Not particularly. From what I remember about my father (he died when I was 13), he was a typical 1950s/60s father. Off to work by 7am, home by 5:30, dinner on the table by 6:15 (so there was time for a highball first). He'd supervise bath/bedtime for the little kids (my sibs are 4, 9, and 10 years younger than I) and always had a good-night hug for us. I don't remember a whole lot about him, but I've seen pictures from backyard fun, where he'd have a bunch of kids over and do things like organize potato sack races and pitch a handful of change into the wading pool for us to "dive" for, stuff like that. My cousins (who are older than I) remember him as generous, kind, almost bigger-than-life, but I don't remember that. I remember him hosting family gatherings, setting holiday traditions, and as I approached my teen years, doing a lot of arguing with each other.
My mom? When my dad died, she crawled into a shell for years, living off the insurance money and drinking. She was never very supportive emotionally. I've always said I'm sure she loved us as she was our mother, but I'm not sure that's 100% true. The older I get and the more I learn of my mother's life (she died 17 years ago), the more I understand how she became the way she was- emotionally distant, socially isolated, alcoholic. It's funny, though... all through high school and college years, for all of us, my mom was welcoming to our friends, always had a bunch of teens/young adults around. EVERYONE wanted her to be their mom, everyone wanted to be part of our family. WE always said, be careful what you wish for- because it was all surface impressions, and for show. My mom was very hands-off and distant most of the time, and my aunt has said my mom was lucky that we were basically good kids, because it would have been very easy for us to get into a lot of trouble.
More of a focus on discipline than love. The good thing is that I love my own kids to bits and would have to say my parenting style is in many ways the opposite of my own parents.
