Classic mum sayings that have stood the test of time.

When I was a teenager and my mother used to say phrases to me, usually nagging and I always said to myself that I would never, ever say the same things to my children. hahaha That didn't last long. The phrases my mum used to say to me have stood the test of time and when my girls were little I said them and I still say many of the phrases now! 

Because I said so, that's why!

I say this all of the time when I want to end an argument or I don't really have an answer for why I don't want them to have or do something!

Don’t say “what”, say “pardon”.

And usually they look at me blankly and say "what".

If your friends jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?

Ellie always says she probably would and I can probably believe it!

I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times.

Yep, I use this all of the time, still. One day the things that I am telling my girls will sink in and I will feel like they actually listen to me.

I want never gets.

And usually they reply with "but please", at least my girls have manners when they really want something.

Money doesn't grow on trees.

Now that Becky is working she understands this, I am sure Ellie still thinks I have a money tree hidden away somewhere.

I don’t care who started it.

I use this at least once a day, my girls always bicker and I really don't care who started it, it ends now! Of course they argue back trying to explain who started whatever the argument was about, trying to get me to take sides.

Go and ask your dad.

And he always says go and ask your mam. lol

Wait until your dad gets home.

I used to say this all of the time when the kids were being naughty, not that their dad coming home would make much difference, he was always the soft one who let them get away with much more than me.

I’ve got eyes in the back of my head.

I think for a long time my girls believed this, literally. lol

I’ll give you until the count of three.

I still don't know what would have happened if I got to three. The threat of getting to three was more than enough to get my girls to stop doing whatever they were doing or start doing what they needed to do. I still use the count of three now, I can't believe the magic of counting hasn't worn off.

One day you’ll have children and you’ll understand.

Won't they just! 

Call me when you arrive so I know you’ve got there safely.

Yes, my girls know to text me when they get to wherever they are going and to text on the way home.

Were you born in a barn?.

When they leave the door open, they look at me like I have lost the plot. 

It’ll all end in tears.

I say this all of the time, my girls like to do silly things which will all end in tears.

I don’t care what so and so’s parents do, I’m not so and so’s mam.

You can parent how you want to, I will parent how I want to. My girls still don't seem to understand that everyone's life is different and what works in one family/household might not work here.

You're not going out dressed like that.

I have definitely said this, not to Becky but to Ellie. She had an outfit on a few weeks ago, a skin tight matching crop top and leggings. It was showing too much skin and I felt so old saying that really isn't appropriate for college.

If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

I have always said this to my girls and sometimes their mouths do run away with them but they generally stay positive and say nothing if they don't have anything nice to say.

How can you say you don’t like it if you haven’t tried it?

I still say this to my girls especially if we are trying something new to eat. Becky refused to eat one of our Gousto meals a little while ago because she didn't like the sound of the name of the meal because it had too many words in. Give me strength!

Life isn't fair.

When my girls say "it's not fair" to anything I always say life isn't fair. Oops.

How many have you said to your children?