Here is a page from the obvious file. Eight out of 10 of today's mothers admit that they use the same cliches as their own parents to discipline their children, according to a study covered by the UK's Daily Mail.

Top of the list of phrases they used was the simple, yet infuriatingly effective response to a child asking why they have to do something: 'Because I said so.'

It was followed by the answer most often used to deal with impatient children pestering to find out when something will happen: 'Wait and see.'

And in third place was that other favourite that stops most children in their tracks: 'If someone asked you to jump off a cliff, would you do it?'

To poor Ari's chagrin, the cliche I have often resorted to is No. 15 on the list: "Back in my day..."

Most recently for Thanksgiving, Ari asked to fly rather than drive to Orange County. "When I was little, Abuelo and Abuela would pack all six of us in a station wagon and we had to drive for two days from Miami to Pennsylvania!" I let loose. "There was no money for plane tickets."

What I forgot to add is we didn't have TV in the car or portable video games to keep us busy either. J/K! I will definitely keep this story in mind next time I get on my childhood soapbox like my parents did with us.

What cliches from your parents do you find yourself repeating?