Being a child at home alone in the summer is a high-risk occupation. If you call your mother at work thirteen times an hour, she can hurt you.

The quote "Being a child at home alone in the summer is a high-risk occupation. If you call your mother at work thirteen times an hour, she can hurt you" is from Erma Bombeck, an American humorist and newspaper columnist known for her witty takes on suburban family life. In this humorous statement, Bombeck reflects on the chaos that can unfold when a child is left home alone during the summer. It highlights the potential mischief and boredom a child might experience, leading them to repeatedly seek attention from their mother while she’s at work.

Bombeck uses the phrase "high-risk occupation" to exaggerate the unpredictable and potentially troublesome nature of being home alone as a child. The reference to calling her mother thirteen times an hour suggests the child's constant need for interaction and reassurance, which can be overwhelming for the parent. The humor lies in the imagined consequences of such behavior—specifically, that the mother’s patience would wear thin, and she might retaliate in some way.

The line "she can hurt you" is an exaggeration, typical of Bombeck’s humorous style. It implies that the constant interruptions and the child’s excessive calls could push a parent to their limits, perhaps causing frustration or even a playful threat of punishment. The humor is in the relatable reality of trying to manage both parenting and work, as well as the miscommunication or impatience that often arises in such situations.

In essence, Bombeck’s quote captures the humor in the parent-child dynamic, particularly the challenges of parenting while trying to balance work and household responsibilities. The playful exaggeration about calling too many times paints a picture of the summer routine that many parents and children can relate to, where a child’s boredom and a parent’s frustration collide in funny, yet familiar, ways.