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October 7, 2006
Mommy is always right.
But please don't tell her.
I cannot begin to tell you how many conversations between my sisters and me have started with the phrase, "Don't tell Mommy, but . . ." I don't know why we bother. She has always had a knack for figuring out whatever it was that we weren't telling her anyway. One time, when my brother-in-law was going to have surgery, my sister didn't tell my mother because she didn't want to worry her. At two a.m. the night before the surgery, my mother had a dream that something was wrong, called my sister and demanded to know what was happening.
See? There's no point. Plus, she's always right although sometimes it takes decades for her to prove it.
For instance, she breastfed us. I am old enough that it was most definitely NOT the thing to do. It was considered backwards, ignorant and dirty. Still, my mother insisted that it was as nature intended and she was going to do it. So now, decades later, science seems to back my mother up with claims of how good breastmilk is for infants. Go figure.
Then there was the seatbelt thing. My family bought a station wagon when I was four or five. My mother insisted that the dealership install three seatbelts in the backseat. The mechanics made fun of her and ridiculed my father for going along with her. She insisted anyway. Now, four decades later, who amongst us would put their kids in the backseat of a station wagon and NOT belt them in? We wouldn't dream of it.
Now, it's squirrels. My mother instilled a fear of squirrels in us at a very young age. They all had rabies and if we got too close, they would try to bite us. For years, I would cross the street rather than walk past a squirrel. Yes. I have been ridiculed about this by many people many times, but once again it appears my mother was right! Right here in northern California there are VICIOUS ATTACK SQUIRRELS !!!!
(As an aside, I have to say that I really wanted the attack squirrel story to be funny when I first heard about it. Unfortunately, like the story about the guy in Petaluma who got arrested for DUI while driving a golf cart, it ended with a kid getting hurt and therefore was not funny.)
So what did your mother tell you that you didn't believe that turned out to be true? Or vice versa. Did your mother have you convinced about something that turned out to be totally bogus?
Posted by Eileen at 7:00 AM | Comments (13)
Comments
I wanted to get my ears double-pierced, and my mom wouldn’t let me. She said I’d regret it when I got older . . . and, to my shock, she was right. Who’d have thought???
Beware of those attack squirrels, Eileen!
Posted by: Whitney ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.literarychicks.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at October 7, 2006 11:59 AM
My mother kept our house free of soda, white bread, and processed snack food because she said it was terrible for our health. She also insisted I eat eggs for breakfast a few times per week because "they're so good for you."
I went through a rebellious stage in high school/college where I was all about the junk food, but now that I'm an adult, I toe the line with organics and whole grains because it turns out mom was right. I still won't eat eggs, though. (Although I do feed some to my dogs twice a week because eggs really are great for skin/coat/immune system. I'm such a hypocrite!)
Posted by: Beth at October 7, 2006 2:24 PM
My mom got used to drinking water whenever I was thirsty instead of soda, juice, milk or anything else. I'm one of those weird people who like it room temp. To this day water is my drink of choice and at 41 years of age, I am wrinkle free!
Posted by: Janina at October 7, 2006 5:26 PM
"Someday you will have a child who is JUST LIKE YOU" my mother said ominously from my bedroom door one afternoon. I still remember looking at her, make that glaring, and thinking that it would be a relief to have a child just like ME, rather than one just like HER.
My oldest daughter IS just like me, and funny enough, I've turned into my mother.
Posted by: laurenjharwood at October 8, 2006 11:20 AM
My mom always said, "never leave home without a good book." She could whip out a paperback at a moments notice.
non LC Eileen
Posted by: Eileen at October 8, 2006 7:25 PM
Lauren,
My sympathies! My mother said the same thing to all of us and we were all cursed. And, yes, we can all morph into her at a second's notice.
LC Eileen
Posted by: Eileen at October 9, 2006 12:13 AM
Whitney,
Why do you regret the double piercing? I've been meaning to add one more hole to one ear so tell me quick what the drawbacks are!
LC Eileen
Posted by: Eileen at October 9, 2006 12:16 AM
Well, my mother did curse me with saying the kids would someday be just like me. She also said the Pope was always right, and that if I kept screwing up my face, I'd eventually get stuck that way forever.
Hey, one out of three t'aint bad...
Posted by: DD at October 9, 2006 12:24 AM
My mom would point to the numerous grease spots in the grocery store parking lot and tell my brother and me that those grease spots were little kids that got run over because they failed to look both ways before crossing the street.
It was an interesting way to approach the 'Look both ways before crossing the street' lesson. It worked pretty well too. I was suitably appalled to see how many children had met their doom in the Safeway parking lot and was forever diligent about looking for cars in parking lots and before crossing the street.
Posted by: Catsmeow at October 9, 2006 12:09 PM
My mom was famous for telling me to read with the light on or I would have to wear glasses. Also not to sit too close to the TV. Well, I didn't listen to her and have worn glasses now since I was in 5th grade! As for children that are like me? Yep--I even called my mom one day and said "You know how you always said you hoped I would have a child just like me? Well, you got your wish!!"! She's still chuckling over that one! And yes, I have turned into my mother also--just the other day I had to tell DD#2 to go sit at the kitchen table where the light was to do her homework or she would be wearing glasses....!!
Oh--what about the famous "Finish those brussel sprouts (or whatever nasty vegetable she had served up for my daily torture)! Why, there are starving children in China that would LOVE to have those for dinner!" My mumbled response (NEVER for her ears, of course!) was "Fine, I'll pack them right up and send them to them with my blessings!"! I don't think the "starving children in China" wanted my brussel sprouts then nor do I think they want them now...
Posted by: Sheri at October 9, 2006 9:09 PM
My mother used to tell me that I had to eat my pilchards in tomato sauce because they would put hairs on my chest.
I didn't realize at the time that "put hairs on my chest" really meant that "I'd grow up big and strong," but to this day I cannot eat pilchards in tomato sauce, just in case of the, you know, hairy chest thing :-)
Posted by: Michelle C at October 10, 2006 9:20 AM
Um, Michelle? What's a pilchard?
Posted by: Janina at October 10, 2006 1:57 PM
Janina, a pilchard is fish related to the herring family (it taskes kind of like sardines, which are part of the same family).
It's a European fish (just looked it up), sorry to confuse! :-)
Posted by: Michelle C at October 15, 2006 11:50 AM
