10 Things You Don't Thank Your Mom For Enough

You thank your mom every day (at least you should) for stuff like picking you up from school and ironing your clothes. And making you dinner. And putting a roof over your head. Oh, and generally giving you life. But have you ever thought about all the stuff your mom does that goes unappreciated? It’s a list that’s probably longer than Les Miserables. And because absolutely no one sane has time to write a 2,000-page novel, we took a stab at just a few.

1. Teaching You How To Hold a Fork

Betcha never thought about that, did ya? If your mom didn’t teach you how to hold a fork way back in the day, you’d have two options: eat every meal with your hands like some kind of uncultured animal or starve.

2. Being Real With You About Your Many, Many Fashion Mistakes

Your mom and your best friend: the only two people who will ever honestly answer, “Do these jeans make by butt look big?” (P.S., if you have to ask, the answer is yes.)

3. Fighting With Her Siblings

Your mom and her siblings fight sometimes. You and your siblings fight sometimes. It happens. Seeing it happen with your mom proves it’s okay, even if she does yell at you for it.

4. Telling Crappy Jokes

If you’re like me, people always wonder why you laugh at everything. It’s because from an early age, you believed that unfunny things were actually funny (you’re welcome for laughing at all those terrible jokes, Mom!). Now everything’s funny. And that makes life fun.

5. Buying Wrapping Paper and Candles From Those Awful School Fundraisers

If it weren’t for your mom, you probably wouldn’t have sold a single thing (let’s be real, the neighbors were always home when you knocked, they just didn’t answer the door). You would have been “that kid.” Thank your mom for saving your badass middle school rep.

6. Always Changing Your Prize at McDonald’s

Sometimes you get a Hotwheels when all you want is a Beanie Baby. And at seven, you’re way too much of a wuss to ask to trade. Enter in: Supermom, whose power is getting you all the Beanie Babies you want. By now, you probably have an impressive collection collecting dust in your attic. I’m sure it’ll earn you millions of dollars some day, so don’t forget to cut your mom in on some of that action.

7. Forcing You To Order For Yourself at Restaurants

Some little kids refuse to speak to strangers until someone makes them. I bet some of you had it bad: you couldn’t even order your own food. Until one terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day (thanks Mom for reading me that book) at Friendly’s, when your mom made you order on your own. Yeah, you hated it, but at least now you can speak to people. Some say that’s an important skill.

8. Not Laughing at You For Having Imaginary Friends

When you really think about it, imaginary friends are pretty weird. Like, you just make up a person that follows you around…that’s straight-up creepy. And laughable. So moms that don’t make you feel dumb for it are too cool for school. I bet they let you dress yourself and pick your own snacks at the grocery store, too.

9. Letting You Decorate Your Room However You Wanted

You were a little adult picking out new picture frames at Target for your middle school room makeover. Whether it’s three different comforters or a lava lamp, your mom let you get weird stuff for your room, and that’s awesome. Plus, how else could you prep for dorm room decorating? Shout out to Mom for letting you have the coolest room on the block.