Mother knows best, but her offspring will be 33 years old before they finally admit it, a poll suggests.
And just two years later, when they turn 35, most women will have started behaving like their mothers.
Men, in comparison, are late developers, waiting until they are 37 on average to turn into their fathers.
The study also revealed that 82% of mums and dads say the things that were said to them as children to their own kids, even though they swore they never would.
And the No1 “mumism” was “money doesn’t grow on trees”, closely followed by “Wash your hands”.
Other favourites passed down through the generations include, “Shut that door, were you born in a barn?”, “Carrots will make you see in the dark”, “Don’t eat that, you’ll spoil your dinner”, “Because I said so” and “I am not your slave”.
The poll found that 90% of those quizzed only started to really respect and appreciate their own mums and dads when they became parents themselves, and most thought they were too immature to have children until they reached the age of 28.
Almost 75% of parents said they had no idea what parenting would entail before embarking on family life, and only 14% said they were fully prepared for the demands of having children.
The study, by Petits Filous, also found 40% of those polled thought they were less strict with their kids than their parents were with them, while 40% said they fed their children a healthier diet.
A spokeswoman for Petits Filous said: “This new research shows that truly nothing can prepare you for the reality of being a parent.
“Although there are plenty of challenges along the way, the poll also reveals that there is nothing any of us would change about having children.”
She added: “Whether it is contending with the kids battling all day every day, or sorting out the same familiar argument over screen time, being a parent is not easy.”
