My Mother Taught Me

While at my friends' daughter's 6th birthday party over the weekend, I stood by watching the kids enjoy the festivities.
As you can imagine having 20 little ones together can keep parents pretty busy . There were a few trouble spots over the 4 hours we were all together.... one little one wouldn't share or one didn't want to play with a certain child, pushing started or the occasional "tap".

I listened as the parents tried to teach their child the appropiate behavior...I couldn't help but laugh out loud when I heard "fight nice"...fight nice? My mom actually use to tell my brother and I that very same thing. Of course I never really knew what that meant. Maybe it was the shock value of hearing it, but I remember my brother and I would stop fighting...

I also heard...do you want me to call your father? That's a good one...and try putting a child in time out while a birthday party is going on....that was pure hell to watch.

Hearing some of the comments spoken to these kids in order to teach them a valuable lessen did bring back some memories of my own childhood and the rare times I spit out the very same comments to my own son.

What did your Mom and Dad teach you while growing up?

Here's a few...
My mother taught me to APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

My mother taught me about RELIGION.
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

My mother taught me about LOGIC.
"Because I said so, that's why."

My mother taught me about FORESIGHT.
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

My mother taught me about IRONY.
"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."

My mother taught me about STAMINA.
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

My mother taught me about WEATHER.
"This room of yours looks like a tornado went through it."

My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
"If I told you once, I've told you a million times.. Don't exaggerate!"

My mother taught me about the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
"Stop acting like your father!"

My mother taught me about ENVY.
"There are millions of children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
"Just wait until we get home."

My mother taught me about RECEIVING.
"You are going to get it when you get home."

My mother taught me about MEDICAL SCIENCE.
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."

My mother taught me about ESP.
"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you'll be cold?"

My mother taught me about HUMOR.
"When that lawnmower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

My mother taught me about GENETICS.
"You're just like your father."

My mother taught me about WISDOM.
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand.

My mother taught me about SHARING.
"I'm going to give you a piece of my mind!"

and my favorite one....
My mother taught me about FEAR.
"One day you'll have a child who'll do the same things to you." How true I found this to be...