This month we gave Urban Lifers the opportunity to tell us about those slightly odd, rather irritating or even downright annoying habits that parents can have. Here are some of the common themes from your answers - in your own words - about what irritates you most about the parents...

Parents in Public

"16 year old parents, covered in bling and fake Burberry, shouting and arguing in the middle of shopping centres, ignoring their kids cries because they are on their mobiles talking to other chavs about the jewellery sale in Argos. They are a waste of space and the kids would be better off without them"

"They have a showing-off voice in public!"

"I can't stand it when a shop is full and a mother pushes her double buggy into the crowd then gives you a dirty look when SHE runs over YOUR foot or rams the bloody thing into you"

"Licking a hanky and wiping your face - thoroughly embarrassing"

Living at Home

Urbanites at home hate their parents nagging, particularly asking where they're going all the time. They also mentioned the fact that parents are really strict on the first child but when the second one comes along they get away with anything.

"I can't wait until I have kids so that I can use the same immortal lines:' You're not going out looking like that', 'You treat this place like a hotel', and of course 'Turn that bloody racket down'"

"Why do they iron underwear and socks?"

"Having just asked my three boys what do I not understand about them, the three different answers are: Why don't parents let us have pierced ears? Why don't they let us go on the computer, why does Mum hog it? Why doesn't mum let us play games console when we first get up in the morning? There you go, Straight from the horses mouths!"

"As children we always think our parents are always wrong when they insist that they are always right. Yet as soon as you become a parent, you suddenly realise that you are always right and your children will never believe you!"

"Why does my father keep asking me if I was brought up in a barn, when I've lived with him all my life!"

Having Left Home

It seems a parent's job is never over, even if after a while their contribution is somewhat less required or valued... Do you get the regular Sunday phone call? Does your Dad still think you're 14 when it comes to DIY? Any of this sound familiar?

"Despite the fact that I am 36 years old and have children, and am married, my mum still likes to think she can tell me what I should do and that her opinions are always right"

"I don't need to get married to a nice girl soon. My house is my house, don't riffle through my rooms / drawers / cupboards when visiting. Or ask when I last cleaned the windows. Or sound surprised that it's actually quite tidy."

"Don't feel you can walk in and comment upon my life, it's mine. My mistakes, my choices". I'm happy, so be happy for me and don't be so intrusive darling mother!"

"My parents seem to forget that the phone can work both ways."

Non-Urban Parents - some just don't get city living!

"Being excited that I have 'made it' working in the city for a huge salary when I am in a boring job and have a long commute and move documents around all day"

"I'm originally from the country, and now that I live and work in London my Mum thinks I'm rich. She expects presents and treats every time I go home like I'm the prodigal daughter."

"Mum calling me at work spending 15 minutes telling me about the garden while I'm trying to get a word in edgeways to say now isn't a good time"

Trips back home to visit Mum & Dad

Going home seems to be a "déjà vu" experience for many of you, with your parents asking the same questions and constantly repeating the same stories every time you visit. It can also be very time-consuming and somewhat testing on your patience, with stories from home being recounted in elaborate detail. Busy Urbanites find it hard to understand how it can take so long to make what is often such a small point!

"To tell a 2- minute anecdote takes Mum 30 minutes as she likes to go "Shall I tell you what he did?, Shall I?"…(10 second pause for breathe)…"well"….(another pause) "Shall I tell you?" (Another bloody pause) "I just couldn't believe it" and so it goes on until you're screaming just spit it out!!!"

Getting older… some parents should watch their habits

Particularly common and disapproved of….

"Farting"

"Eating noisily" - "Making lots of slurpy, mushy, sooky, chewy noises when eating or drinking, without the excuse of false teeth!"

"Xenophobic"

"Hoarding things"

"Bonkers"

"Not only watching Songs of Praise but singing along at home"

"Fashion. No clue"

Someone old, Something new

Computers and mobile phones were the main technological advances that seem so commonplace to Urbanites but that many of their parents just don't seem to have got their heads around...

"Do not buy your parents a computer...they just break them."

"Every time I go around to visit, my Dad always asks if I can show him something on the computer quickly, which ends up taking at least an hour."

"I thought buying a laptop for my parents would enable them to keep in touch with my brother in Australia. What I didn't realise was now I have to run a PC support desk to answer all their queries and try to work out why everything has stopped working again"

"My Dad doesn't understand computers. He recently phoned me to ask for help attaching a letter to an email.. I said click on the little paperclip icon. He said OK. What file is the letter in then, I asked. "Oh it's not in a file it's in my hand" he replied"

"NEVER teach your mother to text"

"Mobile phones. Apparently these are for emergencies only. For their emergencies only! So for the rest of the time they are switched off to save the battery"

Food Glorious Food

Ever met a Mum who has a tendency to force-feed anyone who walks in her door?

"As for my Mum she always wants to feed us. Has she looked at the size of my thighs, I'm not exactly starving!"

"If my kids don't like fish, I won't interrogate them for 2 hours every time I feel like fish, I'll just let them eat something else."

"My Dad eats a burger with a knife and fork. Enough said."

"My mum gets grief off me when I go home and see she always has things in her cupboards that are years out of date - how is that possible I thought….until I realised I'm also increasingly guilty of the same thing!"

Although a cruel trick of nature - the inevitable seems you grow into being your parents

"I hate the fact that now I'm getting older, sometimes when I open my mouth my Mum's voice comes out"

"I now have a stick for stirring paint, first time I realised I'm turning into my Dad!"

"I hate the fact that the mirror tells me I'm turning into a replica of my dumpy old mother"

Can't live with them, can't live without them!

All these nasty comments aside, it seems the majority of you have a lot of love for the folks. In fact, for many who are already parents, you decided you should be a bit more forgiving, as you see many of these traits coming out in yourselves. Particularly for the foreign Urbanites on the panel, a bit of distance makes the heart grow fonder when it comes to parents. Many of you just didn't have a bad word to say about them...

"My parents were great and if I can be a parent to my kids like mine were to me, I'd feel I was doing an excellent job - love you Mum & Dad. xxx"