you even trying? And who could forget hoarding tendencies? This is the “we might need this someday” mentality, manifested in basements full of old magazines, garages stuffed with broken appliances, and kitchen cabinets overflowing with expired condiments. It’s the belief that scarcity is just around the corner, so you’d better hold onto everything— just in case. “One theme that comes up often with patients is how well-meaning but misguided behaviors —like those of so-called ‘Almond Moms’—can deeply shape our relationships with food and body image,” says Ashley Peña, National Executive Director at Mission Connection Healthcare. “When parents model restrictive eating or fixate on appearance, it sends a message that worth is tied to how we look or what we eat. I’ve seen patients carry these messages into adulthood, struggling with guilt around food or feeling disconnected from their own bodies. Breaking these patterns starts with awareness and compassion, not blame.” Because obviously, no one wakes up one day and decides, “I’m going to pass my weirdest habits on to my kids.” Generational hand-me- downs aren’t usually intentional. They’re more like emotional heirlooms—passed down without much thought, often wrapped in good intentions. But why do they stick around? Why do we find ourselves repeating the same patterns, even when we know better? The answer lies in a mix of psychology, sociology, and good old-fashioned human nature. For starters, there’s modeling behavior. From the moment we’re born, we’re like little sponges, soaking up everything our parents do. If Mom diets obsessively, we learn that food is something to be controlled. If Dad never talks about his feelings, we learn that emotions are something to be hidden. These behaviors become our normal, even if they’re anything but.
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