Rule of Thumb

My mother taught me…

Sibling Rivalry – “If you’re going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.”

Religion – “You better pray that comes out of the carpet.”

Time Travel – “If you don’t straighten up, I’m going to knock you into the middle of next week.”

Common Sense – “Because I said so that’s why.”

Recreational Pursuits – “If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you’re not going to the store with me.”

Driving – “Make sure you wear clean underwear in case you’re in an accident.”

Emotions – “Keep crying and I’ll give you something to whimper about.”

Meal Time – “Will you shut your mouth, and eat your supper?”

Cleanliness – “Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck?” intended

Time-Out – “You will sit there until all that [food] is gone.”[i]

[i] Adapted from the article, “Hilarious Things My Mother Taught Me” by Epic Parenting

The scripture will always be a timely (and accurate) source that can be trusted when parental advice may be less than reliable: Do any of the above quotes sound familiar?

When I was a boy at my father’s knee, the pride and joy of my mother; he would sit me down and drill me: “Take this to heart. Do what I tell you – live!” (Proverbs 4:3-4, MSG)

Rule of Thumb- These are helpful standards with many different implications (not deemed to be accurate).