Fair is where you see the pigs!

So, a very common phrase heard around our house is "That's not fair, Mom!!"  Some of my children seem to remember everything I have ever done or said, and use that in their arguments explaining why my treatment of them is unfair.  They may not actually even say the phrase, but the meaning is there when they tell me they shouldn't have to clean up a mess because they didn't make it.  Or when I tell them on their dish day, that they need to unload the dishwasher again even though they did it once that day already.  My oldest daughter was quite put out when her younger sister got a cell phone when she was still in 9th grade, because she didn't get one until the summer after 9th grade. (I am happy to say that she has grown out of this problem now, and was the one encouraging us to get a phone for her brother while he was still in 8th grade.)  The other night I was telling one of my kids to go to bed. They weren't so much concerned about the time they went to bed it seemed, they were mostly concerned that they got to stay up later than their younger sibling.  Sometimes my kids will tell me about things I did or said years ago, and remind me of just how unfair I was.  Most of the time I don't even know what they are talking about, but obviously I have issues with fairness.    As a parent I really try to not favor one child over the other, and split up responsibilities fairly, but it is just not possible to be perfect at it.  I am pretty sure I spoil my youngest, just like my parents spoiled me, but I think I turned out mostly OK. Hopefully he will too.  I used to always tell my kids the that life wasn't fair, but a friend of mine told us what she tells her kids and I have decided to adopt it...Fair is where you see the pigs! (My children don't think it is nearly as clever as I do!)