issues with his grand plans for retirement.
And now here I am … in work … on the internet!!!
Murphler
22. Being instinctively argumentative. Thanks mom.
AcidRaining
23. We all have massive calves and small ears… REALLY small.
MadocRL
24. Neat nuts.
Our parents passed it on. Everything has to be neat, clean and in order around the house – even shirts in the closet are hung by size and color.
Back2Bach
25. I cannot, no matter what, not know something. If there’s a surprise I’ve been promised? I have to know what it is. A fact I’m not sure of? I have to look it up, to the point of distraction. I just go straight-up crazy otherwise.
I thought it was just me until I heard my Mum badgering my Dad to tell her what his big anniversary surprise was a few years ago, but nope: I’ve definitely picked it up from her.
Portarossa
26. Addictive tendencies and a particular fondness for food. Not in the best shape.
pepsiandweed
27. My feet smelled so bad in my teenage years I must’ve filled an entire classroom even if my shoes were on.
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I found a product online about 15 years ago that actually eliminated it completely. At that point I would’ve poured acid on my feet to get them to stop smelling.
Randylahey53
28. I don’t resent my parents for the traits I’ve been passed, but I have a pretty bad case of ichthyosis (essentially really really dry skin) during my years of school I would always “forget” my gym clothes and tend to wear long sleeve shirts and pants year round because people would always pick on me for it.
No lotions I tried worked so it was always bad, more so during the winter. Since then I’ve found ammonium lactate lotion helps this and I’ve gotten a good handle on it. Definitely wish I knew that when I was in school it wasn’t a good feeling being known as a lizard….
I have also always had very thin hair and I’m currently balding at 24. Can’t foresee having much hair by 26-27 and I’m relatively short. But hey I was gifted a pretty decent hog and have found the love of my life who accepts me for me so I guess things aren’t so bad!
Radiation___Dude
29. My dad can never ask a question directly. I think it’s because he’s worried the question will provoke a negative response, but his solution of asking around the question until people get irritated isn’t any better. I found myself doing the exact same thing with my mom the other day. I have to keep checking that I’m asking what I want to know instead of trying to get the other person to respond in the way I want them too.
Example: Dad wants to know if Mom bought apples. Normally you’d just say “did you get apples?” My dad says: “Were fruits on sale? Were you in the fruit isle? Did you check the shopping list? Did you unload all the groceries in their proper place?” and so on.
Since I’ve also inherited a temper from both parents, the 20 questions always devolves into a fight. Fun times.
Enshuu
30. A streak of manipulative narcissism from my mother that when coupled with my moms alcoholism didn’t make for an ideal childhood. Fortunately I have not inherited her alcoholism but only the manipulative trait. I have to make conscious choice to not lie and be a manipulative piece of crap when interacting with people I like.
UrsusDirus
31. Gluten Intolerance/Celiac. Mom has it, my sister has it. I feel like I’m inconveniencing people in order to eat at restaurants that can provide safe food for me to eat.
My dad’s a thinker, and my mom generally looks at stuff in a negative light. So being a pessimistic thinker on top of all that kind of sucks too. I think it’s developed into a wistful cynicism at times, due to my dad’s ability to find humor in just about everything.
Neskuaxa
32. I compulsely bite my nails, skin and pick my moles.
My hands and face are often a bloody mess. I once bit the nail down on my toe really deep and exposed the flesh, which got infected, for about 2 years I had a big swollen piece of flesh under my nail which pushed the middle part up. I purposefully bought larger shoes so that my toes can fit. Also sometimes I bite my skin/nails on my fingers and it hurts so much I cant play guitar and videogames.
hyker1811