There’s a secret manual Moroccan parents follow – no one has seen it, but we’ve all lived it.
Fez – If you grew up in a Moroccan home, you know our parents have their own kind of logic.
It doesn’t always make sense, but somehow, it’s universal. No matter where you are in Morocco (or even if you live abroad), all Moroccan parents act the same.
It’s like they got the same manual! Let’s break down some of their most famous phrases and why they are part of every Moroccan childhood.
Turn off the light
Day or night, it doesn’t matter. If you leave a room for two seconds with the lights on, your mom will act like you’re personally responsible for the electricity bill not only of your house but the whole country.
She will also remind you that she is not working for the electricity bill.
Bring me the thing next to the thing on top of the other thing
Parents have a special way of giving instructions. No details. No descriptions. Just “Jibli hadak li fok hadak, hda hadak”.
Somehow, you’re supposed to understand. And if you don’t find it? They will get up, walk straight to the spot, grab it in one second, and say, are you blind?
If your friend jumps off a rooftop, will you too?
You ask your parents for permission to do something because your friend is allowed to do it.
Big mistake. The answer will always be, “If your friend jumps off a rooftop, will you too?”
No explanation, no debate. Just a complete shutdown of your request.
I didn’t raise you like this!
You give your opinion in which slightly disagree with them. Now, you have disrespected the whole family.
Your mom suddenly remembers how she sacrificed everything to raise you better. The drama is real.
We’re leaving in 5 minutes
Five minutes in Moroccan time does not mean five minutes. It means at least an hour.
But don’t you dare sit down or change your clothes. If you do, you will get yelled at for not being ready.
Do whatever you want
Warning: this is a trap. This DOES NOT mean you can do whatever you want.
If you believe it and actually do the thing, you are finished.
I’m not yelling, I’m just talking.
You can hear your mom from three rooms away while she talks to her sister on the phone, but she insists she is just talking.
The whole street knows what’s happening, but she will not admit that she is yelling.
Every Moroccan has lived these moments. Somehow, we all had the same childhood.
Despite all of this, no matter how much we laugh about it now, deep down we know one thing: One day, we will say these exact things to our own kids.
Read also: What’s on a Moroccan Ftour Table?
