What's One Of The Dumbest Things One Or Both Of Your Parents Ever Said to You?
By pyewacket
@pyewacket (43903)
United States
October 3, 2007 7:51pm CST
Here's a trip down memory lane. I don't know why this suddenly popped in my head but it did. I was just reflecting back on some of the dumb things my mother and/or grandmother said to me while growing up..The one thing that really sticks in my mind is this gem.
Okay..the scenario..I was a top honors student throughout my school life--the classic geek..LOL I was always on the Arista/Honor societies and dean's list for excellence in my studies. Well, as I got older and approaching my "dating" years, my mother came out with this one, she said.
"Boys don't like girls that are smarter than them, so you're going to have to play down your intellegence."
Say what?
I thought THAT was dumb. Ironically, my geeky, Arista/honor society girlfriends must have heard the same thing, cause if a member of the opposite gender suddenly was in view, they suddenly acted as if they had an IQ of 2...Would act really dumb, silly and "girlie" just to impress the guys..The thing is,..it worked for them..they got the boyfriends while I sat home twittling my thumbs and being jealous as hell...BUT..I refused to submit to this stupidity of trying to catch a guy by acting dumb and stupid...It just wasn't me...and I STILL refuse to do so. I just thought it was beneath my dignity--I've never been THAT desperateLOL
So how about it? What dumb thing did your parents ever tell you as a kid, could be anything..even a weird superstition of some kind
13 people like this
26 responses
@starrywonder (625)
• United States
4 Oct 07
my parents said so many things to me that were dumb that it is to many to even list. one that i remember though is my dad said pigs dont fly. i was about 8 and had an imagination. i told him i knew pigs could fly! id seen it on tv.
4 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
4 Oct 07
Bet you're referring to that Disney movie "Dimbo" right?
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
5 Oct 07
I love that movie too...LOL--I even cry when he's taken away from his mom.. :(
@gmakesmoney (2923)
• United States
5 Oct 07
LoL, it's Dumbo and he was an elephant. Aww.. loved that movie.
@irishmist (3814)
• United States
4 Oct 07
I am glad you are your own person, and knew what you wanted.
Parents say many stupid things lol. I hve even said a few things in my life.
So many stupid sayings come to mind here lol. Ok here are a few.
Don't come crying to me when you get hit in traffic.
If you don't behave. The Boogie man will get you!
Never swallow chewing gum, or a blob will grow in your tummy.
These are just a few, and I could go on and on about this.
I find myself making up new ones for my grandkids as well lol.
And it is kinda fun, but I would never mess with something serious. It is funny though. All the sayings out there .
3 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
4 Oct 07
Oh how about another winner...always wear clean underwear in case you're in an accident--like what?? If one is in an accident one is most likely to soil their underwear anyway..LOL
2 people like this
@gmakesmoney (2923)
• United States
5 Oct 07
Those are too funny. Having worked in an ER for years I can say the clean underwear one is 100% true, ER staff can be heartless at times and even if you arrive DOA will laugh about your underwear or BO. I saw it with nearly every patient at both hospitals. Hate to say it but parents were right about that one!
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
5 Oct 07
Lots of times us "girls" can do better than the boys...LOL--Good for you!
1 person likes this
@Grandmaof2 (7579)
• Canada
4 Oct 07
This was my dumbest. I don't know how well you know Canada, but I was born in Saskatchewan Canada. My dad was a grain farmer, when things got bad financially we moved to British Columbia Canada. There my dad went to work as a mechanic and I was 12 years old. British Columbia was and still is a very beautiful place and we were living in a part of B.C. that was known for fruit farming. We had all the fresh fruit we could eat but naturally I was missing home and my friends and although the teacher didn't mean any harm she one day asked me why the long face and I told her the truth, "I miss my grandma & grandpa and my friends back home." The teachers reply was: "Oh I think you're just a Saskatchewan prairie chicken." I took offense to that and being very innocent and very nieve, I had NO idea of what I really said but my answer was: " Well I'd rather be a Saskatchewan Prarie Chicken then a B.C. fruit."
I was punished and I never did know why, it was just one of those things that was never explained. Take Care my friend.
3 people like this
@Grandmaof2 (7579)
• Canada
4 Oct 07
So sorry I forgot to add the dumbest thing here was Not what my parents said but rather, the dumb thing was they didn't even try to talk to me about what I said. To me that's dumb. I believe if you're going to punish your kids 100% but let them aware why so they can remedy the problem.
3 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
5 Oct 07
Hehehe---well I'm glad you stood up to your teacher...even though it meant you're being punished--but you're right, a child should be told why they're being punished and what they did wrong, rather than just being punished with no explanation
1 person likes this
@PurpleTeddyBear (6685)
• Canada
4 Oct 07
Hi pye,
One of the dumbest things my parents said to me would have to be "If your not good bad Santa is going to come and only leave you a lump of coal or $h!t in your stocking!" I heard this at 13 and I knew their was no Santa at 8. It's not like I had a younger sibling that I had to "play along" for either! I could have sworn they were joking, but they made it apparent that they weren't.
Love & Hugzz, Your Friend, PurpleTeddyBear!
3 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
5 Oct 07
Aww--that wasn't nice of your parents...wow, what a bunch of meanies..hehee
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (47312)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
4 Oct 07
Never buy shoes for someone else because it's an invitation for them to walk out of your life... this from my dad.
3 people like this
@Darkwing (21583)
•
19 Oct 07
Well, I can think of only one really. I was a bit of a tomboy in my childhood days and there was a big group of both boys and girls who used to play in the street. At the end of the street was a field of maize, which was fenced with barbed wire, but you could stand on the garden wall next to the fence, tread on the fence whilst hanging onto an overhanging tree branch, swing, and drop into the field on the other side, between bushes! lol. My Dad came over one day and told me to stop climbing. Of course, I didn't want to, because everybody else was doing it. I said "Oh, but Dad, we do this all the time. I'll be ok." He was obviously a bit disgruntled, and turned to me and said, "Ok, I've warned you...just don't come running to me when you break your leg!"
Well, that was it, we all gave each other than knowing look and when my Dad was out of earshot, we all let out a Pfffffffft, and burst out laughing. The funny part was, my Dad hadn't even realised what he'd said, but the kids had. We were only about nine at the time. ha ha ha.
Nice, nostalgic discussion my friend. Thank you for reminding me about my lovely Dad. Brightest Blessings. x
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
21 Oct 07
Oh that is funny...I guess our parents don't realize how dumb the things really sound that they say--thanks for the laugh here! :)
@GnosticGoddess (5626)
• United States
4 Oct 07
LOL - I think you were right in this. I don't think anyone should pretend to be something or someone they're not for anyone. All you'll end up doing is either pretending your entire life or misleading the other person and wasting their time if they don't like the 'real' you.
So I've been giving this some thought since last night when I first read the discussion. The first thing that pops into my head and I can't think of anything better was when my mom told me "If he loves you he will wait until you're married. Your daddy did.". Okay...I bought it at first. Then I started putting two and two together - I was born in September the year my parents turned 16. They had gotten married right between their birthdays in February - mom actually was 15 cause her birthday was the day after they married. Now does THAT add up? LOL - not even close as I was NOT premature. AND what other real purpose would they have had for getting married so young if they hadn't been pregnant?! Needless to say this didn't take me very long to figure out. She would have been better with just telling me the truth. I suppose she was just trying to keep me from getting pregnant that young too - yeah I was 16 instead of 15.
2 people like this
@GnosticGoddess (5626)
• United States
7 Oct 07
Yeah I understand the reasoning behind it but I was the type of kid that it was just better to tell me the truth. I was one of the things that made me say "I want to tell my kids the truth and let them make their own choices based on my experiences". But I'm a learn from others kind of person too.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
7 Oct 07
I think often parents will say things like your mom did so maybe you don't do the same thing she did...it's sort of a protective thing I think, not to repeat the same pattern..
2 people like this
@recycledgoth (9894)
•
5 Oct 07
My mother used to say "This will hurt me more than it will hurt you" just before she smacked me. I never could figure that one out, it hurt me like hell.
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
4 Oct 07
Well, after I got out of college my parents were concerned that I didn't have enough friends. They suggested that if I wanted to make friends I could learn to play bridge.
Now, nothing against bridge in general, but you must understand, I "caddyed" for some bridge tournaments, my dad was a "Life Master", and I knew that the Bridge Studio was a smokey place where it seemed like EVERYONE smoked.
And, last but certainly not least, the ONLY thing my parents EVER fought about was bridge!
So, I thought that the suggestion, while well meaning, was really dumb!
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
5 Oct 07
Yeesh...there are so many more things a person can learn or do than bridge to make friends, right?
1 person likes this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
4 Oct 07
LOL, I can't think of a thing my parents told me that was dumb, pyewacket, but thinking back to those same years I can remember them saying, "Boys don't respect fast girls." That might have been true to some extent, but the fast girls were the ones who got most of the dates and were the most popular. I learned early on to sort of straddle the fence and just be myself.
3 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
5 Oct 07
That's silly when you thing of it...Boys may not respect fast girls, but they sure do like them...a contradiction, wouldn't you say? LOL
1 person likes this
@4mymak (1793)
• Malaysia
4 Oct 07
superstitions.. we have lots of those where i come from...
one that tickled me :-
"(Single)Girls must not sing in kitchen (while cooking) or you'll end up marrying an OLD man..."
Truth is... the old folks just wanted girls to concentrate on their chores (cooking), or they might get the food burnt.
one that scared me :-
"You should not cut your (finger)nails at night... someone might die ??!" (:o)
Truth is... in the old days - where there was still no electricity, and no proper nail-cutter.. you can easily cut yourself cutting your nails using blades, in the dark (they only had oil-lamps)...
when we were little.. we just believed - didnt even question, but as we got older - our parents start to tell 'the truth' behind these superstitions...
amusing, dont you think ? :D
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
5 Oct 07
Oh thank you for telling me these..I got a good laugh out of them.. :)
1 person likes this
@Perspectives (7131)
• Canada
4 Oct 07
I don't know if it was dumb or not...but it sure seemed that way to me. When people used to ask me what I wanted to be or be when I grew up I always had the same answer from as far back as I can remember.."I want to have enough time and money to create...and do good for others." In my mind it was sensible and simple.
However, my father a stubborn, pragmatic Scot used to rant and rave and practically pop a blood vessel every time I said it..particularly after I got older and closer to finishing my education. He would yell and appear and sound really stupid to me as he shouted, "What the he%l is the matter with you...what the 'blankety blank' is CREATE...you have to smarten up and think about getting a real job..one that will pay you a lot of money." I used to stare at him and think he was a 'dumb' old man who had no idea that his world view was skewed..and as long as I was doing what I believed was my purpose I would always be provided for...and by and large that has proven to be the case.
So Pops...I hope you are looking down...or up (lol) from the great beyond and realizing that I still think your views are a little dumb...but I am happy and OK now...so...here's looking at ya! Cheers!
So that is my dumbest thing story...I am sure you will get a lot of good stories on this one..I'll be back to laugh and read them.
Raia
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
5 Oct 07
Hah--just about another thing I can relate to with you....My folks, my mother in particular wanted me to be "practical" and have a REAL profession. Being the science geek that I was, they wanted me to be a female Einstein but my heart was in the arts...I was a Drama major, which in their eyes was a low as you could get..they wanted me to at least be a practical major, and when I went to college the three biggies were psychology, political science and English majors...like you know how many English majors there are? LOL
1 person likes this
@Perspectives (7131)
• Canada
4 Oct 07
Oh I guess we could add a few 'old country' superstitions such as:
"Don't put new shoes on the bed...it will bring bad luck."
"Don't cross anyone on the stairs or you will have a fight."
"If you spill salt throw some over your LEFT shoulder to avoid something bad."
That is all I can think of right now...but if I remember others I will add them. Fun, silly and entertaining post. Thanks!
Raia
3 people like this
@thefortunes (2367)
• Netherlands
4 Oct 07
Well, believe it or not Pye, there are several things that I was told when still youngster, and I'd rather not tell these in here. Most of these were not things that I would tell a child of mine if I had any, so, I simply cannot go open with these, as I would be ashamed ;)
TheFortunes
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
5 Oct 07
That bad, huh? Must have been real winners..NOT
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
18 Oct 07
Now that really is a silly thing to say...I didn't hear this gem from my parents, but did hear it...that if you ate any kind of seeds that plants will grow in your stomach...LOL
@pmcdee (271)
•
18 Oct 07
My mum once thought that the bobbles on our car keys might be braille, she didn't see a problem in this until i kindly let her know that blind people generally don't drive. We eventually decided it was far likelier that it was so you knew where to press in the dark.
1 person likes this
@seagoddess28 (873)
• Canada
7 Oct 07
I've always dreamed of becoming a doctor, to follow my grandfather's footsteps. Anyway, after high school graduation my father told me that he was not even planning to pay for my university education at all--because I'm only a girl and would end up getting married and wasting his money. The clincher was my mother chiming in that I can't be a doctor anyway because I am a girl. Sad.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
18 Oct 07
That's the worse, when parents tell you you can't do something because of the attitude you're only a girl..did you ever go to a university after all or not??
@eden32 (3973)
• United States
5 Oct 07
My mother would ask me if I wanted to be punished/spanked/slapped. But worse that just asking, she would expect me to answer her. There is no right answer. "No mom I don't want you to spank me" would lead to "well you'd deserve it if I did". And a sarcastic "yes mom, please beat the daylights out of me" would result in being grounded for a week.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
18 Oct 07
Sounded like a real no win situation there...like gee, she was giving you such a nice choice of being punished/spanked or slapped..like duh?
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
11 Oct 07
the stupidest thing?hmm..
"women should stay at home.what do you need a career for after you're married" (out of mom's mouth).
there's so many things wrong with that sentence (not to mention assuming),i don't even know where to start.
if i depended on somebody else to support me,i'd be living on the street by now.
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
30 Oct 07
no doubt.i remember she was telling me once her father sent both brothers to college.when she asked to go,he said "education is wasted on a woman".
my mouth hit the floor.not thinking too greatly about ol' grandpa right now..:(
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
18 Oct 07
I guess your mom and mine came from the generation where the only "option" was to be barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen all the time....there really weren't many options in their day anyway..just to get married and be housewives..I mean how many "career" choices were there? Not many
1 person likes this
@kiobug (2250)
• United States
5 Oct 07
My mother still tells me "its all in my head" when I tell her I dont feel good or something that is specifically wrong. Or she will say, "well lets watch it for a few days, if it doesnt go away we will go to the doctor." Once I had a toe infection for a whole summer. Three months of Epsom Salt and flip flops. I ended up having a procedure where they cut your nail out. As a result, supposively when you have infections for an extended period of time on certain areas of the body it can damage the lining in your bladder so after that ordeal I went through a few months of not being able to "hold it" for very long. I basically had to retrain myself to "hold it".
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
18 Oct 07
Yeesh...that's horrible...yes if one has an infection for too long it can run throughout ones system--did you do an "I told you so?' to your mother--hope you did!
