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What would my mother say?

(53 Posts)
kittylester Fri 17-Oct-25 11:23:33

Why do I always wonder what my mother would say everytime I take the rubbish to the bin through the front door rather than through the back door which would be much more 'appropriate'.

Does anyone have any more silly hang overs from their parents.

JamesandJon33 Fri 17-Oct-25 18:47:05

Thank youCrosstichfan I even felt guilty writing that .

Grannybags Fri 17-Oct-25 18:51:34

Oh yes waste not want not was how I was brought up!

Please is o’er late was another one of Mum’s if we forgot to say please or thankyou

Desdemona Fri 17-Oct-25 19:06:50

Mum is still here. In her nineties.

She thinks anyone who leaves washing on the line overnight is a slut.

I do it all the time haha!

Cabbie21 Fri 17-Oct-25 19:06:53

Mum often used to quote from the Bible, in the King James Version, “ I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content”.
I don’t think she meant one should accept an injustice without complaining. It was more that she accepted that she needed to make the best of what she had. She had little money when we were young, and when she was older she was in a lot of pain, but was very stoical about it and never grumbled.

Aldom Fri 17-Oct-25 19:19:39

Good advice from your mum Cabbie.

teabagwoman Fri 17-Oct-25 19:36:13

My Mother had two responses to any requests from my sisters and I.

“Let me and my heart take counsel for war is not of life the sum” which meant that there was a chance she would agree.

Those who ask don’t get.

The latter was more frequent.

NanKate Fri 17-Oct-25 19:39:26

When I walk into the garden with wet/damp hair I hear my mother saying ‘You will catch a chill”. I never did. 😉

Crossstitchfan Fri 17-Oct-25 19:43:53

shysal

My mother always insisted that I wore a vest, or even worse a liberty bodice, much to my embarrassment in the school changing rooms. I have never worn a vest since! The same applies to wearing an apron.
She always worried what the neighbours would think. When my father was sent out to buy fish and chips they had to be hidden in a shopping bag.

OMG! Did we have the same mum??

Babs03 Fri 17-Oct-25 19:45:16

Whenever I went out at the weekend with a bunch of friends my mum would say “now lass, keep your thinking head and your knickers on”.
I was always too embarrassed to reply but looking back it was pretty good advice.

eazybee Fri 17-Oct-25 20:00:18

My mother said, 'you never regret an extravagance' and I have stuck to that, and agree with her.

Daffonanna Fri 17-Oct-25 20:07:20

I'd rather go out with no knickers than no lipstick !
I never wear lipstick!

Deedaa Fri 17-Oct-25 20:19:58

Now I'm 79 I frequently find myself repeating her favourite "That'll see me out" when I buy things.

Nannytopsy Fri 17-Oct-25 20:51:48

Don’t put off to tomorrow what you can do today.
DH is the exact opposite!!

Allira Fri 17-Oct-25 20:52:28

Astitchintime

“although I draw the line at sewing worn sheets side-to-middle.”
I remember my mum doing this with the striped flannelette bedsheets…….and what a palaver it was too! And when the sheets were really past their best she made dusters and hankies out of them……..apparently the dusters were perfect for the windows and the hankies much kinder on sore reddened noses when we children were poorly.

Oh, those sides to middle sheets! I really disliked them.

My mother had a proverb, a saying for every occasion. I grew up on them.

Every cloud has a silver lining! (Chin up!)
All roads lead to Rome the Midlands
A bad workman blames his tools (be more careful, dear)
A stitch in time save nine. (Cue sigh from me)
A watched pot never boils! (it will surely boil in the same time?)
Many hands make light work (come and make the white sauce for dinner)

Etc etc.

Chocolatelovinggran Fri 17-Oct-25 21:36:15

Oh Deeda, I think this often! I bought a new bed last year and found myself saying to the salesman.." that'll see..." ,just stopping myself in time. I'm seventy three.

Crossstitchfan Fri 17-Oct-25 23:06:21

I was the same years ago, but with Tampax. I always used to buy boxes of 40 but as I got nearer the grand old age of 50, and my periods were becoming a bit erratic, I started buying them in 10s again in case I didn’t need the whole box! How stupid was that??

Rosie51 Fri 17-Oct-25 23:51:03

Crossstitchfan

I was the same years ago, but with Tampax. I always used to buy boxes of 40 but as I got nearer the grand old age of 50, and my periods were becoming a bit erratic, I started buying them in 10s again in case I didn’t need the whole box! How stupid was that??

In younger days I often said stocking up on sanitary protection guaranteed me another pregnancy smile The last time I stocked up my very regular periods just stopped, no warning, no lightening of flow or longer gaps, just never again. Exactly like my mum who said it was like a tap was turned off. Can't remember what I did with the unused supplies.

Rosie51 Fri 17-Oct-25 23:53:43

I used to find it somewhat unsettling when I opened my mouth and my mother's words would come out. Now I appreciate what a wonderfully wise and erudite woman she was grin

Aely Sat 18-Oct-25 17:06:43

shysal

My mother always insisted that I wore a vest, or even worse a liberty bodice, much to my embarrassment in the school changing rooms. I have never worn a vest since! The same applies to wearing an apron.
She always worried what the neighbours would think. When my father was sent out to buy fish and chips they had to be hidden in a shopping bag.

Oh boy, the liberty bodice. Never was any garment so ill-named. I felt trapped in it. My Mum was scathing when she found I had stopped wearing a vest. "They soak up the sweat" she said. I replied, "They make me sweat".

"Ladies don't wear trousers" was one of hers. When Dad started taking my sister and me horse riding, we had to change in the car and leave our trousers in the boot. She was totally horrified when I got a motor bike and wore jeans. I told her, it was jeans or the very revealing mini skirt of the day, because I was not giving up the bike.

Erica23 Sat 18-Oct-25 20:50:38

I think about my mum many times through the day especially when I’m cleaning. Today I did what she used to call a lazy dust ! Picking things up to clean underneath instead of removing everything first, tut tut 🤣

CanadianGran Sat 18-Oct-25 21:08:35

Ha, I sometimes laugh when I throw out an old pair of underwear of DH's, and think 'I'm not using that for a dust cloth!" Mum would save them, and I hated dusting with my Dad's old underthings!

Erica23 Sun 19-Oct-25 06:33:33

CanadianGran. Thanks for the memory I’d forgotten all about cleaning with dads undies !

Grantanow Sun 19-Oct-25 10:16:53

Don't put your jacket on indoors or you won't feel the benefit when you go outside (in the cold).

Gardenersdelight2 Sun 19-Oct-25 10:44:42

We do " grandad would say" in our house about my dad usually involving something purchased that he would have thought hadn't been made well or finished properly! 🤣
He died 13 years ago and my daughters are in their 30s but its still a regular refrain

Oldnproud Sun 19-Oct-25 16:40:29

"Don't get your hopes up" was what my mother would say whenever there was a chance I might do well at something.

I understand her reason for saying it, as im sure she thought that moderating my expectations would save us some disappointment if something didn't go as well as hoped or expected. But in my case, all it did was make me too anxious even to try many things for fear of failure.