Me and my mom.
It happened just the other day: I told my young daughter to do something, and she argued back to me why she shouldn’t do it. I rolled my eyes, sighed and told her, “You’d argue with a billy goat!”
Just like my mom.
Growing up, I was an opinionated one, and at least a half dozen times she’d tell me, “Haley, you’d argue with a billy goat!” For a long time, I thought it was just something all moms said, but after getting a job with It’s a Southern Thing and becoming a semi-expert in Southern phrases, I realized it really wasn’t too common – it’s mostly just something my mom says.
Over the years, and especially since having a child, I find myself doing things and saying, “Oh, I’m turning into my mom!” Here are a couple of things I do that remind me of my mother.
How Southern Moms Get Things DoneWhen your southern mom starts counting, you'll do anything to make sure she never gets to three.
I talk like her now and have many of the same mannerisms.
Yes, I say “You’d argue with a billy goat” all the time to my child now, too, but that’s not the only way I emulate her. I’ve tried the old Southern mom trick of counting to 3 to get someone to do something. (I have to say, I have not succeeded in that working yet. I’ve worked on my Southern mom stare and have failed miserably, so I have a lot to learn.) I also say, “Because I said so!” even though I promised myself I would never, ever say that.
You can never make too many casseroles. Shutterstock
I make/order enough food to feed an entire city.
Whenever we have Sunday dinner at my mom and dad’s house, someone always asks my mom who she was cooking for – the table is usually overflowing with enough food to feed everyone for a week, at minimum. But the older I get, the more and more I understand this. I don’t want anyone to feel left out and want everyone to get enough food. I recently ordered a cake for a co-worker’s luncheon and was going to opt for the largest option, and another colleague looked at me like I was crazy – there was absolutely no way we’d ever need that much cake. But I just wanted to make sure there was enough for surprise guests, and I wanted everyone to feel special.
I watch many of the same TV shows.
OK, so a lot of our tastes are different. But growing up, I’d (nicely) make fun of my mom for her love of cheesy Lifetime movies and light rom coms. I’d want to watch the more serious stuff. But now I get it. After a long day of work + raising a child + everything else an adult has to do to survive, there’s nothing like sinking into a couch at the end of the day to to watch a movie or TV series that isn’t too deep.
I cannot take a compliment.
Tell my mom she looks nice, and she’ll say, “Oh, Haley. No I don’t. This shirt looks awful on me.” It’s an annoying habit and I call her out on it often. But I am a hypocrite because I do the same thing. At a recent work event, a colleague complimented my dress and I said, “Oh, well, it doesn’t really fit well but it’s all I have.” Like mother, like daughter. (And a special apology to my colleagues – I really do like compliments, seriously!)
Cupcakes at the gas station party.(Haley Laurence)
We both cannot craft.
Whenever I had an art project due at school, I could see my mom visibly start to sweat if I asked for her help. And while I was horrible at art, I kinda thought I was creative enough to be a semi-crafty mom.
I was so, so wrong about that. My child isn’t in grade school yet and I’m already overwhelmed by the craftiness.When my daughter requested a gas station-themed birthday party (before Buc-ee’s had the fortnight to make Buc-ee’s themed banners, paper plates and more), I called in help via my husband’s family to ensure the party met her gas station dreams. My mother and I just watched the magic happen.
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