Letting The Cold Air Out

There are some Momisms that we as Mothers pass on to our children knowing fully well that we were told them as children and not really questioning their validity. Things like:- don’t play with sticks you’ll poke your eyes out; or don’t do that with your eyes they’ll stick like that or, if all your friends were jumping off a cliff would you jump too or my personal favorite, close that refrigerator door your letting all the cold air out.

Debunking time!! As a Mom I have found that sticks and kids have a certain gravitational lure to each other that is unbreakable. You could be at a formal dinner at the most crystal glass setting, bone china displaying and heavy silver crockery using event in the most discerning location and rest assured your child can probably find some sort of a pointy object, or sans that a stick will probably find your kid!! It’s kind of like childhood kismet, ying and yang if you prefer, so best to get used to it. To avoid pricey mishaps, keep eyes peeled, ears well tuned and rely heavily on that gender gifted ingrained intuition that all of us have for disturbances in that Mom force field – one small rule of thumb could apply here – if you can sense trouble on the hairs on the back of your neck, there usually is something to worry about.

I have yet to come across any instances where anyone’s eyes have gotten stuck cross-eyed after making a face. But if it can diminish the occurrences of same and keep the peace by reducing the annoyance factor in other siblings, I’m all for it – I was once told by a parent that she did not lie to her children, good for her – this does not qualify as lying it is more like passing on a Momism that your children will pass on to their children intergenerational ad infinitesimal!! I am of the mindset that if it helps to maintain equilibrium, and lessens daily household friction and as my mother would say - lets your ears eat grass - more power to you!!

If all your friends were jumping off a cliff would you jump? This one kind strikes my nonsense toleration vein deep at its core akin the frustration I felt as a child with the statement – a man on a galloping horse would not notice – begging your pardon here but how many men on galloping horses do you know? In the same way, how many of us have cliffs handy? I am fully aware that I am being purposely trite but if you know your child do you really have to brandish this Momism? Hmm, methinks thou dost protest too much!! Say no more, I have to admit I too have used this saying once and then shuddered at my own lack of imagination – Touché!!!

After diligent research I have found that it is actually possible to let the cold air out of the fridge, who knew? I thought that it was something that the Academy of Moms a very August body, devised in order to keep sticky little people from standing in front of a yawning fridge door on a hot summer’s day. Apparently cold air circulates in the fridge and the warm air that gets let in has to be cooled down causing the machine to work doubly hard. All in all letting the cold air out is not the worry rather letting the hot air in is the more bothersome of the two prospects. And you thought you wouldn’t learn anything!!

Whether or not you are going to burden your children with these nonsensical verbal glyphs is up to you, but for me the fun lies in participating in tradition all the while remembering, my mom used to say that!! Happy Disseminating.