50 Idioms About Parents With Meanings & Sentences
Idioms About Parents
1. Like father, like son
Meaning: A child often behaves like their parent.
In a Sentence: Jack loves sports just like his dad—like father, like son!
Other Ways to Say: The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, A chip off the old block
2. Mother hen
Meaning: Someone who is very protective, like a mother with her chicks.
In a Sentence: Sarah was being a mother hen, making sure everyone wore their jackets.
Other Ways to Say: Overprotective, Helicopter parent
3. A chip off the old block
Meaning: A child who closely resembles or behaves like their parent.
In a Sentence: Brian is a chip off the old block—he’s just as handy as his father.
Other Ways to Say: Just like dad, Mirror image
4. Tough love
Meaning: Strict or firm actions taken to teach a lesson.
In a Sentence: My parents showed tough love when they made me clean up my mess.
Other Ways to Say: Firm parenting, Strict guidance
5. Mama bear
Meaning: A fiercely protective mother.
In a Sentence: When someone bullied her child, she turned into a mama bear.
Other Ways to Say: Protective mom, Fierce parent
6. Father figure
Meaning: A man who acts like a father, even if not biologically.
In a Sentence: Coach Davis became a father figure to many players on the team.
Other Ways to Say: Role model, Parental guide
7. Helicopter parent
Meaning: A parent who is overly involved in their child’s life.
In a Sentence: Don’t be a helicopter parent—let your child learn from mistakes.
Other Ways to Say: Overinvolved parent, Micro-manager
8. Spare the rod, spoil the child
Meaning: Without discipline, children may become spoiled.
In a Sentence: He believes in discipline because he was raised with “spare the rod, spoil the child.”
Other Ways to Say: Discipline matters, Be firm with kids
9. Wear the pants in the family
Meaning: To be the one who makes decisions at home.
In a Sentence: Mom wears the pants in our family—she runs everything!
Other Ways to Say: Head of the house, Decision-maker
10. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree
Meaning: Children often resemble their parents.
In a Sentence: She sings beautifully like her mom—the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Other Ways to Say: Like parent, like child; Takes after
11. Empty nest
Meaning: The home after children grow up and leave.
In a Sentence: They felt sad living in an empty nest after their daughter moved out.
Other Ways to Say: Kids grown up, Quiet house
12. Over my dead body
Meaning: Strong refusal, usually by a parent.
In a Sentence: “You’re going to that party over my dead body!” Dad shouted.
Other Ways to Say: No way, Absolutely not
13. Baby steps
Meaning: Small, careful progress often encouraged by parents.
In a Sentence: Just take baby steps—you’ll learn eventually.
Other Ways to Say: One step at a time, Slow progress
14. Bundle of joy
Meaning: A newborn baby.
In a Sentence: They welcomed a new bundle of joy into their home last week.
Other Ways to Say: Newborn, Little one
15. Put your foot down
Meaning: To assert authority.
In a Sentence: My mom finally put her foot down and took away the video games.
Other Ways to Say: Be strict, Set boundaries
16. Rule with an iron fist
Meaning: To be very strict or controlling.
In a Sentence: Dad ruled with an iron fist when it came to schoolwork.
Other Ways to Say: Authoritative, Hard-nosed
17. Run in the family
Meaning: A trait or habit shared by family members.
In a Sentence: Being artistic runs in our family.
Other Ways to Say: Family trait, Inherited skill
18. Wrap someone around your finger
Meaning: Easily control or influence someone, often a parent.
In a Sentence: She has her dad wrapped around her little finger.
Other Ways to Say: Easily influenced, Soft spot
19. Breadwinner
Meaning: The parent who earns the main income.
In a Sentence: After Dad retired, Mom became the breadwinner.
Other Ways to Say: Main earner, Provider
20. Family comes first
Meaning: Prioritizing family above all else.
In a Sentence: No matter the job, my parents always said family comes first.
Other Ways to Say: Family over everything, Family is priority
21. Rule with an iron fist
Meaning: To be very strict or controlling, especially in parenting.
In a Sentence: Dad ruled with an iron fist, so we always followed the house rules.
Other Ways to Say: Be very strict, Lay down the law
22. Spare the rod, spoil the child
Meaning: If children aren’t disciplined, they will become spoiled.
In a Sentence: Grandma often said, “Spare the rod, spoil the child,” when we misbehaved.
Other Ways to Say: Discipline is necessary, Don’t let them run wild
23. Like father, like son
Meaning: Sons tend to resemble or behave like their fathers.
In a Sentence: Jack became a mechanic just like his dad—like father, like son.
Other Ways to Say: The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Takes after his father
24. Helicopter parent
Meaning: A parent who hovers and pays extreme attention to their child.
In a Sentence: His helicopter parents wouldn’t even let him cross the street alone.
Other Ways to Say: Overprotective parent, Constantly hovering
25. Mama bear
Meaning: A very protective and fierce mother.
In a Sentence: She turned into a mama bear when someone bullied her child.
Other Ways to Say: Fierce protector, Strong-willed mom
26. Breadwinner
Meaning: The person who earns the most money in the family.
In a Sentence: Mom became the breadwinner after Dad lost his job.
Other Ways to Say: Main provider, Financial head
27. Family first
Meaning: Prioritizing family over everything else.
In a Sentence: No matter how busy Dad gets, it’s always family first for him.
Other Ways to Say: Family comes before all, Prioritize loved ones
28. Put food on the table
Meaning: To earn money to support the family.
In a Sentence: Mom worked two jobs to put food on the table.
Other Ways to Say: Provide for the family, Earn a living
29. Run in the family
Meaning: A trait or behavior that is common in a family.
In a Sentence: Musical talent seems to run in the family.
Other Ways to Say: Family trait, Passed down
30. Child’s play
Meaning: Something very easy, especially in parenting when something feels too simple.
In a Sentence: Making a lunchbox is child’s play for my mom.
Other Ways to Say: Easy task, No big deal
31. Father figure
Meaning: A man who acts like a father, even if not biologically related.
In a Sentence: My coach was a father figure during my teenage years.
Other Ways to Say: Mentor, Guardian
32. Parental guidance
Meaning: Supervision and advice from parents.
In a Sentence: That movie needs parental guidance because of its violent scenes.
Other Ways to Say: Adult supervision, Parents’ advice
33. Set an example
Meaning: To behave in a way that others, especially children, should follow.
In a Sentence: Parents must set an example for their children through their actions.
Other Ways to Say: Be a role model, Show the way
34. In their footsteps
Meaning: To follow the path or career of a parent.
In a Sentence: She followed in her mother’s footsteps and became a nurse.
Other Ways to Say: Take after, Follow the legacy
35. Over your parents’ head
Meaning: To do something without your parents’ knowledge.
In a Sentence: He signed up for the trip over his parents’ head.
Other Ways to Say: Behind their back, Without permission
36. Bundle of joy
Meaning: A baby or child who brings happiness.
In a Sentence: Their new baby is a little bundle of joy.
Other Ways to Say: Little sunshine, Happy addition
37. Empty nest
Meaning: A home where the children have grown up and left.
In a Sentence: After the kids left for college, they were adjusting to an empty nest.
Other Ways to Say: Quiet home, Life without kids
38. Chip off the old block
Meaning: A child who resembles a parent closely.
In a Sentence: Emma is a chip off the old block—just like her mom.
Other Ways to Say: Lookalike, Mirror image
39. Put your foot down
Meaning: To enforce rules firmly as a parent.
In a Sentence: Dad put his foot down and said no more late-night movies.
Other Ways to Say: Take a stand, Be firm
40. Be your child’s first teacher
Meaning: Parents are the earliest educators of a child.
In a Sentence: You are your child’s first teacher, so teach kindness.
Other Ways to Say: Be the first guide, Home teacher
41. Stay-at-home parent
Meaning: A parent who stays home to raise the children.
In a Sentence: Being a stay-at-home parent is a full-time job.
Other Ways to Say: Homemaker, Full-time parent
42. Working mom/dad
Meaning: A parent who balances a career and parenting.
In a Sentence: She’s a working mom who still makes dinner every night.
Other Ways to Say: Career parent, Juggling work and family
43. Sink or swim
Meaning: To let children face challenges and learn on their own.
In a Sentence: My dad believes in the sink or swim method of teaching.
Other Ways to Say: Let them try, Tough love learning
44. Spoil rotten
Meaning: To give children too much, making them ungrateful.
In a Sentence: They spoiled their kids rotten with gifts.
Other Ways to Say: Overindulge, Pamper too much
45. Spare time
Meaning: The little free time parents get.
In a Sentence: In her spare time, Mom reads books to relax.
Other Ways to Say: Free moments, Me time
46. Tough as nails
Meaning: Very strong or resilient, like a strict parent.
In a Sentence: Dad may be tough as nails, but he loves us deeply.
Other Ways to Say: Hard on the outside, Strong-willed
47. Wear the pants
Meaning: The one who makes decisions in the family.
In a Sentence: Everyone knows Mom wears the pants in the house.
Other Ways to Say: Decision-maker, Authority figure
48. Father knows best
Meaning: Trusting the father’s decisions or advice.
In a Sentence: Even when we disagreed, we knew that father knows best.
Other Ways to Say: Dad’s always right, Listen to the elder
49. It takes a village
Meaning: Raising a child requires help from a community.
In a Sentence: With four kids, they believe it takes a village to raise them.
Other Ways to Say: Shared parenting, Community effort
50. Baby steps
Meaning: Taking small steps in parenting or child development.
In a Sentence: We’re taking baby steps toward potty training.
Other Ways to Say: Small progress, Gradual change
