"Because I Said So" and Other Mom-isms....by Carol Ross and Amy Vastine


We love you, Mom!

This one's for you, Mom.
We’re talking to all of you moms out there. Everyone knows there’s no relationship as special, no bond as strong as that between a mother and child. And it wouldn’t be Mother’s Day without a touching tribute to her, right? Sweet. And tempting. 
Because I love you, that's why.
But Amy and I figured there’d be a lot of those floating around right now. Instead, what we’re interested in here today is the sharing of some of our favorite Mom wisdom. Thoughtful snippets of advice moms are able to dispense in order to solve the larger-than-life problems that plague childhood. 
Look both ways before you cross!
Or those quick-draw phrases used to defuse a fight, calm frazzled nerves, ease the hurt, generate a smile, or ward off tears.  Some are universal, others may be specific to your mom. 
Do you want me to give you something to cry about?
But any way you turn the phrase, you can see the profundity, the brilliance, the downright genius in the meaning behind it. You know, mom-isms.
Here are a few of our favorites:
Because I said so.
If you can bend it, it’s not broken.
I don’t care who started it, I’m going to finish it.
Well, don’t do that if it hurts.
I’ll give you something to cry about.
No, I don’t know where your _____ is. I didn’t wear it last.
Go ask your dad.
What would your grandmother/grandfather think?
Put it back where you found it.
Exactly which day was it that I woke up stupid?
Back in my day …
Hi, Hungry. I’m Mom.
You’re right, I was never thirteen. I have no idea what it’s like.
I love you more.

But, Mom, she keeps touching me!

We want to hear your favorite mom-isms! Maybe these expressions were used in Mom’s not-so-finest moments (or yours) or maybe they were true words of wisdom you live by to this day. What mom-ism do you associate with your mom? Or perhaps you’re brave enough to share a mom-ism you used, or use still, with your children? To celebrate Mom's special day we're each giving away a copy our book that we think best celebrate moms, Catch a Fallen Star by Amy Vastine and If Not for a Bee by Carol Ross.




Leave a comment here to enter: One winner will receive both copies, Catch a Fallen Star and If Not for a Bee. Winner announced right back here on Mother’s Day.

Happy Mother’s Day!

For more information about Amy Vastine and Carol Ross, including a list of all their books, please visit their websites:





Comments

  1. "Because I Said So." I loved that movie! Great post, ladies. Growing up, I remember my mother always saying, "Don't wish your life away." I never understood what she meant until I was older and the years started to go by in a flash.

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    1. So true, Jill. I tell my kids all the time to enjoy every second of being a kid because you only get to be one for such a short time! Why do we all want to grow up so fast?

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    1. Hope you have a fabulous Mother's Day, Liz!!

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  3. Fantastic post, Carol and Amy! Sadly, I lost my mother at a young age and I can't remember any of her momisms. I enjoyed reading your list though, and I love the pictures!

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    1. I'm so sorry for your loss, Kate. Hopefully, you had some other wonderful women in your life after she was gone. I think Mother's Day is a great time to celebrate all the women out there who nurture and love us!

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  4. Some great mom-isms here, Amy and Carol, and "I don't care who started it.." took me right back to my childhood. BTW, it was always my brother. I'd have to ask my daughters if they can recall any, but they're at work! They might say "don't be late" or "call if you can't get a ride" as worrying was my thing. Thanks for the fun start to my day and the memories.

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  5. Oh yes, I've heard those momisms many times, and I've used them many times on my boys too. LOL. Love the post, Amy and Carol!

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    1. Thanks, Stephanie! I laugh at myself when I hear my mother's words coming out of my mouth. How did that happen??

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  6. I think 'Because I said so' is a classic. Every Mom has said those words! Happy Mother's Day!

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    1. For sure, Tara! That's one of my favorites. Happy Mom's Day to you.

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  7. My mom is the same as the mom in "Because I Said So". While that's annoying at times, it's also great because I know she always has my back no matter what. Happy Mother's Day ladies!

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    1. Lol, Amanda! My mom, too. Hope you have a fabulous Mom's Day, too!

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  8. "Would you jump off a cliff if your friends did it?" that's gotta be my favorite.

    you two are awesome. that is all. thanks for this trip down memory lane, ladies. <3

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    1. Thank you for this, Jo. I can't believe I forgot to add it. My mom said this all the time, Lol! Love it.

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  9. My favorite would be on my Christmas presents my Mom would label them "Babe". And she'd call me that sometimes too.

    Marcie R

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    1. Marcie, I love this. So sweet. Happy Mother's Day!

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  10. As an adult in my 30s, I had to make some tough and painful decisions, and at one point my mother said, "Remember, you're young and life is long." Even though we both knew no one is guaranteed long life, there was a note of encouragement that was her way of reminding me that I had a future. I sure needed that! It comes back to me often--even decades later. Thanks for the post.

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    1. Virginia, thank you for sharing this. Your mom sounds like a wise woman. I think that's a good reminder for us all. I may have to borrow this to share with the young people in my life.

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  11. Eat two bites (of something you say you don't like). I love your list. I've heard all these comments, and said most of them. Happy Mother's Day.

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    1. Beth, yes! My mom was big on making us try EVERYTHING. Which I think is fair. She never made us eat (much) stuff we didn't like, thankfully. Happy Mother's Day to you!

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  12. My favorite here was the ducklings looking at the mom, "But she's always touching me." I hear that from my 1-10 year old FOUR grand nieces. "Keep your hands to yourself!" was also my mother's big one, because my brothers were always trying to tickle me and my sister. Grr. Hated that. For the record, I think my mother used all those Mom-isms and more, but with a smooth Southern drawl as she was from Alabama/Florida. Happy Mother's Day to all!

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    1. Thanks, Catherine. I love that photo, too. And my mom used that one a lot, too! I hear my sisters say it to their kids now. So funny.

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  13. My mom always told me "A watched pot never boils". I was a daddy's girl and would go stand at the door at 5:00 because I knew soon he'd be home. She said it, but she never made me move. I'm glad. I wish I could go stand at the door waiting for him now.

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    1. Pam, this is such a wonderful and sweet story. I bet you never hear that expression without thinking about your parents.

      ps...I wish I could still wait for my dad, too.

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  14. When my mom got too quiet, rather than say something, that was a bad sign. And, of course, the one raised eyebrow. I now love the Subaru commercial in which various parents tell a kid "you're not taking that." All said in differing tones. The last one gives permission to take the car because, after all, a Subaru is safe. It's so cute.

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    1. Leigh, this is so good! Yes, that mom silence could be the worst. I adore that commercial! I get a little choked up watching it.

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  15. OMG, I'm laughing at the "I'll give you something to cry about." That was my mom's go to line, LOL. Thanks for a great post, ladies (as always!). <3

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    1. Mine, too, Anna! My mom wasn't exactly one of those overly sympathetic type of mothers, Lol. But I have to admit, it did make us pretty tough.

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  16. I'm sitting here laughing. A lot of these I have heard when I was young, and used when my kids were smaller. I think, though, my favorite (from both Mom and me) is "Do you want me to turn this car around?" My younger brothers would always shut up as soon as that was said. And, my kids did too. Especially if I used "Mom Voice"! LOL

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    1. Sherri, so funny! This was a favorite of my mom's as well. (And it worked!) I love how these expressions get handed down from one generation to the next. The "Mom voice" and the "Mom look" can both speak volumes.

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  17. My mother was from Oklahoma and constantly used phrases that her Arizona-raised daughters found hilarious. Whenever we would protest our innocence over something she thought we'd done, she'd just shake her head and say, "A hit dog always hollers." She had many more.

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    1. Patricia, my grandma had a ton of these types of expressions, too. Like "It's colder in here than a well-diggers lunch bucket in the middle of February." Some of them I never quite understood the meaning of, although I knew why she used it. As I've gotten older I'll remember one occasionally and then google to see where it originated.

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  18. Enjoy every minute for you can not get it back once it's gone. Thank you

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    1. Wendy, this is a great one. And so true. It's crazy how time flies as we get older. My mom used to caution me about living in the moment as well. Sometimes, I wish I would have listened a little better and not worried quite so much about the things that don't really matter :)

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  19. Congratulations, Wendy Rodriquez! You are the winner of our giveaway. Please contact me at this email address: carol@carolrossauthor.com Please include your mailing address and we'll get your books sent to you. Happy Mother's Day to you and to all our readers!

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