Some things I've learned...

You always hear people saying, "Kids say the darndest things!" And I have had some experience with that myself in my life like the time I was about 6 my mom and I are going to pick up my Grandparents and I tell them "My mom says your so cheap!" After my mom turned her normal shade of pleasantly pink, she scolded me and gave me a lesson on not repeating things I hear. She also learned her lesson on what NOT to say while I was listening.

So I say things I should not say ALL the time in front of my kids, or say things that other parents might "frown" upon. I use scare tactics to hopefully keep them away from harm like the time we saw road kill and I told Hannah that if she ever crossed the street without looking both ways that is exactly what would happen to her. Or the time she ran away from me in a store and I told her that someone would take her, do things to her she would not like and she would never see her family again! Whatever don't judge. I always turned my nose up at the nay sayers and kept on running my mouth around my lil ones. Well I always tease my kids about physical pain that I will inflict on them if they don't obey such as; "If you don't clean up I just might have to beat you silly", or "Oh my gosh your not listening to me, I'm gonna have to sock you in the belly."

So it finally came back to me... (da da dunnnnnn) My neighbor came over today to say hello and she asked us what we were doing. Hannah replied that if she did not clean her mess I was going to beat her silly! "Um, let me explain what she means. I always tell her... Oh crap this is not going to sound good either way so I'll just be honest, I don't beat my kids!"

I always just thought that my kids ignore me when I speak, you know like the teacher on Charlie Brown? Wa-wa-waaaaaa Or like I speak a different language, "Do you hear the words that are comin' outta my mouth!?" And of all the things she chooses to repeat she picked that! She also tells her friends that she will sock them in the belly if they don't share. hahaha Oops!

Well just when I was feeling like I deserved the big mouth mother of the year award she says to me tonight, "Mommy when I look into your beautiful eyes I see the best mommy in the whole wide world." Melt my heart why don't ya kid!? I do praise my kids so much, tell them how amazing they are and how much I love them and I guess it is shinning through in Hannah. I may not be the most tactful momma, but I sure do feel like I'm doing something right.

So what I've learned is, definitely watch what you say to your impressionable little ones, joking or not. And second, they are ALWAYS listening, even if it's just long enough to hear the good stuff.