I’m having a really frustrating day. SPF/DCIM authentication is an evil torture, created to make people go nuts, and I’m sticking to that story.
I think I might be getting dumber. Braining seems to be more difficult, especially when it’s something that’s not in my typical wheelhouse. Or maybe it’s just the lack of sleep. My sleep patterns get messed up lately, so maybe caffeine is the answer.
When you are a teenager, your parents seem to have the most annoying habits. They get obsessed with weird things like proper way to do laundry or hang clothes, and they get seriously irritated over minor things. Sometimes they wildly exaggerate. “If you don’t stop wasting so much water, the septic system will overflow and we’ll have a flood. Then don’t come crying to me.” When you call them on it, they say things like, “You’ll get when you’re older.”
I’m now older. I get it.
Parental things I now think and sometimes say. Mostly I think them, because the constant barrage of muttering is not helpful to anyone, including me.
- Nobody is in this room. Why are the lights on? Why are the lights on in the pantry? Is there someone living in there?
- Who left the bedroom door open? You know the cat will get on the bed and cover it with hair.
- Why is the patio door open? I’ve closed the patio door three times today. This is the fourth time I’m closing it. Are we made of money? Do we absolutely have to have scorpions inside?
- Please don’t pile the mail on the dining room table. We have a mail table for that. Yes, I know I left my craft folder on the mail table and it’s out of place, but me misplacing my craft folder won’t land us in jail and incur fines. Missing IRS and Texas Workforce correspondence will.
I seem to be doing a lot of door closing lately. Our area does have mild weather with occasional spikes of emergency weather, and I fully understand that dogs need to pee and it’s nice to have fresh air, but the door really doesn’t need to be open 24/7. Also kitchen door doesn’t have the protection of the bug screen and therefore needs to stay closed unless I’m frying something in there.
And let me just point out that while I’m closing doors and grouching, my husband is treating me to witty commentary about all of this. But oh, if someone touches the thermostat, all the wit and Shakespeare quoting goes out the window and Gordon transforms into a dragon.
I think it’s because as adults, we come to value routines. We frequently have to do very boring things like taxes and domain authentications, and routines help to keep us on track.
Now it’s your turn. What parental habits you’ve picked up that you never would’ve anticipated as a teenager?
If you are too sick to go to school, you don’t need to go anywhere else. Rest up so you’re well enough for school tomorrow.
It was my mother’s mantra and I was shocked when those words came out of my mouth!
But I was so proud when my college daughter told me she wasn’t sure she could make it to her great uncle’s birthday party since she had been too sick to go to classes for the last two days. ok
I apparently tell the same story over and over. The only people who call me on it are my oldest son and my youngest granddaughter. My son says “mom. you told me.”. My granddaughter says the punchline before I get there.
I told them that at least I don’t talk to them in the morning and then call them in the afternoon and tell them everything they told me in the morning like it’s news. I expect I’ll do that when I’m 80 tho.
My wife and I don’t have children, but we definitely have each other.
Thoughts like “We’re you raised in a Barn?” are left unvoiced; I don’t have a death wish.
I try to control my craziness. I channel my father when I see lights left on in a room. I force myself to remember that we have LED bulbs that are a minimal drain. I turn them off and say nothing, proving that old dogs, etc.
Consider screens for the kitchen and patio doors. You may be heating the great outdoors, but the scorpions will stay put.
My mom used to say things like “it’s almost 6:30” at 6:10AM. It drove me nuts when I was a teenager. I’ve caught myself doing that when I want people to get moving…which undoubtedly was her intent.
Have you heard of pregnancy fog? I seems we get to go through this again around menopause. cut yourself som slack as brain sharpness is attached to our hormones, and that soup is affected by everything. Thang in there you are doing a great job with everything from raising your children to keeping hordes of us entertained.
My Dad would save old lumber, nails, and screws. As a teenager I was always like: OMG this stuff could never be used for anything…… why would you save nails, just get new ones…..you are never going to find a nut for that orphan screw, just toss it. Now, in my 50s, I am like: hmmmmm…. could make a bird house out of part of that. That nail is not so bent and saves me a trip to the hardware store. And I better save that screw (or nut) because I might just need it later.
My mother made a “Ahghrmf” sort of noise when a minor annoyance hit her day – stuff like the kitchen scissors are out of place and must be found ASAP. My grandmother made the same sort of noise for the minor annoyances in her day, and I know I make it and my sister makes it too. The other day I heard my 28 year old daughter make the same noise. So, is it genetic or learned behavior?
I personally find it comforting that that Mother and Grandmother live on in in their descendants.
The most sanity saving thing I’ve ever purchased are automatic switches for the bathrooms, laundry, and pantry. If the lights are on longer than one minute without movement, they switch off automatically! Additionally, it turns out it’s very handy to have the lights turn on automatically when your arms are full of laundry. Super easy to do and only takes about 10 mins after the first couple. I also put LED bulbs EVERYWHERE so it bugs me a lot less when other random lights are left on. I think the most parenty thing I do these days is just chant about the time and the value of arriving 5 minutes early, in case of traffic. “We’re late! We’re late! Let’s go!” *30 mins later* “Mom, why did you say we’re late? We’re exactly on time?” “Yes, well…we got very lucky with the lights, but we would have been late if we got stuck at the railroad crossing!” xD
It’s actually a habit my husband has that drives me nuts. The tv must always be on when we are home and not sleeping. Even if he’s out working on something in the garage it must be on. It can be on mute but not off. When I finally questioned him about it he simply stated that his mom always leaves the tv on. So I just let it go….
My most serious “I have become my mother gripe”…
I have just spent an hour and a half cooking dinner in an 85F+ kitchen.
I told everyone in the house what time said dinner would be ready.
I finish cooking on time as planned (woo me).
People are walking through the kitchen as I’m busy plating up.
And then I STILL have to call them to come eat, wait for everyone to wash their hands and get ready and very often hear the “oh, I’m not hungry right now, I’ll eat later” response because SOMEONE thought having a sandwich an hour before dinner time was a good idea.
And they wonder why women kill… (just joking… mostly… ;p)
Dishes in the sink do not bother me..as long as they are rinsed off. People putting goopy dishes in the dishwasher make me nuts. Also, after I clean the kitchen, and the solid BLACK granite countertops are gleaming, I want to bash anyone who spills food, water, coffee, leaves crumbs, etc, and leaves spots on the damn BLACK granite. Yes…I absolutely hate that color granite. And the way my husband shakes his hands after he washes them at the sink…spots everywhere. Do I yell? No. I just growl and reach for the kitchen towel.
This was my mom too. She hated a messy countertop too. Lol. Even while cooking she cleaned up any mess as she went along. Something I am still trying to get my hubby to do after 40 years of marriage. Never say die. Lol
Vacuuming, every other day, super neat folding of clothes- don’t iron but know how.
Keeping the thermostat down. Hello to the parental voices in my head! Lol
I totally agree with the common threads (both funny and frustrated) in others’ posts here. Sands through the hourglass, days of our lives… BDH as a community – we must all be getting older together.
I was very, very ill for a long time as a child, and my mother used to stay close when we went for walks along the cliffs above the oceans, especially on the days I wasn’t very steady… just in case.
These last few years, I take her for walks in the fresh ocean air during my visits. She’s older now, and her spine isn’t strong, and I catch myself holding back beside her… just in case.
Then this summer, my tall, strong teenaged son took me walking in the Orkneys, and as we neared the Old Man of Hoi – the wind was fierce, and my ankle gave a little. He caught me without even breaking his stride – and I suddenly realised he’d been staying close… just in case.
I feel strangely fortunate.
I complain all the time. Too many lights on, not replacing the toilet paper roll, no cap on the toothpaste. I’m aware. Still, I can’t stop myself. I also say things exactly the way my mom used to say them. “Clear with your left [hand]; hang with your right.”
My mom passed away in 2015. Sometimes I embrace the Velmaisms because I’m channeling her. It’s nice to have irrational moments that make you feel connected with the people who loved you most.
One other thing. My mom couldn’t abide people sitting around while she did housework. I did not understand this as a teenager. Now, it is so irksome to have people just hanging out when there is work to do. It doesn’t matter how much work they may have already completed. If I’m cleaning you need to clean with me.