Raising Them Right

Daughters with mothers become moms themselves

We tell the old stories of fairies and elves

And try to impart what wisdom we can

Like "Keep hands away from the fan"

But young fingers will stray where they shouldn't go

And children will learn what we think they don't know

We try to protect them, we hold them too tight

While we pray that we're raising them right

Raising them right is always the goal

But you have to accept what you can't control

You lend them the car and say, "Have fun tonight"

You pray you are raising them right

Being a mother, you have to say no

Accept the resentment you gave long ago

And try to pretend you don't feel the pain

From the loathing you cannot explain

Your children must fight for turf of their own

Each step of the way on the path to full-grown

You know that they hate you, though they act polite

And you ask, "Are we raising them right?"

Relying on instinct, we struggle through

Often confounded and dazed

Bringing up Baby, the one thing I knew

It won't be the way I was raised

Mother, I wonder how much I hurt you

Rejecting your wisdom as my anger grew

The picture has changed with what I know now

You raised me the best you knew how

Oh, mistakes will be made and plans go awry

As mothers uphold what their children defy

You hope beyond reason one day we'll unite

And we pray that we're raising them right

We pray that we're raising them right