Do We Become Our Grandparents?

Too many times it seems like I base my actions on doing the opposite of what my parents do. There are lots of things they do and have done that are annoying or hurtful, and I purposefully want to be a different kind of parent to my own children.

I suppose one of the areas that sticks out in my mind the most is being forced to share. Yes, I know. Children are by nature greedy and self-centered ("NO" and "mine" are usually among the first words spoken), and need to be taught that the world doesn't revolve around them. But to me, it seemed very communistic for my mom to have made me share things with my sister, when I was the one who had an after-school job, earned extra money, and bought the items myself. What about property rights, or don't people under 18 have those?

Perhaps it was easier, having one boy and one girl, and clothes-sharing not an issue, but I recall making sure my children were not forced to share. "Give that back to your sister. That is hers," was something my son heard me say, though never uttered by my parents.

Unfortunately, my grandparents died before I had the chance to get to know them as an adult. But I often wonder if I am more like them than I am my parents. Do we all swing away from how our parents are, making every other generation kindred spirits? I wish I knew, and sometimes I wish my grandparents were still around. I could use someone else to whom I could complain about my parents!