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Mother's Day mom-isms
Oh, moms. They have something insightful to say about everything – always ready with a warning/threat or sage advice for wayward children. The older generation of moms seemed to be more threatening and creative with their lines. "Don't touch the furnace or it'll blow up!" or "If you don't eat your vegetables you'll get scurvy and a big wind will come and blow you away!" Whatever it was that you were doing, it usually ended in dire predictions of your ultimate demise. Moms today tend to threaten with time outs instead.
But there are some common mom-isms – and old favorites that moms have adopted – that will continue to be passed on. Since Mother's Day is this month, we'd like to share a selection of mom's favorite pieces of advice – some true, some not-so-true, and some wacky.
- An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
Turns out this might actually be true. Apples are low in calories and high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. As long as you eat the whole apple, skin and all (it contains most of the fiber and antioxidants), an apple a day might help to lower your cholesterol and keep your lungs healthy.
- No swimming for an hour after you eat.
Supposedly, swimming on a full stomach is believed to cause cramps and, of course, death by drowning. But, according to a debunking article in The New York Times, that's not actually true. For those of us who aren't Olympic swimmers, getting in the water after a meal most likely won't do any damage.
- Feed a cold, starve a fever. Or, starve a cold, feed a fever.
Both ways have been bandied about for years. But The New York Times has once again debunked this old saying too, having found little scientific support. Plus, starving is never a good idea.
- A penny saved is a penny earned.
Okay, this is actually a Ben Franklin-ism, but a good one to use on kids who don't value the almighty penny. Or any change, for that matter. Most of the money we make as kids is free money, and even a few coins here and there can add up. If kids know their pennies could some day amount to new toys, they'll probably collect them like gold.
- Finish your dinner – there are starving children in Africa.
This is the classic guilt trip. I don't know if this really gets picky kids to eat their vegetables, but it still sometimes crosses my mind today when I'm about to be wasteful with food. It's at least a good attempt to put things in perspective.
- I hope you're wearing clean underwear in case you get hit by a bus.
My grandmother said this to her kids and my mom STILL says it to me now, as an adult. The purpose is to scare kids into proper hygiene, but really it's about not embarrassing the mom.
What are your favorite mom-isms you use on your kids, or that your mom used on you?