Parenting can be challenging and rewarding, often requiring unique expressions to describe the journey. Here are 20 idiomatic ways to talk about parenting in English, each with a brief meaning and an example sentence to enhance your understanding.

1. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree

Meaning: Children resemble their parents
Example: Look at her, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

2. Spare the rod, spoil the child

Meaning: Lack of discipline spoils children
Example: They believe in spare the rod, spoil the child.

3. Bundle of joy

Meaning: A newborn baby
Example: Their little bundle of joy arrived last night.

4. Tiger mom

Meaning: Strict, demanding mother
Example: She’s a tiger mom, always pushing for the best.

5. Birds and the bees

Meaning: Talk about reproduction
Example: It’s time for the birds and the bees talk.

6. Chip off the old block

Meaning: A child similar to their parent
Example: He’s a chip off the old block, just like his dad.

7. Like father, like son

Meaning: Sons resemble their fathers
Example: Like father, like son, they’re both great athletes.

8. It takes a village

Meaning: Community effort in raising children
Example: They say it takes a village to raise a child.

9. Empty nest

Meaning: Children have left home
Example: They’re adjusting to life with an empty nest.

10. Bundle of nerves

Meaning: Very anxious
Example: Before the school play, she was a bundle of nerves.

11. Baby blues

Meaning: Postpartum depression
Example: She struggled with the baby blues after childbirth.

12. Over the moon

Meaning: Extremely happy
Example: They were over the moon about their new baby.

13. Sleep like a baby

Meaning: Sleep soundly
Example: After a long day, he slept like a baby.

14. Helicopter parent

Meaning: Overprotective parent
Example: She’s a helicopter parent, always hovering around her kids.

15. Bundle of energy

Meaning: Very energetic child
Example: Their toddler is a bundle of energy, always on the go.

16. Be fruitful and multiply

Meaning: Have many children
Example: They took the advice to be fruitful and multiply seriously.

17. Nanny state

Meaning: Overprotective government
Example: Some believe in less nanny state interference in parenting.

18. Mother hen

Meaning: Overprotective mother
Example: She’s a mother hen, always fussing over her kids.

19. Eat like a bird

Meaning: Eat very little
Example: Their daughter eats like a bird at dinner.

20. The stork

Meaning: Brings babies (myth)
Example: They joked that the stork would visit soon.