Strap on your seat belt

All of us were children, weren’t we?, so this applies to all of us, even if we don’t have any mini-me’s of our own. Many thanks to Liesl for sending it to me–in the midst of a Very Very (Very to the 10th Power) Taxing Day with My Supreme Monster Tess, the kind of day when you fear for losing your mind at the sheer repetition, that litany of pleading that accompanies strong-willed children, it really made me laugh a laugh that I needed to laugh just then. Universal truth. Love her delivery.

"The Mom Song"

Get up now
Get up now
Get up out of bed
Wash your face
Brush your teeth
Comb your sleepyhead
Here’s your clothes and your shoes
Hear the words I said
Get up now! Get up and make your bed
Are you hot? Are you cold?
Are you wearing that?
Where’s your books and your lunch and your homework at?
Grab your coat and gloves and your scarf and hat
Don’t forget! You gotta feed the cat
Eat your breakfast, the experts tell us it’s the most important meal of all
Take your vitamins so you will grow up one day to be big and tall
Please remember the orthodontist will be seeing you at 3 today
Don’t forget your piano lesson is this afternoon so you must play
Don’t shovel
Chew slowly
But hurry
The bus is here
Be careful
Come back here
Did you wash behind your ears?
Play outside, don’t play rough, will you just play fair?
Be polite, make a friend, don’t forget to share
Work it out, wait your turn, never take a dare
Get along! Don’t make me come down there
Clean your room, fold your clothes, put your stuff away
Make your bed, do it now, do we have all day?
Were you born in a barn? Would you like some hay?
Can you even hear a word I say?
Answer the phone! Get off the phone!
Don’t sit so close, turn it down, no texting at the table
No more computer time tonight!
Your iPod’s my iPod if you don’t listen up
Where are you going and with whom and what time do you think you’re coming home?
Saying thank you, please, excuse me makes you welcome everywhere you roam
You’ll appreciate my wisdom someday when you’re older and you’re grown
Can’t wait till you have a couple little children of your own
You’ll thank me for the counsel I gave you so willingly
But right now I thank you not to roll your eyes at me
Close your mouth when you chew, would appreciate
Take a bite maybe two of the stuff you hate
Use your fork, do not burp or I’ll set you straight
Eat the food I put upon your plate
Get an A, get the door, don’t get smart with me
Get a grip, get in here, I’ll count to three
Get a job, get a life, get a PHD
Get a dose of,
"I don’t care who started it!
You’re grounded until you’re 36"
Get your story straight and tell the truth for once, for heaven’s sake
And if all your friends jumped off a cliff would you jump, too?
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said at least a thousand times before
That you’re too old to act this way
It must be your father’s DNA
Look at me when I am talking
Stand up straighter when you walk
A place for everything and everything must be in place
Stop crying or I’ll give you something real to cry about
Oh!
Brush your teeth, wash your face, put your PJs on
Get in bed, get up here, say a prayer with mom
Don’t forget, I love you
And tomorrow we will do this all again because a mom’s work never ends
You don’t need the reason why
Because, because, because, because
I said so, I said so, I said so, I said so
I’m the mom, the mom, the mom, the mom, the mom!!
Ta da!!!

About Patti Digh

Patti Digh is an author, speaker, and educator who builds learning communities and gets to the heart of difficult topics. Her work over the last three decades has focused on diversity, inclusion, social justice, and living and working mindfully. She has developed diversity strategies and educational programming for major nonprofit and corporate organizations and has been a featured speaker at many national and international conferences.

7 comments to " Strap on your seat belt "
  • I so needed this today. I literally had tears rolling down my face because I was laughing so hard. Thanks for sharing.

  • Ramona

    I am a digital friend of Donna’s and I had seen this video before, but feel blessed to have stumbled upon your blog. Thank you so much for sharing your insights.

  • Sally

    And they say that the twos are so terrible, when really it’s (so far) three to four and a half…. I think I’m just going to let Meg go to school naked tomorrow because I’m so tired of trying to get her dressed in the morning! Thank you for reminding me that if I keep saying the right things, she’ll turn out OK.

  • Betsy

    A friend sent me this last week, and I laughed until I cried. But after I thought, there really are days (weeks?) it seems I’m saying all of those things that quickly, and it’s over before I’ve realized it.

  • Becky

    HA! I just posted this on my blog a couple of days ago. And yes, there certainly are days like this. And I heard 3 is worse than 2 as well… I can’t imagine it since my ‘almost 2’ seems to have some doozies of days!!

    In due time…

    I try to remember there will always be things that drive you crazy and things that are endearing. They are ever growing and changing along with the growth of our children. No age is better than THIS AGE right here, right now. I hope I never utter the words, “I can’t wait until you’re…” because they grow up too fast as it is.

    (Patti, here’s my blog address. I can’t get it to work in the URL code because of the ‘s’ but it’s no where near as interesting as yours! I don’t expect you to post this. https://www.teaholic.com)

  • hey patti–thanks! i have a friend–a mom! visiting me–(without her kids)–we have been “playing” in my art studio together–we both were laughing so hard we fell off our chairs! so thanks, I have passed it on…

  • grace, MetaHara

    thnx- shared it with all my fellow mothers and a few children too!

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