As a parent of teenagers, I often think about the things that Mom asked me to do when I was a teenager but I didn’t because I was a teenager who was wise beyond my years, and who didn’t need an adult guidance especially from an adult who was raised in the Philippines. After all, I was an American teenager who needed freedom from the tyrannical rules of the old fashion tradition of the Philippines.

Every time I disobeyed her or ignored her, she would always say, “Time will come, time will come…” At that time, I have always wondered what she meant by it. I wish I could have that time back because now I understand what she meant. As a parent of 5 children (3 teenagers,  an eleven year old, and a 3 year old) that time that my mom has spoken about has come and it has come with a vengeance.

The following list is the top 7 things that she kept telling me to do but I didn’t and now I wish that I had.

1. Don’t park the car with an empty gas tank. After using it, I had the habit of parking my dad or my sister’s car with the gas tank almost empty, this way I didn’t have to worry about paying for gas. Now, my two oldest children, after using my car or their mother’s car, are experts in parking the car with just enough gas to make it to the nearest gas station before it goes empty.

2. Turn off the lights. Growing up, I thought leaving the lights open in the bathroom, in the kitchen, and in my bedroom was not a big deal. I thought my mom was just being too strict or too uptight. I realized that it is a big deal especialy when you are the one paying the electric bill. I have tried turning off the power in the house because my children can’t seem to get this one right. As usual I’ve lost the battle.

3. Stop opening the fridge every 10 minutes. “I’m looking for food.” This is the answer that I always gave my mom every time I opened the fridge to stare at the contents which I would do again 15 minutes later. The same words I used have magically made their way into my children’s mouths when we play out the same scene. Even my 3 year old would do the same exact thing and say “I want mac and cheese” even though he just had one 10 minutes ago.

4. Close the door behind you. I drove my mother crazy because I kept forgetting to close the door behind me every time I step outside for a quick errand. Now, thank God that we live in a quite and safe neighborhood because if we didn’t I am quite sure our house would’ve been broken into because my children always expect the invisible doorman to close the door for them.

5. Knock before you enter. I had a bad habit of walking into a room without knocking and it drove my mom and my sisters crazy. And since my children always learn from my examples, my wife and I always make sure that we lock our bedroom or our bathroom door when we are inside.

6. Wash your dishes. One time my mom hid all the clean dishes because my sisters and I were very good in using clean dishes but we didn’t know how to wash them afterwards. And of course since my children do not fall far from the apple tree, they too love to leave their dirty dishes on the sink, under their beds, and anywhere dishes can be hidden. At one point the situation got so bad that I removed all the dishes from the house and gave each child their own plate, spoon, fork, and glass. It worked out for the first week until my oldest started throwing his weight around and began using his siblings’ dishes.

7. Put it back where you got it from. I use to borrow my dad’s stuff and never put it back or gave it back. I would take out cereal from the cupboard and leave it on the kitchen table when I was done and so on and so forth. Now my children have taken up the mantle and are continuing the tradition of excellence in leaving a mess wherever they go.

Perhaps this list is trivial. The most horrifying thing that I face today is not the ghost of my past teenage rebellion but the words of my mother coming out of my mouth every time I reprimand my children for breaking the same rules that I consistently broke when I was their age.

There are more things that I left out from this list because my children and I have not gotten to the point yet. When my children and I reach that time and that moment I am sure my children will not disappoint and will surely make their grandmother proud.