Acting Like Your Parents

Are you acting like your parents—and don’t even realize it?

In this episode of Aren’t Ya Tired Of?, Patti and Mark, along with guest, Charlotte Ntreh, explore the subtle—and funny—ways “parent energy” shows up in how we talk, behave at work, and interact socially.

From outdated phrases to workplace habits and social quirks, they break down where it shows up and why it matters. Plus, a quick quiz to see just how strong your “parent tendencies” really are.

Because sometimes it’s cringe… and sometimes it’s wisdom worth keeping.

Be you—but at least know when your parent vibes are showing up.

Please subscribe and share this with anyone who needs to hear this conversation! Follow us on Instagram at arentyatiredof_social.  Send your topic suggestions to podcast@pattibjohnson.com or through DM on LinkedIn or Instagram.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:09

Hello, everybody. Welcome to Aren't You Tired Of and Happy April Fool's Day to everyone. And you know, Mark and I thought my co-host Mark Benton.

SPEAKER_00 0:21

Hi.

SPEAKER_01 0:22

Patty Johnson here. We were thinking April Fool's Day. We love April Fool's Day. We love pranks.

SPEAKER_00 0:28

Love a little prank.

SPEAKER_01 0:29

Love a little prank. Love love a little fun. And so we thought today, let's have some fun and talk about aren't you tired of acting like your parents? Now it's a good one. This is a good one. I think we can all relate to it. And so if you're if you feel like God, there's a few things that you're doing out there, maybe, and it's coming a little too easily that are just like what your parents would do, we're gonna have some fun with it today. And we're gonna, you know, you have that progressive commercial.

SPEAKER_00 1:00

I I really love the progressive commercial. It's it's genius.

SPEAKER_01 1:05

It's genius. And sadly, I have recognized myself on that. And I cannot tell you how many times Jim Johnson, my husband, it was the biggest joke because before we ever got to the progressive commercial, he would walk into a store and look at the square footage and be like, how many candles? No, they're not gonna sell that many candles to make any money in this thing. So it it we have lived it. So the progressive commercial kind of got us going.

SPEAKER_00 1:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:30

And so this topic, Mark, what do you think about it?

SPEAKER_00 1:33

You know, we are always trying to think through, first of all, we start with what we're tired of.

SPEAKER_01 1:38

Oh, it has to be right.

SPEAKER_00 1:40

It's a list. Um, and then after we think through that, you know, listeners, we're all about trying to bring topics and and conversation that helps you work and live better. And, you know, so this topic, uh, you know, if you find yourself acting like your parents, you know, there's no shame, there's no judging.

SPEAKER_01 1:59

Go, no judging.

SPEAKER_00 2:00

Because we all do it. We got some gems to share. And, you know, you just gotta be you.

SPEAKER_01 2:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:05

You just gotta be you, you know. Um, but I will say, if you're listening and all of a sudden you think about someone else in your life, that you're like, they really act like their parents. So like if you have a sibling or or somebody you're close to and you know, you're like, oh my gosh, you act just like that, or you act just like mom, this episode um is also for sharing. Yes, and you need to send them that that subtle hint of um, yeah, this is you. You needed this.

SPEAKER_01 2:32

You need to know. Yeah. Well, when you start talking about this topic, the perfect guest came into mind because I want to introduce Charlotte and Trey. And Charlotte, I have known Charlotte. We've been friends for a very long time. Uh, we all met back in Accenture days and have worked together since then. So smart, great executive change consultant, has worked with some of the companies you'd recognize, the Fortune 10s, the 50s, et cetera. Also started the most amazing um nonprofit gaining independence for tomorrow gift. We can ask Charlie about that later. But just a well-rounded, wonderful person. But the reason Charlotte is with us today, Charlotte wrote an article about this topic a few years ago. And I mean, we had more laughs, more interest in it. And so when we started this topic, like Charlotte, you need to come join us. So welcome, Charlotte. We're glad you're here.

SPEAKER_00 3:22

Welcome, Charlotte.

SPEAKER_02 3:23

Thanks for having me. I'm glad to be here. This is my kind of topic.

SPEAKER_01 3:28

Yeah, it is. So, Charlotte, we love quizzes. We told you we love quizzes on this on this show. Yeah. So I'm gonna let Charlotte start us off with some just some quizzes. If you feel like, am I acting like my parents?

SPEAKER_00 3:41

Right.

SPEAKER_01 3:41

Charlotte, ask us some questions so we can figure out what we're doing.

SPEAKER_00 3:45

Get into this little little quizzy quiz here.

SPEAKER_02 3:47

Yeah. Yeah. You know, a lot of us, you know, we think we're going to be um, you know, in the fifth grade forever, right? And we always see the beauty in other people, but maybe not ourselves. So I have a few questions. Okay, let's do it. So let's let's think about these things, because you may be in the right place to hear this topic today, if any of these things resonate with you. So let's start with number one. If you are printing boarding passes in the year 2026, this may be the place for you. If you have a checkbook anywhere in your possession or in your house, you know, they don't even give checkbooks anymore. They don't give checks when you open accounts anymore. So if you are in possession of one, okay, this may be for you. If you have, quote unquote, a good pair of walking shoes, this topic might be one you want to sit in on. And if you, and this I think of my dad, if the waist of your pants are closer to your chest than they are to your belly button, yes, I'm certain you'll want to be here.

SPEAKER_01 5:12

You're acting like your parents. Well, yeah. So I think for those of you that you are kind of nodding to any of those quiz questions, this topic probably fits. So, so Charlotte, question for you because some of those that you brought up, they can fit work travel, you know, they fit kind of like in our our total life. And I'm curious when you think about the workplace, is that kind of a breeding ground for that workplace parent energy? And I ask because we've got multiple generations, and I know I'll have my friend, uh my son's friends will talk about I'm working with somebody I work that's like the same age as my dad, you know, and that's common, right? So I'm just curious, do you feel like, and mark you too, do you feel like the workplace there is a breeding ground? What do you see for when you're acting old at work?

SPEAKER_02 6:11

Oh my gosh, you know, with several four generations now in the workplace, right? Yeah, you see all types of behavior. But one of the things I learned is that um if someone in a in the workplace refers to you as not Charlotte, but Miss Charlotte. Yes, yes, that means you've had behavior that might be dating.

SPEAKER_00 6:39

Your parents. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:40

Absolutely. That is, should they call you Miss Charlotte? Would you rather it be just like, just call me Charlotte? Uh just Charlotte. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

Just Charlotte. I just would prefer maybe they even call me just dude. Just dude.

SPEAKER_02 6:52

Hey kid. Yeah. But that's also one thing that should be on the list, right? If someone is using the work.

SPEAKER_01 7:01

Yeah. Dude, that's true. Yeah. Okay. What else are you guys seeing in the, you know, just in at work that sometimes just flags you as you're acting like your parents?

SPEAKER_00 7:11

Well, I I thought this was funny. And as as Charlotte was talking, um, I'm still back on the checkbook, but um, I remember when um after um the the pandemic was kind of waning and people were starting to go back into offices and all that. Um I remember walking down the hall um with someone and they walked past the copy room, you know, and they looked at the copy machine and they said, Hello, old friend. Oh, and I was like, What? Because she's I haven't been able to print anything because I don't have a printer at home and I didn't want to go buy one. And she's like, I just need a good, hard copy.

SPEAKER_01 7:52

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 7:53

You know, and like since then we've moved into like the digital age. Like, I don't print anything.

SPEAKER_01 7:57

Well, I do, obviously. I still like it. I just like it. I like it sometimes. You know, I think too, uh, and I know what you think, Charlotte, but I've seen like also uh a lot of this love with the email. Oh, yeah. Send a lot of them and copy, include everyone that's ever known about the project, and then come up after I send it about 30 minutes later and say, Charlotte, did you get my email? So I think that is, you know, kind of the whole email thing can really can really kind of give you that sprintal look.

SPEAKER_00 8:35

Especially, team, if you're writing the email and then printing the email.

SPEAKER_02 8:39

Yes, and then printing the email. That's bad. That's bad. Yeah, and one of the things we have to watch out for too is if our teams are using other forms of communication, right? And if they're using Teams and messaging and we're still send it to me in an email. Exactly. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 8:57

Or assuming I can't, I need the email, it can't be a quick conversation, it can't be a quick text. Or as you said, a team Slack, whatever you happen to use at your at your organization.

SPEAKER_00 9:06

You know, have y'all encountered people like when you go to lunch, that they start like just dissecting the menu. Oh, I'm not gonna be able to have the broccoli.

SPEAKER_01 9:17

Or they've already looked before they get there.

SPEAKER_00 9:18

Or before we get there, like I've already looked at the menu and I'm gonna have the so-and-so, but please hold the so-and-so. Um, I can't do carrots. Yeah, exactly. I mean, you know, like I have a someone I go to lunch with, and it is like, well, why don't you just ask them for just a glass of water? I mean, this will be done. It's just too complicated. It's just too complicated going to lunch with you.

SPEAKER_01 9:39

It would be.

SPEAKER_00 9:39

You know, and it reminds me of my grandmother. Now, how much salt do you put in this?

SPEAKER_01 9:45

Yes, exactly. Exactly. Yeah, I think I think the workplace, it is, it is probably the most pronounced. And I think you're talking about the our communication behaviors, yeah. How we interact with people, how we show up. Um, and I think it can be that need for now, this isn't all age related, but that need for predictability and certainty. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:10

You know, because you know a few things the older you get. You know a few things about a few things.

SPEAKER_02 10:14

You know a few things.

SPEAKER_01 10:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:16

One of the things personally I had to really pay attention to was the double spacing.

SPEAKER_01 10:23

Oh, I know. After the period.

SPEAKER_02 10:25

Double spacing. Oh, you mean like period and then the spacing space period and double spacing.

SPEAKER_00 10:30

That's really old school there, Charlotte. Yes, it is. I mean, we stopped doing the double space a while ago. Millennium.

SPEAKER_02 10:39

A while ago, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:40

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:41

I mean, I I even think that, you know, the grammar check catches that.

SPEAKER_01 10:45

It usually, yes. It also It does now. It does now.

SPEAKER_00 10:50

You got too many spaces to do it.

SPEAKER_01 10:52

Yeah, you need to fix it.

SPEAKER_00 10:54

Well, what about when we're out in the wild? You know, like outside of work, like you just socially socially, you know, you're just unconstrained and you're just out and you're not trying to be on your work behaviors. You know, I'm I'm wondering, you know, how you see yourself or others, you know, acting like your parents. What about you, Charlotte?

SPEAKER_02 11:15

One that I've actually talked to other people about is I call it if you have to lean in any direction to read, right? If you lean backwards because you, you know, you have to look through my forwards to squint, yes, or to the side to say, what does that say? Get some glasses.

SPEAKER_03 11:36

Yeah, yes. Well, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:39

That that that's that's out there. I also think I started pushing my laptop back.

SPEAKER_00 11:44

Like I'm not printing, I'm like this. You know, I got it sitting there. Exactly. Wait a minute. Yes, that's blowing that up behavior. You know, but yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:53

I know, you know, I will say, and I I have experienced this not too long ago. Um, I don't know if y'all have ever been like to a wedding, and the most buttoned up guy, he's got the Navy Blazer, he's you know, he's the office guy, he's a senior person. He gets on the dance floor, honey. He is back at the college frat party. He is doing uh uh he's doing the stanky leg, he's got the bite, the lips, the lip bite, lip bites going. How do you said stacky? Well, or even my era, they might be doing the bump or the few if you've been through disco, you know, and so you're it's it is like uh an eye popper. Yes to me. What is it?

SPEAKER_00 12:40

So you're you're thinking said said sir may have had a few cocktails in it.

SPEAKER_01 12:43

It is or not, totally or not, totally, but totally reliving the high school prom. Oh, yeah, uh, the college party, and is bringing it. And it is, it is like, wow. But having fun, and that's what we should be doing, right? It's not a criticism.

SPEAKER_00 13:03

How about I I do this, and um uh, you know, my family will pull me over to the side, like, get out of their business. And I'm like, I'm in the grocery store and I see the little toddler standing up in the basket, like where you put the kids. Oh no, and they're just standing and they're reaching. And I will see that and I'll be like, Well, are you gonna do something about your safety police?

SPEAKER_01 13:28

Safety police.

SPEAKER_00 13:29

Um, I I told my son, I was like, I might need to call CPS. I mean, and he's like, Don't call CPS, like quit parenting other people's children. I said, It's my responsibility. I if you see something, you gotta say something. I'm seeing it, so I gotta say it.

SPEAKER_01 13:45

That's right. Right.

SPEAKER_00 13:46

I mean, I do that a lot. And they're like, Dad, step back.

SPEAKER_01 13:49

Step out. Not your thing. Not your kid. Speaking of the grocery store.

SPEAKER_00 13:53

You can't claim them on your taxes, so stop.

SPEAKER_01 13:55

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 13:55

What speaking of the grocery store, one of the things my husband says, I do, like my mother is strike up a conversation with two or three people in different aisles in the grocery store, right?

SPEAKER_01 14:09

See, that surprises me, Charlotte. Now, what what triggers you to start that con? You're not just gonna be out there chitty chatting, is it about what you're buying or what's happening?

SPEAKER_02 14:17

Yeah, it's usually about what they're buying. Like if they're pulling something off the shelf and I think, oh, what is that? Have you had that? Is it good?

SPEAKER_03 14:25

Oh, you know, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:27

That is that's a little bit like that's like your parents.

SPEAKER_00 14:31

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 14:31

You know, totally. Totally. Now, this is not grocery store related. Yeah, but and this actually is, I think this is one of the things on the progressive commercial, but I see it regularly. Yeah. And that is you're going to an event before you are even parked. There's discussion about now, how are we gonna get out of here? Uh what, you know, I think you know, I think we're gonna need to leave a little early because all the traffic's gonna be flowing in this direction. And you know, and um that is act, yeah, and that happens in the office too. Like you're you're already anticipating how things you gotta make sure you can get out of there.

SPEAKER_00 15:14

That's right. That's right. I started backing into parking spaces so that I beep, beep, beep. I back in and then I can get out quickly, you know, because if you have to back out, then you're navigating the other person. Like when you're at like at a an event, you know, and it's a crowded parking lot. So I always back in. My daddy, he backed in.

SPEAKER_01 15:37

That's backed in. That is a family joke we have in our family. Once you cross into the backing end of the, that is definitely you're into the acting like your parents. I did it. I do it so question. Claim it. Yeah, yes.

SPEAKER_02 15:50

I've got one. Yeah, I purposely participate in this process, so I'm not acting like my mother, but that is in restaurants now, many of them, there are kiosks that you go to to order versus going to the counter. Yes. So which one are you? Do you go to the kiosk or do you just rather talk to a live person, right?

SPEAKER_00 16:17

Well, you know.

SPEAKER_01 16:19

Now, this is okay. I mean, this is gonna be super bougie. I can go to the kiosk. I have no problem using that. That's no issue.

SPEAKER_03 16:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:25

But I am a little bougie because if they are I like someone like re bringing me my tea. So that may not be old, it's just high maintenance. Uh that that might be. Possibly. You know what I'm saying? H M. M. High maintenance. Yeah, and my people that know me know that's just how I am. But I I can do the kiosk, but I will say it is a frustration. It is that is an i I do agree that's an example of like, well, I'm not doing that.

SPEAKER_00 16:57

Right.

SPEAKER_01 16:57

Not gonna do it.

SPEAKER_00 16:58

I don't know, Charlotte. What do you do? Are you a kiosk or do you go to the desk? Or do you speak to the person?

SPEAKER_02 17:04

I'm a kiosk because I'm very aware that if I go to the desk, I'm not accepting change, right? So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:13

Okay. Okay. Well, um, this is gonna really throw you. I always go to the desk to speak to the person because I'm like, I want you to keep your job. Because the kiosk could take their job. It could snatch their job. Right out of that. And so I'm like, listen, today you have serviced a human, human to human. And so that's why I don't use the kiosk.

SPEAKER_01 17:42

That's very nice.

SPEAKER_00 17:43

But that's very much my parents and me. But that's like, because there's a lot of people that don't care. They don't want to talk to people. In fact, they don't want to deal with the person at the kiosk. No. I mean the person behind the desk.

SPEAKER_02 17:53

Definitely not.

SPEAKER_00 17:54

They don't want that.

SPEAKER_02 17:55

Right, yeah, right, totally.

SPEAKER_00 17:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:57

You know, even this discussion has another level to it, right? Because you're talking about saving jobs. Whereas on the so where it's on the surface, it might look like he's not, you know, accepting change, but you're you've got a deeper cause there. Yeah. And then for me, being a change manager.

SPEAKER_00 18:14

You're trying to be a change adopter, yeah, early adopter, use the kiosk.

SPEAKER_01 18:17

I'm thinking accept the change and embrace it. Yeah, interesting. Interesting. Absolutely. Absolutely. You know, one other restaurant thing that I don't know if either of you have experienced that I have, where you're out to dinner with another couple, and maybe you're ready to go to bed. Well, you're still got you've still got a little bit of your wine left.

SPEAKER_00 18:38

Oh, so we're after dinner.

SPEAKER_01 18:40

This is rep well, I'm still we're still kind of wrapping up dinner.

SPEAKER_00 18:43

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_01 18:44

And you see someone start kind of scooting to the edge. Like I is I got to, it's about time for me to get back home, you know, and it's, you know, that's that's a sign. Yeah. It's past, it's past. Well, it's eight past eight thirty, gotta get going.

SPEAKER_00 19:05

I was laughing because we were out to dinner the a few nights ago, and um it was one of those things where we were like, oh, well, maybe we can go over to this other place and do this thing. And I looked at my watch and and I looked at Shelly, and I was like, um I I'm I'm ready to go home. It's time. And she's like, it's 8 30. I'm like, I know.

SPEAKER_01 19:29

I know. It's time.

SPEAKER_00 19:30

I'm ready to go home.

SPEAKER_01 19:31

Well, that's gonna be we'll talk about that in a minute. Some of these things that we were starting acting like our parents, maybe it's just what you want to do. You know? Maybe. We'll talk about it maybe. Maybe but it's your your rhythm. Your rhythm is getting different. So uh we've talked about kind of work and personal, but one of the things I'm really curious about is expressions, which come up in both places, right? Yeah. Are there any expressions that are immediately going to flag you as you are acting like your parents?

SPEAKER_00 20:03

An expression?

SPEAKER_01 20:05

Expression, you might say. Words.

SPEAKER_00 20:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:08

Words.

SPEAKER_00 20:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:10

Yeah. One that comes to mind immediately for me is whippersnapper.

SPEAKER_00 20:15

That's whippersnapper. You whippersnapper.

SPEAKER_01 20:19

That's like my grandpa when it was saying whippers. That's it. Whippersnapper. That's right up with sign in your text. Love grandma, you know. Love grandma.

SPEAKER_00 20:29

This is your dad.

SPEAKER_01 20:30

Yeah, exactly. This is your dad. I think I know.

SPEAKER_00 20:34

Um, you know one for me that my mom used to say, and and so the the phrase is basically like, you know, mind your own business, is what she's saying. But she says, Listen, I need so-and-so to keep their dipper in their own bucket.

SPEAKER_01 20:53

You've used that before. Have I used that before?

SPEAKER_00 20:57

So-and-so needs to keep their dipper in their own bucket. So, you know, she's hearkening back to, you know, back when they would go and, you know, get and she wasn't that old, but um, where they lived in the country where my grandparents lived, they would go and get water, and there's a dipper. And so on your way back, you know, if you ran into somebody you knew, oh, you need some water or whatever. But if they put their dipper in your bucket. Oh. See, I don't know where your dipper has been, but I know where my dipper has been. You keep your dipper in your own bucket. And so that's just another way of saying I need you to stay out mine, stay in yours. There you go.

SPEAKER_01 21:32

There you go. I'll say one that is uh again, Jim Johnson, my husband who said he would just come down here and be interviewed, and we could that would take care of this episode. But he says, and I'll say it in the polite way, he says, You're trying to put ten pounds of stuff in a five pound bag. And that means you're you're you're overworking it. You're doing too much, you're making this too hard. So

SPEAKER_00 22:00

Which is my special device the old school way of saying you're doing too much.

SPEAKER_01 22:05

Yeah. It's you know. What about you, Charlotte? Any expressions that you think, man, that's that's a any other ones?

SPEAKER_02 22:14

Yeah, you know, I love a good handbag and I have a number of purses, right? I think you know this patty. I do. Um and jewelry. And and jewelry, yes. Um, but a couple of weeks ago, someone came up and we were talking and and and talking about my bag, and they said, Yeah, I really like your pocketbook.

SPEAKER_00 22:36

Your pocketbook. Oh, that is one in a while.

SPEAKER_02 22:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:41

Yeah, pocketbook. Yeah now, Charlotte, it's funny that you say pocketbook because I'll go back to work. Um there was a season and this was probably oh my gosh, it could have been almost eight years ago, um, where I at work I had to manage budgets. And I had you know several different budgets that I had to manage. And so my um manager at the time, she said, Well, listen, what we can do is just have everybody go in and review their pocketbooks. And she was talking about the budgets. And so all of a sudden the budgets became the pocketbooks. And so everybody, let's get the pocketbook managers together. Oh, get your pocketbooks out, let's look at our pocketbooks. And so the other day, so that was like eight years ago. The other day, it was like a week ago, I was sitting in a meeting and somebody said, Well, aren't we gonna get the pocketbook managers together? I about fell out my chair. I was looking at you like, wow.

SPEAKER_01 23:39

And see if they want to write some checks. Right, right.

SPEAKER_00 23:41

I was like, Do you even know what a pocketbook is?

SPEAKER_01 23:44

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 23:45

But yeah, the pocketbook managers.

SPEAKER_01 23:48

Well, uh I will say one other thing that that's a work, you know, example that I see is people that they will say things like, Well, the way we used to do it at blank, kind of a back in the day, and it might be a 25-year-old example, and they constantly pull back from where they were 25 years ago. That's right.

SPEAKER_03 24:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:12

And um, you know, it's like things have changed a little bit in 25 years. Doesn't mean that your experience isn't valuable, but you gotta acknowledge that it's a little bit different world now, you know, than it than it was. But that kind of back in the day thing um is for sure, you know. So um, okay, I have one more that's coming to mind, and this is a total dad thing. This would be the kind of thing that the dad would be saying to the 24-year-old. Uh-huh. And it will be something about, you know, is it Friday yet? And it's Monday. Right. Okay. When that's a total dad, you know, expression. You know, and um that those kinds of you know, could be dad, could be mom, right? The expressions that is it Friday, yeah. Is it Friday yet? Is it Friday yet? Is it living the life? I'm living the life. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 25:04

Living the dream. Living the dreams. Living the dream. That's the one. Living the dream.

SPEAKER_01 25:10

I know. I know. I know.

SPEAKER_02 25:13

So actually, here's just one last yeah, sure. It's I'm gonna add it to the expression list, but it's a little bit of a stretch there. But and I've actually done this myself, and that is in the workplace or other places, calling people by someone else's name because you just can't remember.

SPEAKER_01 25:34

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 25:35

You just can't remember. Back to dude. Don't say dude.

SPEAKER_00 25:39

Bruh.

SPEAKER_02 25:40

Um, that's why you're clear kids and you call your kids each other's names, right? Exactly. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 25:47

I I know uh I I you know, my both of my sons are are older, and so you know, it it's pretty, you know, I'm pretty precise now, you know, when I call their names, but I do remember I was calling everybody's name. Everybody's dog's name.

SPEAKER_01 26:00

The dog is you call it the kid.

SPEAKER_00 26:01

Everybody's once upon a time. Yes, that's right.

SPEAKER_01 26:04

I used to work with somebody who, male or female, he often he wouldn't forget their name like he never knew it, right? Wasn't interested enough to know other people would call people. Hey, Buck, how's it going? Hey, Buck. How's he going?

SPEAKER_00 26:17

Buck. Yeah. Would he call the women Buck?

SPEAKER_01 26:19

Oh, yes, anything. Yeah, anybody was you know Buck. Hey, Buck, what's that mean? This bad.

SPEAKER_00 26:25

Am I meeting with Buck?

SPEAKER_01 26:26

Yes. But I think your example, right, Charlotte. Like, I don't quite remember their name. I'm just gonna pull out a you know, buddy or something, whatever I've got.

SPEAKER_00 26:35

Well, I think it's sad too, because I can rem meet you and then five minutes later forget you.

SPEAKER_01 26:41

And I have been that's not an age thing with me. That's been terrible. That is terrible.

SPEAKER_00 26:46

Yeah, I just I'm like, who? Now what again? No what? Who what's not listening?

SPEAKER_01 26:52

You're not listening. Yeah. Um so you know, we always, even though this has been fun and we've been laughing, we want to be sure, we always like away, what are some tidbits? What are some takeaways and things that we want to remember? And so I'm curious to want to ask you all, um, what is something two questions we're gonna end on, not completely end, but talk about before we land this topic. What is one thing that y'all do that you said that's like your parents that you said you'd never do, but now you're doing it. Besides the grocery store talking, darling. Anything else?

SPEAKER_02 27:32

Yes, I I distinctly remember when I was younger, my mother used to irritate me. My mother was a teacher by profession, and she would irritate me because she explained everything like a teacher. And I always said, I I'm not gonna do that, I'm not gonna bore my you know kids with that bot. And I find myself sometimes explaining every little thing. It's like, I need to make sure you understand the background before I bring you current, right? So yeah, I have to admit. I have to admit, yes.

SPEAKER_01 28:08

I actually, Charlotte, that was gonna be mine too. And I think sometimes my kids blame it on the kind of work we do, and you and I do similar kind of work. It's fine. Um, because having that consulting brain, yeah, you need to understand the big picture. And sometimes it's just I really don't.

SPEAKER_03 28:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:25

I just need you to let's just we don't need to understand, we don't need to understand where everybody's coming from. Let's just what are we doing? What are we doing? That's right. So that's I would have said the same. What about you, Mark? Do you have anything that comes to mind?

SPEAKER_00 28:38

Yeah, I I use a lot of phrases that my dad or my mom used with me. Um, like um when my kids were little and they were working on something and I was trying to help them prioritize, my dad would always say, Big rocks first, man. Oh, yeah. Big rocks first. That's good. That's good. And so it's like, you know, it's that old adage for those of you that aren't familiar. It's like if you have like rocks and balls and pebbles and all these things and you're trying to get it all to fit in a jar, it was an exercise teaching kind of prioritization. It was like if you put the big things in first, they'll fit. And then you sure fit the little things around it.

SPEAKER_01 29:17

That's wise.

SPEAKER_00 29:18

And so, yeah, it was really wise. And so, um, but when he was saying it, I was like, oh man, you know, like why why are you keep telling me the big rocks first? And then when I started saying it to my children, you know, and then when I heard them repeat it back, like, remember that big rocks first, and I was like, okay, there you go.

SPEAKER_01 29:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:37

Yeah. See, that's a good one. Yeah, that was a good one.

SPEAKER_01 29:39

That's a good segue to your question, Mark, on uh what else?

SPEAKER_00 29:43

Yeah, you know, and and I was thinking, so I've told you mine, but I'm interested from the both of you, and you know, in contrast to the one thing you said you'd never do, what's one thing that, you know, acting like your parents, you you know, you know, you're doing and it's really smart and wise, you know. So what's that thing?

SPEAKER_01 30:00

What do you think, Charlotte? Anything that comes to mind on that?

SPEAKER_02 30:03

Yeah, I think I patterned myself and parroting a lot after my parents, and that is um allowing, given the latitude to explore and to fail. And looking at failure is not bad, it's a way of learning. It's another option for learning. That's really smart.

SPEAKER_00 30:23

That's a good one. That's a good one, Charlotte. What about you, Patty?

SPEAKER_01 30:28

I think um uh you can get carried away with this, but I think being intentional, like what you don't have to know everything you want to do in life. But what do you really want? What really matters to you? Yeah. And are you moving in the direction? Are you taking a step, might not be directly there, a step that will maybe get you where you want to be. And I think, you know, I know my mom, uh, my mom was not someone who gave me career advice or anything like that, but she was very focused on kind of like what matters to you and what your values are. What do you care about in life? Don't lose track of it. That was sort of her thing. And I think um at the time, as with all things with parents, sometimes it it can be annoying.

SPEAKER_03 31:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:17

Um because you're I know what I'm doing. You know, I know how to juggle all this stuff. And uh, but now, you know, I think I still I very much subscribe to that. You know, have an intention, be intentional, move toward what you want.

SPEAKER_00 31:30

Yeah. Oh, those are those are good. Those are really good. You know, um this uh this conversation is is just really, really fun. Um not only, you know, just kind of being you know a little funny on April Fool's Day, but uh just being able to honor, you know, parents. Right. You know, um, you know, whether they were yours by birth or they claimed you, you know, along the way, being able to really honor parents because I think uh it's it's a job that uh you know, sometimes you don't always get thanked for. You know, so yeah, I kind of think acting like my parents, uh it's a it's a way of honoring them, you know, and and the ones before. Uh and so, you know, uh I think it's important to remember, you know, some of those ways that they taught us because they serve them well and they can still serve us well. Um, but also it's important to stay current, right?

SPEAKER_01 32:25

Exactly. I think it is. Yeah. Yeah, you're Charlotte. I'm sorry, you're about to say something there on that.

SPEAKER_02 32:31

No, I was gonna say, and you know, it's good to poke fun at yourself.

SPEAKER_01 32:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 32:37

You know, from time to time. My family, we extended family, we are just notorious, right? We just we give each other a hard time all the time, but it's out of love, right? So if we see you chewing gum a little too hard, you're chewing it like our grandmother did, you know, it's just fun.

SPEAKER_01 32:55

It is. We're the same. Our family is the same. And I think too, you know, to echo what you said, Mark, I think the thing we're big on in this show is be you, be who you are. And you know, if you are acting like your parents, at least know it. And maybe I don't care. Yeah, you know, and but you know, and there are certain things like technology, we know, you know, depending upon what your goals are in life, probably want to stay pretty current. What's going on, know what, know how to do your stuff.

SPEAKER_03 33:20

That's important.

SPEAKER_01 33:20

Um, and so we're like just recognize it, be who you are, we celebrate you no matter no matter what. So with that, I want to just land this happy April Fools Day. Don't go prank anybody too bad today, please.

SPEAKER_00 33:36

Yeah, not hard pranks, not hard pranks, easy pranks.

SPEAKER_01 33:38

Easy pranks, funny pranks. I want to thank Charlotte. Charlotte, I know how busy you are. You made time to come in and laugh with us and have some fun on this topic. And so we hope you all will uh you've enjoyed this topic. Share it with people that you think, as Mark said, if there are people like it's not so much me, but I know some people, please share it with them. Um, give us feedback. Please subscribe. We'd love it to uh join uh the community around Aren't You Tired Of on Spotify. We love hearing from you. We love hearing from you. With that, have a great week and enjoy the rest of your April Fool's Day.

SPEAKER_00 34:18

Yeah. Take care, baby.

SPEAKER_01 34:19

Thank you all. Goodbye.