Actually when my kids proclaim that they say: “It’s not there”! Makes me laugh partly because it sounds silly and partly because it reminds me of when I would say that as a child. My dad’s comeback was; “If you want fair go to Pomona”. I had no idea what he was talking about until I asked him and he let me know there was a notable county fair in Pomona, CA. I’d get so annoyed at my parents seemingly, careless attitude toward my essential desires.

Then the unthinkable happens-you utter the exact same words your parents said to you as a kid. You hear yourself say it and you think “I can’t believe I just said that”!  You did. For good reason. My three-year old said “That’s not there (fair)” to me recently when he really shouldn’t have. I looked him right in the eyes and told him “What’s not fair is that there are people in Japan who don’t have anywhere to live because tsunamis washed there homes away, and did you have breakfast this morning? Well some kid in Africa didn’t, and they are hungry because they had no dinner either- NOW THAT’S NOT FAIR (said with more sterness than yelling :)!”

He was silent and still. And the voice inside me said “Good for you Corrita”! Part of maturation is knowing that no matter your upbringing there are lessons you will want to discard and lessons for keeps. It’s O.K. Go ahead, say those cringe-worthy quips.
Here’s a good one: “Because I said so”!
Classic.