Top 10 Things Parents Commonly Say and What They Actually Mean

When your parent says this, it means you will be on a sort of probation period for the next 36 hours. There is a 90% chance that things are not going to go according to your plan. However, your behavior in the next 36 hours is critical in determining the outcome. One misbehavior incident could immediately result in the word "No" coming from your parent's mouth.

My parents. That won't be me when I become a parent. I would rather my future kids get the clear message: "No!"

Mothers who are married to strict fathers usually use this phrase. In such cases, your dad will mostly say no. In the best-case scenario, he tells you to go ask your mom again, and you get trapped in this vicious cycle without getting what you want. Mothers do this so they don't have to play the bad guy role and can still prevent you from getting what you want.

This is an extremely common thing for parents to say. Most children have experienced it so many times that they simply multiply the number of minutes their parents say by four. This is especially true if you were the last kid to get picked up after sports practice or after school.

Your mom or dad usually says this when they take you in the car for some other purpose and spot a grocery store. By saying that they're going to grab a few things, they actually mean that they're going to do extensive grocery shopping, and you'll have to wait in the car for 45 minutes. This is actually better than some situations where you have to accompany them and carry all the items they purchase, from entry to exit.

As your parents get older, they become more worried about their health and probably don't want to end their lives in one of those old folks' homes. They realize that, as they age, you are the only person they will be able to depend on. They behave nicely toward you in expectation of future support.

I don't know if I'll be able to look after my dad when I'm older because I haven't seen him for four years. My mom is back in Casablanca with my siblings, so I doubt I'll see them when I'm older, but I want to.

Your parents say this when they are disappointed in you for doing something, but at the same time, they are slightly impressed by you, either for having the courage to do whatever you have done or perhaps because they had fun doing the same thing in their childhood.

This statement is often not true. What they really mean is that they were smart enough not to get caught doing that particular thing. However, they can't share this harsh truth with you because they are your parents.

I'm pretty sure they did crazy stuff when they were my age. Both my parents are '80s kids, and apparently, the '80s was a pretty wild decade.

Your parents say this so that you finally come out of your room. When you arrive at the dining area, you realize that dinner is not actually ready, and they tell you to assemble a few dishes or do something else in the meantime.

This one never ceases to annoy me.

Mom: Hey, dinner's ready!
Me: *comes down* Where is it?
Mom: It's in the frying pan, and while you're here, why not help set the table?

Parents usually say maybe when you request something after they have come home from a long and tiring day. They use this phrase when they don't have the energy to argue with you if they say no. However, they also don't want you to get what you want, so they leave your request hanging by saying maybe. Later, when they have enough energy, they tell you no and argue with you, winning the argument.

Parents say this to avoid completely dampening your enthusiasm for something they're not interested in. They hope you'll forget about it in a few months.

My mom once told me that if I ever need to cry, I should cry. Three years later, every time I cry, she says, "Stop crying!" in a harsh tone. I'm just waiting for high school when I have a full-on ugly cry because of her, and she tells me to stop, and I remind her.

My dad said feelings don't matter and that crying doesn't fix anything. To me, that's wrong because if I don't express my feelings in some way, someone is going to get hurt!

This doesn't happen to me anymore because I don't show my feelings much.

And that's the frustrating thing about freshman year of high school.

No, it means, "Can you please unload the car for me while I sit down on a granite slab and shop on the Amazon app on my iPhone 5?" Why so specific?

I do help with unloading the car, but she stays inside and plays Candy Crush.

When you run out of comebacks against your kid.

This is not only true for parents.