Every year in October our school invites mothers to join us in class for the morning. As part of this tradition my class and in fact all the third graders write mommilies. Mommilies are things that mom always says. The students brainstorm for homework and then practice writing quotes in class. I always enjoy this activity. Lots of common sayings and idioms are listed, along with phrases unique to individual families. My own two children did this activity in third grade. Students pick their favorites from their lists, create final drafts and then a bulletin board is created in the hall outside our classroom.
The reaction of the moms is always mixed. Most laugh, some shake their heads, some disagree with their kids, while others try to explain. This activity is funny and sweet.
This year on the day I sent the brainstorming home I also posted a request on facebook for friends to share either mommilies they themselves use or mommilies their moms said. I listed several of my own personal mommilies. Things that my kids used when they had this assignment. Here are a few:
"I can only do 50 things at once and that is the 51st!"
"I don't really like you at the moment either."
"What is your father doing?"
"Am I embarrassing you? I don't mean to embarrass you."
A few I remember from my mom, mostly idioms, include:
"If wishes were fishes we'd all live in the sea."
"Mind your P's and Q's."
"Money doesn't grow on trees."
Here are the ones sent to me on facebook:
"No blood, no band-aid!" (from my mom.... Mine is "hurry scurry")
"There's no crying in ______" whatever we may be doing . .
"You don't HAVE to go to school, you GET to."
"You can want all you choose, but you still....(have to, can't etc.)"
"Oh, I'm sorry I wasn't asking if you wanted to, I'm TELLING you. . .!"
Once when Andrew was little and was driving me nuts asking for something and "why can't I do/have it? Huh, why, huh, why?" I got exasperated and said,"Because I'm a mean, horrible mother who must hate her children." He looked shocked and started to tell me how great I was instead of continuing the begging. That became our "mommily". Anytime we ... Read More didn't have time or patience to argue about something, it was, "because I'm a mean, horrible mother who hates her children" and I would get a hug or rolled eyes instead of fights.
And finally, some from my class this year:
"No MORE QUESTIONS!"
"Nobody can make you do anything."
"I'm leaving now, bye."
"Love others like I love you."
"Use your brain."
"Do you need love?"
"Turn off the lights. I don't own the power company."
"I'm not your slave/waitress." (There were multiple versions of this.)
"Only boring people get bored."
"You can wreck it for yourself, but you can't wreck it for all of us."
"Sing at the table, whistle in bed, along comes the chopper and chops off your head." (I just write them like I see them.)
"Use your OWN brain."
"NO! Do you have enough beans?"
"No bleeding, no broken, you're fine."
"How ya doing pickle?"
"If you don't do it your name is mud."
"The four B's: Bath, brush, books, bed."
"In you go Indigo."
"Hard is good."
"You know the drill."
"Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now!"
Mommilies just make me ponder and think. Many moms in my class seem to have the same reaction. What do I say when I'm on autopilot? What do I tell them so often that they don't even listen anymore? Do I sound just like my mother?
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