Things Parents Say

Things Parents Say

Last night was one of those nights that all parents relate to. We ate dinner as a family, cleaned-up, brushed teeth, made bottles, changed diapers, put pajamas on, read the story of Esther, said our prayers and turned out the lights—X 6 children. Exhausted, I headed downstairs to make a cup of coffee and spend a few minutes of quality time with my beautiful bride.

That’s when it happened.

It usually starts subtly, with faint giggling and snickering, and it quickly escalates to the rapid cadence of little feet darting across the second floor, the sound of running water and the light rustling of Legos.  Some nights I have more patience and will walk back upstairs to “strongly encourage” my children to get some rest. However, last night was NOT one of those nights, and that’s when the words, at great volume, came out of my mouth, “Go to bed—NOW!” and my personal favorite, “Do NOT make me come up there!” And I realized, as I had feared all along, that I had turned into my mother!  Nooooooooooo!

I wonder, from time to time, what it was like for Mary and Joseph to parent Jesus? Do you think they need to ask Jesus to clean his room? Eat his vegetables? Stop teasing James? I can just hear James now, “…Moooooom—Daaaaaaaad, Jesus keeps on turning the toilet water into wine!”

So, this is what I would love. Please take a minute to write down, in the comments section below, a “parent saying” that your parents said to you when you were a kid? And, if you have used those words on your kids?