Parents, The Good and The Bad

In response to Jenny Beers's question, "Will you raise your children similar to how your parents did for you?Or is your goal to raise your children in a completely different way?"...

     I have to say, I love how my parents raised me. So many of my friends complain about their parents constantly, and while I occasionally do when they do something particularly annoying, for the most part I fully appreciate their years of hard work. As cliche as it might sound to say it, one of my role models truly is my mother, and every day I find out that I am more like her than I initially thought. While we obviously do have some differences in personality, how I socialize, my view on life, and my opinions on many things are exactly the same as hers. She is an incredible woman and I am proud that I have somehow subconsciously adopted some of her amazing traits. It may seem like I am gushing about her, but I have good reason to. My friends complain about their "helicopter parents" and say that they will never raise their children like their parents did. But, my parents truly did prepare me for the world. They taught me how to work hard, be independent, and have a complete sense of maturity about matters. Growing up, I have had so many teachers tell my parents how mature I was for my age, and even when I spend time with my friends I sometimes feel like I have grown up a great deal quicker than them. For instance, I know how to manage my finances, work hard, multitask, manage time extremely well, get to places on time, and handle situations professionally. My friends are not so lucky to have learned these skills, and I wonder if it is because of the age of their parents. My parents are in their late fifties while most of my friends' parents are in their late thirties or early forties. I know from personal experience that some of these younger parents do not know how to manage their money and handle a great deal of parenting situations in a fickle, childish way. On the other hand, the rare friends I do have who have parents the same age as me, are very similar to myself in many aspects. They automatically seem to have a different, more mature world view.
     So, if it is not clear thus far, I definitely will raise my children like my parents and I have thought this way for years. Obviously my family is not perfect, and I do believe I will make my husband or father of my children not be as rash and close-minded as my own father. Nevertheless, dealing with my father has made me have the capacity to deal with many short-tempered individuals. I truly do love my parents, and for that precise reason, I do not fear having children like many of my children do, but see it as a happy experience that is far in my future. Do you think that your parents' age had anything to do with how you were parented and how they handled certain situations? How have your parents shaped how you see the world?