Pass the Bean Dip

Sue Patterson
Over the years, moms have shared ways to cleverly remove themselves from awkward situations. One of these methods is frequently referred to as, “Pass the Bean Dip.”

The saying was circulated a lot on message boards from the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. Some attribute the saying to someone named Joanne at The Well-Trained Mind forum. But I have my doubts. It sounds like a southern saying to me, something that may have been passed on from grandmas to aunts, etc.

When someone is asking questions about how you are unschooling (or even parenting) your child, and you’re fairly sure they’re not  really  looking for answers, you can get out of the hot seat by using a little distraction: “Pass the bean dip.”

Maybe you’re not ready to go toe-to-toe in an argument about your parenting choice, or maybe the time or place is not ideal.

“Oh dahlin', be a dear and pass the bean dip, would you please?”

This will be your ticket to breathe more easily and switch up the conversation.

It’s not unlike a sports or weather distraction,

“How ’bout those Rangers?” or

“Can you believe this weather?”

Another possibility is to ask the other person about their own children, job, lives – people really prefer to talk about themselves than listen to you! 

“Could you pass me that bean dip?”

Read a little more about how to handle difficult conversations with friends and family! 

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