Sometimes I find myself repeating the same things over and over to my kids. After another night of saying, “we don’t eat play-doh,” it made me think back on some of the common sayings I heard from my parents growing up!
– “If you say that one more time I’m going to clean your mouth out with soap!”
– “Do you think money grows on trees?”
– “Don’t sit too close to the TV; it’ll ruin your eyes!”
– “Don’t read in the dark, you’ll go blind!”
– “I just want what’s best for you”
– “This hurts me more than it hurts you”
– “Who said life was fair?”
– “When you have your own house, you can make your own rule.”
– “As long as you live under my roof, you do what I say.”
– “I don’t care who started it.”
– “Don’t cross your eyes, they’re going to freeze that way,”
– “You’ll understand when you’re older”
… and of course, the ever so popular, “I’m starting to sound like a broken record!”, which is how I’m feeling these days!
What common sayings did your parents say to you growing up? Which ones do you find yourself repeating?
honeydew / 7488 posts
Haha, those are all classic!
Just ignore him!
Do you want to grow up to be a garbage man?
I’m going to kill you (in Chinese)
Mind your own business (in Chinese)
Don’t wrinkle your forehead (in Chinese)
Don’t read in the car it will ruin your eyes
The ones I say are:
Sit down right now
First put your plate in the sink
Please go put on your underwear!
I don’t care (trying to stop this one, it’s terrible)
We don’t bring the binky to school
Don’t ask me, sound it out!
I’m going to count to 3!
blogger / clementine / 750 posts
Well, right now the only thing on my mind are the two things I’m saying over and over and over and over again:
“No”
“No touch.”
I almost can’t wait until I can start repeating more than those two phrases!
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
@T-Mom: hahaha, I remember those being said to me in Chinese too! Yes to the wrinkle forehead one – how could I forget! Another one is how if I don’t finish all my rice, I’m going to get a pimple for every kernel I don’t eat and nobody will want to marry me.
Some things I say are:
– Don’t play with your food
– Butt down in the chair
– You know how to talk – use your words
– Don’t make me count to 3
– We don’t say “stupid”
– No milk after you brush your teeth
– Why are you crying?
– I don’t care if you don’t like me, but you have to listen to me
… and so many more!…
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
Haha I always loved the classic, “when *I* was a kid….” Or “back in my day…”, “you know what’s wrong with people these days is…” Lol
I know it’s bad when my toddler starts using my stock phrases. The recent one- and he gets vocal inflection perfectly, is a stern finger and, “sit down!”
honeydew / 7488 posts
@Mrs. High Heels: Haha, these are all making me laugh…
@Mrs. Pen: that is very cute!
Sometimes I catch my DS repeating what I say all the time him very quietly to himself. Such as “we don’t pee pee in our pants, we only pee pee in the potty”!
hostess / eggplant / 11068 posts
My dad used to say these two things when it came to school:
1) “Your best isn’t good enough!”
2) “Where’s the other 2%?” (When I came home with a 98% on my report card)
My dad was strict, to say the least.
wonderful olive / 19353 posts
@Rubies: OMG! Yes on the school stuff and about grades. Minimum was an A, and it had to be a high A. Even if it was only midterms. Oof
kiwi / 511 posts
(When I ask DS1 to do something like pick up some toys or put his clothes on he says he doesn’t like to) My response is I didn’t ask you if you liked it I asked you to do it.
Please keep all 4 legs of the chair on the floor please.
If you don’t want to eat you can just go hungry until breakfast.
Do I need to start counting?
blogger / pomegranate / 3491 posts
So funny. We heard a lot of these in my house too. Lately it is a lot of ” tushie down on the couch” “stay on the sidewalk” and “how do we ask nicely”.
blogger / apricot / 335 posts
HAHA so funny! I remember HATING it when people copied me, especially because I drew a lot. Whenever I complained my parents (and teachers) would say “it’s a compliment when someone copies you!” I really wanted the other person to get in trouble, but they never did and it never felt right. LOL.
GOLD / grapefruit / 4555 posts
I have so many that I could write but the ones that comes to mind first is “Fair is a weather condition,” to whenever I would say something wasn’t fair. It always ended with an eye roll.
Now as a broken record myself what I say most often is “Love easy” and “You can take a turn and then I’ll get it back.” Thank you, Daniel Tiger!
blogger / pear / 1563 posts
haha! I can’t think of many at the moment. I should ask Mr. P.
I know I say, “no sir” a whole lot. 
blogger / nectarine / 2687 posts
my dad would always say, “Take what you can eat and eat what you take!” he hated us wasting food!
i say:
-different mommies have different rules
-be in control
-how do you ask?
-how many times do i need to ask you? (which is met with CB’s response of “one time” after i’ve asked him about 4 times! drives me crazy!!!)