Parents worldwide and across generations are known to tell their children a few harmless lies. The reason could be any – avoid an uncomfortable conversation, encourage good behavior, or make them feel good about something. Here are 14 lies your parents told you as a kid that were never true.
1. Your Nose Will Grow If You Lie
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There was a boy called Pinocchio whose nose grew longer every time he lied. If your parents narrated this story often and called it ‘real,’ it was just a fib to stop you from lying.
2. Santa Is Real
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By the time you were preteens, you would probably have known that Santa didn’t exist in real life. However, your parents wanted you to believe in the magic of the Christmas holidays and instill the values of kindness and love in you.
3. It Is Closed
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Do you ever remember your parents trying to convince you that a toy store, ice cream shop, park, or beach is closed that day? They were just too tired or busy to go out.
4. Storks Deliver Babies
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‘Where do the babies come from?’ This is one of the most common questions that kids ask their parents. If your parents fabricated the story of ‘stock delivering babies,’ you were not ready for the ‘The Birds and Bees Talk.’
5. A Tree Will Grow Inside You
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Your parents said this to you to prevent you from swallowing watermelon seeds or orange pips. They didn’t want you to get an upset stomach.
6. Knuckle-Cracking Will Give You Arthritis
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Children crack their knuckles to release their nervous energy or enjoy the ‘snapping’ or ‘popping’ sound. Your parents may have found this habit annoying when you were a child. Hence, they told you a lie to get you a little scared.
7. I Love What You Did
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No matter how messy your piece of drawing or bad-tasting your first handmade food was, your parents would have appreciated it. They didn’t want to hurt your feelings or curb your potential to become the next Picasso or MasterChef.
8. We’re Out Of Cookies/Chocolates
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As a child, you wouldn’t have understood that eating too many cookies or chocolates can give you a sugar rush, and your parents would have had a hard time putting you to sleep. So, they pretended that they had run out of the stock.
9. I Don’t Have Money For That
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This is another common lie you fell for as a kid. Your parents didn’t want to buy a toy or a doll you insisted on. They knew you would most likely toss it away after playing with it for a few days.
10. I Will Complain To Your Teacher/Father/Mother
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When your actions or behavior would have become difficult to handle, your parent resorted to this lie. Children usually maintain discipline in front of their teachers or a particularly strict parent of the two.
11. It Takes Seven Years To Digest A Chewing Gum
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A piece of chewing gum is not only a choking hazard for children but also increases dental bills for parents. Is it any surprise that your parents had to prevent you from eating chewing gum with a lie?
12. I Am Drinking Medicine
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When adults drink coffee or alcohol, children want a taste, too, to feel grown-up. If you did the same, then your parents had to invent the excuse of drinking medicine so that you wouldn’t bother them again. They may also have told you that coffee stunts growth.
13. We Are Almost There
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It isn’t easy to survive on long car journeys when children ask, ‘Are we there yet?’ every few minutes. The only way parents could have shut your mouth was ‘We are almost there’.
14. This Song Means That Truck Is Out Of Ice Cream
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Remember peeping out of your windows when you heard the song ‘The Entertainer’ or ‘The Band Played On’? It meant that an ice cream truck had arrived on your street. Unfortunately, your parents didn’t want you to eat one. They made you believe the truck played these songs when they ran out of ice cream.