A few days ago, a friend started asking us for the things we say that make us feel like “moms” – you know, like “Shut the front door, you weren’t raised in a barn!”
I started thinking about all of the things that have shocked me as they came out of my mouth. You know those surreal moments when you say something and think to yourself, “Did I really just say that?” Motherhood is full of surprises, I tell ya!
1. “Because I said so.”
There have been times when my daughter didn’t like an answer I gave her and for some reason or another, I couldn’t give her an explanation. This could be because I was planning a surprise, I knew something that she didn’t, etc.
Daughter: Can I go to my friend’s house?
Me: No. (because I knew that said friend’s father grew pot plans in his closet and didn’t want her in their house)
Daughter: Why?
Me: Because I said so.
When I was in elementary school, I wanted to spend the night at a friend’s house so badly! She lived in our apartment complex and I just couldn’t understand why my parents refused to let me go, since she lived so close. I thought they were just being mean. Years later, I found out that my friend’s father was very abusive and that my parents were protecting me from being in that environment. There are times when parents just can’t tell their children the reasons, and no just has to be good enough!
2. “People only have sex when they are trying to have a baby because it’s so gross.”
We held out on the birds and the bees talk for a long time because honestly, it just never came up. Until one day when my daughter saw a male dog attached to a female dog…and wanted to know what the hell was going on. She was 10. I told her what sex was, how it happened, and then that look of realization came into her eyes, and she asked me, “Do you and daddy have sex?”
I lied. I just flat out lied. Of all of the things I swore I’d never do, lying was the big one. But let’s get real – who wants their 10 year old wondering that they’re having sex every time they close the bedroom door?
Mom & Dad: I take back what I said about you being horrible parents for lying to me (for my own good) when I was growing up!
3. “Because I am the adult and you are the child.”
When I was a teenager and disagreed with something my parents said, I never understood why my opinion didn’t matter as much as theirs. It just didn’t make sense to me! I vowed that I would always listen and give my future children a chance to have their say…but as I’ve dealt with some of those same situations, I find myself telling my daughter the same thing my parents told me: “Because I am the adult.”
My daughter doesn’t like this answer any more than I liked receiving it from my parents twenty years ago, but it now makes sense to me – after you’ve completed school, worked hard at a job to support your family and maintain a household, you have a right to make decisions on behalf of someone who’s only responsibility in life is to have fun.
I tell my daughter that after she gets a job and starts being responsible for cooking, cleaning, raising children and supporting herself, then her opinion will matter as much as mine.
What are some of the things that you say, as a parent, that you thought you’d never say?
Because I said so. -_-*
“When you grow up and have children you will understand why…” 🙂
I never thought I’d say “just wait til your father gets home” but sometimes I’m so shocked or perplexed by what they’ve done that I need a few minutes to process it.
Definitely “Because I said so…”. When I was a kid, my Mom always answered “Where are you going?” with “Timbuktu”. It drove me crazy! I have caught myself saying it to my kids a couple of times, lol.
one of them i’ve never thought i would use is “IF YOU AREN’T READY BY THE COUNT OF 10 I’M SENDING YOU TO CHINA”
my mom used that all the time
now i use it..
i am becoming her
LoL! I say all of the above!
“Stop being such a drama queen”
“time to have phone turned off”
“I hope you have all daughters and they treat you the same way you treat me”
“if you don’t pick up the clothes (covering the entire floor)before you leave, I can’t guarantee they will be there when you come back – you have cousins who would love to have them!”
Mine is 16 and had a head start at 11 with my 2 step daughters who were older. They inspired her to try to act as old as they were, her dad supported her 100% (because he knew it would piss me off, and she became the master manipulator. Soooo, saying ‘because I said so’ stopped working a long time ago!
Good post Jennifer – it was fun to think of how we do become so much like our Mothers – not such a bad fate after all!! The poor women didn’t get enough credit did they?
I have used the because I say so a few times.
My oldest is only 5 so I am sure I will use all of these as he gets older.
Right now, the one thing I have said to him that I never thought I would ever have to say is ‘You are not allowed to poop outside ever again.’ That was a fun day.
LOL. I always say because I said so, and because I’m your mom! And yeah, I will be lying too if my kids ask if me and daddy are having sex lol
I tell my kids because I said so every now and then & I hate it, but honest to god, sometimes the long drawn out explaination of why they can’t do it or have it just isn’t worth it.
When my kids are really driving me nuts I’ll say “Did I tell you to (do whatever they are doing)? No? Then STOP!” I also use the “Do you pay the bills? No, then you have no opinion.” I also use the “Because I’m mom. That’s why”
My favorite, that I hated and now use, is “When you have a job…”
#2 is funny, but definitely something you don’t want children to know about. 🙂
This is hilarious! Being a mom, I finally understand why my mom said things she said.
I can so relate to these, well 1 and 3 at least. We always use those and for good reason. Our daughter is 10 and knows full well about sex but only at the level she needs to – there’s no mystery and she’s comfortable asking. We also tell her to ALWAYS knock if the door is closed “because we say so”. 😛