If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all!

I recall a phrase that a wise, old mother rabbit once told her young son, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all". I come from a family of name callers! I'm one myself. Whether it be good or bad, we always end our sentences with a name, and not usually the one that belongs to the person we are talking to. Where, to most people a term of endearment might be "sweetheart" or "honey", ours were "poopy head" and "butt hugger". Anyhow, growing up I had some older brothers that liked to tease. I had red hair, crooked teeth, and freckles, so I was a pretty easy target, but for some reason, they always found the ugliest GUYS to name me after. I think I could've handled it a little better if they were at least naming me after ugly girls, which they did too, (a girl in our neighborhood whose last name resembled swine) but these are a couple of the meanest things they called me.

ROCKY, from the movie Mask. I mean come on, I'm sure he has a sweet spirit, but they didn't call the movie Mask for nothing.

MALACHI, from the Children of the Corn movies. One of my brothers would follow me around saying, "They want you too, Malachi." (a line from the movie)

Now days I'm positive that NAPOLEON DYNAMITE would've made the list.

As would CARROT TOP!

I'm sitting here, laughing my head off, but when you're a little, awkward, red-headed girl, it can do some damage. I'm all grown up now, and I understand that when we're younger we do some silly things. The problem is, I still do it!

When Avery's being a stinker, I've been known to bust out NELLY OLSEN.

Aidan has a HUGE head, and when he gets in front of the TV I might say, "Hey, JIMMY NEUTRON, could you move your noggin?"

I'm usually just trying to be funny, which sometimes backfires on me. Children have tender, little feelings, and I know I should be more cautious. Obviously, I'm setting a horrible example for my kids, and in turn they are name-callers themselves. I need to heed the advice of that old, mother rabbit and just KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT!!! It's time to break the cycle! If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all! We know I can't keep my mouth shut, so I'll try to think of something nice to say.