Growing up, I'm sure your parents had all sorts of rules and sayings in their house, but many of them differ from home to home. Some kids grow up with chores, others don't. Some kids help with the cooking at dinner time, others don't. Some parents are strict while some are more lenient. There seems to be a wide range of parenting techniques. That is until you step into the world of black parenting. It seems that black parents, especially black moms all share the same parenting book. A black mom loves to remind you that she isn't "one of ya lil friends" and also that she's not Boo Boo the Fool. (Although to be honest, I still don't even know who Boo Boo the Fool is but I know for sure it's not my mom or any of my friend's moms.) The list of black mom rules and sayings is never ending but here are some of my fave sayings and their underlying meanings.

1. "I'm your mom, not one of your lil friends."

This is something I hear to this day. It typically comes after you get a bit too comfortable or try to joke around a little too much with your mom. You guys might be having a grand ole time roasting each other, but overstep a little too much and hurt her feelings and you better believe you'll hear this line loud and clear as a signal to abort mission while your mom is looking at you like this:

2. "What bills do you pay in this house?"

This is a rhetorical question because she and you both know you don't pay any of the bills in that house. She just wants you to remember your place in this world. This typically comes after you get smart with her or raise your voice a little too much.

3. "You got McDonald's money?"

It didn't matter if you were 4 or 14, if you asked to go to McDonald's, this was the response. Now, we all know your mom knew dang on well you didn't have any kind of money because you were an unemployed child but that didn't stop her from asking. This was the long version of "no" meant to put you in your place AND shut you up. It worked.

4. "When we get in this store you bet not touch nothing!”

A warning. This is really a favor to you. A preemptive warning that could save your life. Typically paired with "When we get in here you BET NOT embarrass me!" This is simply a reminder to behave. Y'all are at the store for your mother to grab whatever she needs. Not for your to be putting your grubby little hands in everything or for you to be begging.

5. "'Cause you always on that phone!"

This is used for any and every ailment that has absolutely nothing to do with your phone. Headache? It's 'cause you always on that phone! Backache? That phone! Broke? Welp, better stay off that phone. Sick? Blame that phone! It will be used at any given moment, typically when it makes the least sense. Just get used to it. You can't win this one.

6. "Stay out of grown folks business/mouths."

Don't let the wording on this one trip you up, this is simply a warning not to chime in or even appear to be eavesdropping on adult conversations. This one always boggled my mind though because I'm not sure how I'm going to stay out of business when I'm sitting here and the grown folks are talking but okay.

7. "Don’t be running in and out my house! Either you gone be in or be out."

Here we have the anthem to every black child's summer vacation. You had to make the tough choices. Did you want to use the bathroom and risk being told you're in for the day? Did you want to go outside to grab a toy you forgot and get banished to the outdoors for the rest of the day? Summer was all about choices that mostly included you trying to figure out when it was and wasn't worth risking getting locked in or out of your own home. Your parents were very clear that they weren't paying to cool the indoors AND outdoors.

8. “You better fix yo face before I fix it for you.”

This is a warning. A warning to be taken very seriously. No matter how much your parents pissed you off, you were not allowed to look bothered. After all, your mother gave you life, carried you inside of her and managed to get you out and raise you to this point. Your face better forever display to utmost gratitude. Or else.

9. "I'm YOUR momma, not (insert name of friend you stupidly brought up)'s mom! I don't care what they're doing!"

If you've heard this before, you've made a grave mistake and lived to tell the tale. You typically hear this after asking your mom to go somewhere and being declined. In a moment of desperation you'll toss out a "Well so and so gets to go" and find yourself on the receiving end of an ear beating all about how you need to stay in your place and mind ya business. She doesn't care if so and so is going because she's your momma, not theirs.

Even with all of their over the top sayings and generally aggressive take on parenting, you come to learn as you get older that everything your mom said and did was out of love. Even if she was yelling most of it to you instead of telling it to you.