Our vision is to inspire, empower, educate one another through ongoing community exchange. One of the ways we’re doing this is through our Friday Community column, in a monthly series called In Your Words. We reach out to our guest writers to ask them a question once a month.
Read what our contributors have to say and share your answer in the comments below.
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Do you ever say anything to your kids that your mom used to say to you…and you NEVER thought you would?
Yes! "Because I said so!" :(
Alecia Simersky - There's Something Different
“Because I said so.”
Ha! I'm afraid there are many things...but "because I said so" is versatile, practical, and as frustrating to my kids as it was to me!!
Toni Campbell - Lakeside Lessons
“Why don’t you call me sometime?”
At first thought, my answer was no. My kids are so much better than I was. But now that they're older, I find myself saying, "Why don't you call me sometime?" Something my mom still says to me!
Susan Panzica - Eternity Cafe
“You should smile more.” (She also said, “Wipe that puss off your face,” but I don’t think I said that one…)
I really hated it when my mother told me to smile more. It was during my pre- and early teen years. Looking back, probably what I didn’t like about it most was that I knew she was right. At the end of a long day in middle school in particular, I was grumpy a lot. I’d save all that mopeyness for when I got home.
I know I said it to my girls too. They too started to smile a lot less sometime around middle school. And as a mom, well I wanted them to be happy and carefree, as they had been up till that point. Now I see more clearly there was a transitional phase, part unacknowledged grief about growing up, part hormones, part social pressure…and it’s not the happiest time of life, I would think especially for a girl. Plus we separate from our moms a bit more, and part of that can be giving her your worst self, instead of your best.
In the end, though, Mom may have been right to encourage more smiles…because even if your expression doesn’t match your mood, it can lift you up a bit.
Elise Daly Parker - Our Stories, God's Glory
Now it's your turn!
Do you ever say anything to your kids that your mom used to say to you…and you NEVER thought you would? Tell us in the comments and you will be entered to win a copy of Everyday Confetti by Karen Ehman and Glynnis Whitwer. It's a year-round guide to celebrating holidays, special occasions, and yes, even mothers!