Guess Our Parents Weren't Complete Morons After All...

MissO﹠A
MissO﹠A Posts: 906 Member
edited October 5 in Chit-Chat
Share some of your "light bulb moments." Those realizations you've had during adulthood which make you recall some words of wisdom from your parents. Those little nuggets of enlightenment which you had totally dismissed as nagging and/or parental idiocy when you were a child...

One of my light bulb moments:
On those germ-and-snot filled mornings when I was whining and b*tching about not "feeling good", I always thought my mother was bordering on lunacy when she'd tell me to "take a shower, you'll feel better." Yeah, admittedly, that does work.

...

*grumble* Guess I should go fess up and tell her -- then endure a 45 minute conversation on how to plug in a USB memory stick as punishment for being nice.

Replies

  • Eliannasmom
    Eliannasmom Posts: 55 Member
    MY MOM SAID THE SAME THING!!!!!!! Funny how it works and how I find myself now saying it to my kids :)
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    My grandmother used to take me flower shopping with ther and teach me about how to choose healthy annuals. I hated it. Now that I have my own house, I find myself thinking back to what she told me all the time when I go pickout flowers for my pots. I miss her every day.
  • Shweedog
    Shweedog Posts: 883 Member
    When you are cold in the house just put socks on. I always wanted mom to turn the heater on. I swore putting socks on would not make my whole body warm. Sure enough- socks work wonders. Who woulda thought, right?
  • Me as a kid: "Why can't I do that?!??!"
    Parent: "Because I said so."
    Me as a kid: " Why do you say that? I hate when you say that! You should at least tell me why so I know!"
    Parent: "It's because I said no".


    Now:

    My kid: "Why can't I do that?!??!"
    Me: "Because I said so."
    My kid: "But why?!?!? Why can't you tell me?"
    Me: "Because I'm the parent and I said no."
  • themommie
    themommie Posts: 5,033 Member
    my mom always told me to gargle with salt water when i had a sore throat. I hated it and thought how is that going to help. Well it does and now i find myself gargling with salt water and telling my kids to do the same thing.....heehee
  • kb455
    kb455 Posts: 679 Member
    Me as a kid: "Why can't I do that?!??!"
    Parent: "Because I said so."
    Me as a kid: " Why do you say that? I hate when you say that! You should at least tell me why so I know!"
    Parent: "It's because I said no".


    Now:

    My kid: "Why can't I do that?!??!"
    Me: "Because I said so."
    My kid: "But why?!?!? Why can't you tell me?"
    Me: "Because I'm the parent and I said no."

    True. I probably say "because I said so" about 10 times a day.
  • Me as a kid: "Why can't I do that?!??!"
    Parent: "Because I said so."
    Me as a kid: " Why do you say that? I hate when you say that! You should at least tell me why so I know!"
    Parent: "It's because I said no".


    Now:

    My kid: "Why can't I do that?!??!"
    Me: "Because I said so."
    My kid: "But why?!?!? Why can't you tell me?"
    Me: "Because I'm the parent and I said no."

    True. I probably say "because I said so" about 10 times a day.

    Seriously, that would just piss me right off as a kid and teenager. Now, I use that term constantly.
  • SinIsIn
    SinIsIn Posts: 1,865 Member
    Me as a kid: "Why can't I do that?!??!"
    Parent: "Because I said so."
    Me as a kid: " Why do you say that? I hate when you say that! You should at least tell me why so I know!"
    Parent: "It's because I said no".


    Now:

    My kid: "Why can't I do that?!??!"
    Me: "Because I said so."
    My kid: "But why?!?!? Why can't you tell me?"
    Me: "Because I'm the parent and I said no."

    I am guilty of this!!!
  • smketchum
    smketchum Posts: 94 Member
    The difference between a "real" friend and an acquaintance. I try to teach my step daughters the same thing. If someone doesn't have your back, if they aren't loyal and don't treat you with respect, then they are not your friend and don't deserve the opportunity to have any part of your heart and the ability to hurt you.

    I have always been a people pleaser and could not stand rejection. I worked way to hard on relationships that weren't worth it.

    I hope my girls will listen better than I did!
  • My mom has TONS of these...but the one I use all the time (I tell myself, my husband, and my stepkids...my 2yo daughter isn't quite old enough to understand yet), is: "Turn on your left side (when you sleep) if you aren't feeling good (belly hurts, etc). Lay on your left side."

    Well...who'd a thunk it...but it WORKS LIKE A CHARM. :) Thanks, Mom!
  • JustJenn419
    JustJenn419 Posts: 780 Member
    My grandfather used blackberry brandy as his cure-all for everything. Had a cough, take a sip of blackberry brandy. Couldn't sleep, take a shot. When I was 10 I hated it! It taked so disgusting!!!

    Later on in life I realized he was right.... Alcohol IS the answer for everything! :laugh: :wink: :laugh: :wink: :laugh:
  • Shannon023
    Shannon023 Posts: 14,529 Member
    That "this too will pass" whenever I was suffering through whatever teenage-girl-drama-of-the-day I was suffering through. :tongue:
  • karenjoy
    karenjoy Posts: 1,840 Member
    If I moaned at my Mum, she used to say 'you will miss me when I am gone'.........

    Just typing that has made me cry. Mum I miss you EVERY day.
  • Shannon023
    Shannon023 Posts: 14,529 Member
    If I moaned at my Mum, she used to say 'you will miss me when I am gone'.........

    Just typing that has made me cry. Mum I miss you EVERY day.

    :frown: :heart:
  • windybaer
    windybaer Posts: 47 Member
    My dad had a paque on his desk which he would point to lots of times when I was being difficult.
    it said: "Even a fish wouldn't get in trouble if it kept it's mouth shut."

    As old fashioned as I then thought of it, not so today. How true this has been all my life.
  • starbucksbuzz
    starbucksbuzz Posts: 466 Member
    I was homeschooled, and my mom spent HOURS working with me to write these essays. (She made me write about everything we did.) I hated it - but I spent almost two years nannying... and I was on the other side of things. I found myself thinking back to al the things that she had told me when I was having problems with schoolwork and using it on the kiddies.
  • _Timmeh_
    _Timmeh_ Posts: 2,096 Member
    If you keep doing that you will go blind. I now need reading glasses. :sad:
  • TDGee
    TDGee Posts: 2,209 Member
    My Dad's sex talk: "Be good. If you can't be good, be careful."

    My Father in Law always said, "Two fingers of good scotch fixes almost everything."

    My Grandmother: "Can't never tried."
  • tinkerbek
    tinkerbek Posts: 51 Member
    As kids, My dad used to make us pay him .50 cents every time he caught us without our seat belts on in the car. I thought it was the most annoying thing ever. Now a days, i'm thankful for his little game, because i feel just wrong in a car without my seat belt on. I cant even drive half a block without it!
  • If I moaned at my Mum, she used to say 'you will miss me when I am gone'.........

    Just typing that has made me cry. Mum I miss you EVERY day.

    Oh why did you write this. Now I am going to cry. I miss you mum, everyday. :sad:
  • _SusieQ_
    _SusieQ_ Posts: 2,964 Member
    My dad would go an extra couple blocks out of the way to avoid turning left if he could. I always thought he was a bit batty. But now I found myself planning ahead for trips, even to the store, to make as few left turns as possible.
  • macpatti
    macpatti Posts: 4,280 Member
    "Your metablolism will slow down at 40. Make sure you're at a healthy weight when you get there".
  • tam120
    tam120 Posts: 444 Member
    My dad would go an extra couple blocks out of the way to avoid turning left if he could. I always thought he was a bit batty. But now I found myself planning ahead for trips, even to the store, to make as few left turns as possible.
    Apparently UPS uses this strategy and it saves them lots of $!
  • megz4987
    megz4987 Posts: 1,008 Member
    My dad would go an extra couple blocks out of the way to avoid turning left if he could. I always thought he was a bit batty. But now I found myself planning ahead for trips, even to the store, to make as few left turns as possible.
    Apparently UPS uses this strategy and it saves them lots of $!

    I don't get it?
  • VeryKerri
    VeryKerri Posts: 359 Member
    My mom always said, "some day when you have children, you will understand" this applied to every situation and I always hated it and told her I was never having children!

    I get it now.... you definitely reap what you sow.
  • MissO﹠A
    MissO﹠A Posts: 906 Member
    Loving all of these replies. Thanks folks.
    If you keep doing that you will go blind. I now need reading glasses. :sad:
    Bet your sight really went downhill once the internet went full-tilt, eh? :glasses:
    My Grandmother: "Can't never tried."
    This is brilliant and I'm going to have to borrow it; the kidlet is in a "But mommmmmy, I caaannnnn't do it." phase.
    As kids, My dad used to make us pay him .50 cents every time he caught us without our seat belts on in the car. I thought it was the most annoying thing ever. Now a days, i'm thankful for his little game, because i feel just wrong in a car without my seat belt on. I cant even drive half a block without it!
    Yes, this. Never had to give over any dough but I'm the same with having a seat belt on. Can't put the car in drive without it on, it just feels wrong.
  • SabrinaJL
    SabrinaJL Posts: 1,579 Member

    True. I probably say "because I said so" about 10 times a day.

    Seriously, that would just piss me right off as a kid and teenager. Now, I use that term constantly.

    Pissed me off too, so I swore I'd never say it to my kid. I never did and you know what I got for it? A kid that expects a reason for every damn thing I say. It's actually pretty annoying. :grumble:
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