Lies Your Parents Probably Told You | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

Lies Your Parents Probably Told You

You probably still believe some of these

77
Lies Your Parents Probably Told You
practicingparents.com

Parents lie. Mom and Dad will try to deny it, but it's something we've all come to know and accept as we've gotten older. Here are some of the most common fibs parents tell their kids.

If you play in the rain you'll catch a cold


I remember the look on my mother's face the exact moment I realized this was false. Little nine year old me looked her dead in the eye and said, "No I won't! It's just like taking a cold shower!" Playing in the rain itself won’t make you sick, however, extreme changes in temperature can stress your body out which can make it harder to fight off a cold.

Where do babies come from?


This is a question many parents dread and one which many of us have received some very interesting answers to. Hopefully, by our late teenage years we have discovered the coveted secret of where we all come from. Excuses from the cabbage patch to the stork to the internet are still widely used by parents to protect their children's innocence.

Don't sit too close to the TV or you'll ruin your eyesight

This myth came about in the 60's when old TVs emitted radiation that could cause eye problems later in life. Modern TVs no longer hold this risk. The only negative effects of sitting too close to a TV set are short term (like eye strain and fatigue) which can easily be cured with rest. These effects however can also be caused by watching TV from a "reasonable" distance for long periods of time as well. In fact, it has actually been proven that young children focus on objects better at close ranges.

If you swallow gum it will get stuck in your stomach for seven years


This one is completely false. At the most, gum will take about 2 days to pass through your system. Although I wouldn't recommend swallowing large quantities of Wrigley's, rest assured the occasional slip won't kill you.

The family pet went to live on a farm

For young kids, it can be hard to comprehend the concept of death so many parents have spoken this lie to protect the child's feelings. I personally still believe my family dog is living on a farm somewhere in Rhode Island. I'm not in denial or anything.

You need to wait 30 minutes after eating before you go swimming


This lie is a pretty common one and is based upon the belief that after you eat a large meal, blood is diverted from your limbs to assist with the digestion process. A lack of blood and oxygen as well as fatigue can increase chances of cramping which may result in drowning. Although some blood is diverted to assist with digestion, it is not enough to significantly impact your swimming ability. There is actually little medical evidence to suggest that waiting 30 minutes to swim after eating decreases risk of drowning.

Your face will freeze like that


The best way to get back at your siblings or friends is obviously by making ridiculous faces. Rest assured there is no way your face could actually freeze in that cross-eyed, tongue out, ears pulled position unless you have some pre-existing muscular condition. The only things that could possibly result from pulling funny faces are laugh and frown lines later in life, but hey we all get them. Why not enjoy the process?

If you eat raw cookie dough you'll get sick


This one is actually probably true, but I refuse to admit my mother was right. Moderation is key my friends.

Santa/ Tooth Fairy/ Easter Bunny


No list of parental lies would be complete without this one. Childhoods have been crushed, dreams dashed because of this knowledge.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Gilmore Girls
Hypable

In honor of Mother’s Day, I have been thinking of all the things my mom does for my family and me. Although I couldn’t write nearly all of them, here are a few things that moms do for us.

They find that shirt that’s right in front of you, but just you can’t seem to find.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

10 Reasons To Thank Your Best Friend

Take the time to thank that one friend in your life you will never let go of.

4387
Thank You on wooden blocks

1. Thank you for being the one I can always count on to be honest.

A true friend will tell you if the shirt is ugly, or at least ask to borrow it and "accidentally" burn it.

2. Thank you for accepting me for who I am.

A best friend will love you regardless of the stale french fries you left on the floor of your car, or when you had lice in 8th grade and no one wanted to talk to you.

Keep Reading...Show less
sick student
StableDiffusion

Everybody gets sick once in a while, but getting sick while in college is the absolute worst. You're away from home and your mom who can take care of you and all you really want to do is just be in your own bed. You feel like you will have never-ending classwork to catch up on if you miss class, so you end up going sick and then it just takes longer to get better. Being sick in college is really tough and definitely not a fun experience. Here are the 15 stages that everyone ends up going through when they are sick at college.

Keep Reading...Show less
kid
Janko Ferlic
Do as I say, not as I do.

Your eyes widen in horror as you stare at your phone. Beads of sweat begin to saturate your palm as your fingers tremble in fear. The illuminated screen reads, "Missed Call: Mom."

Growing up with strict parents, you learn that a few things go unsaid. Manners are everything. Never talk back. Do as you're told without question. Most importantly, you develop a system and catch on to these quirks that strict parents have so that you can play their game and do what you want.

Keep Reading...Show less
friends
tv.com

"Friends" maybe didn’t have everything right or realistic all the time, but they did have enough episodes to create countless reaction GIFs and enough awesomeness to create, well, the legacy they did. Something else that is timeless, a little rough, but memorable? Living away from the comforts of home. Whether you have an apartment, a dorm, your first house, or some sort of residence that is not the house you grew up in, I’m sure you can relate to most of these!

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments