In this article the author looks at the issue of learning to parent, focusing specifically on family of origin as a source of influence in the development of parenting. The paper is based on data from the Institute's Parenting-21 study, and concentrates on intergenerational influences on parenting by exploring parents' responses to two questions: what sorts of things did they do that were similar to their own parents' style of raising children; and what sorts of things did they do that were different from what their own parents did. What it means to be a parent, the nature of childhood experiences and the quality of intergenerational relationships are important contextual details for understanding parents' responses which are also discussed.