Ways Parents Trick Their Children GTKY

CalinAZ · June 2014

I was remembering some creative stories that my parents told me as truths growing up (usually to make things easier for them) and was wondering about other peoples experiences. So...

First, did your parents ever tell you any creative lies/tricks (besides the usual Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, etc.)?

Second, do you have any that you're planning to use on your kids? Will you repeat ones your parents used? Ideas for your own?

christinanoelle · June 2014

My mom told me my thumb would fall off if I didn't stop sucking it. I was 4 years old and that made me stop.
She also told us that all the cookies and goodies she bought at the grocery store said "for moms only" on the box. Once we were able to read we caught on lol

CalinAZ · June 2014

My favorite that my parents told was to help us wait patiently at our favorite restaurant. We always sat at the same table, and there was a little hole in the wall next to it. We would write a note and stick it in the hole and, without fail, every time partway through the wait there would be a little note inside for us in reply. My parents told us that tiny elves lived in the wall, and we spent many meals talking about what we thought their little home was like. It was many, many years before we learned the hole opened on the other side to the hallway leading to the bathroom and my parents were the ones writing the notes.

I would love to do something like that for my kid(s). Also planning the traditional santa, but not 100% sure on the other holiday stories

smushi · June 2014

My mom told me if I ate the crust on my bread my hair would turn curly.

Our house was near the high school, and during track meets, we could hear the loud speakers. My sisters told me it was aliens.

I also found out recently that my sister tells me nephew that cokes are Adult Beverages, and that's why he can't have them. Welp, the kid went to a birthday party and his buddy had a Dr. Pepper. Nephew yells in shock, "Mom, he's got an adult beverage!"

Just wow.

AcaAwkward · June 2014

I don't really remember anything my parents did to trick me, but DD just recently learned the concept of "open and closed" and often asks if things are open... She stops whining about going somewhere if we tell her it's closed. The frozen yogurt shop and the pool and the toy store are often "closed."

RedDawnsRevenge · June 2014

My maternal grandmother told me if I wanted to grow up to have large breasts I needed to eat a lot of carrots. I'm surprised I didn't turn orange. Not sure of it was the carrots or hereditary?

Edit: after reading the above perhaps I should stop telling DD1 soda is for adults only...

smushi · June 2014

kcp913 said:

smushi said:

My mom told me if I ate the crust on my bread my hair would turn curly.

Our house was near the high school, and during track meets, we could hear the loud speakers. My sisters told me it was aliens.

I also found out recently that my sister tells me nephew that cokes are Adult Beverages, and that's why he can't have them. Welp, the kid went to a birthday party and his buddy had a Dr. Pepper. Nephew yells in shock, "Mom, he's got an adult beverage!"

Just wow.

I was told the same about crusts. Now I have curly hair (it used to be stick straight) coincidence?

My sister was afraid of thunderstorms so we told her that it was angels bowling and that the thunder and lightening was them getting a strike

I always heard that thunder was "the devil was beating his wife"...

BeckyF82 · June 2014

My mum and Dad used to decorate the house at Christmas each year one night when we were asleep and always told us it was the Christmas fairies that did it.

Santa would also always reply to our letters. The paper was always covered in "magic Santa dust" (glitter) and his handwriting was always shaky because it was so cold at the North Pole.

My MIL used to tell DH that the red light on the central heating dial on the wall was Santa's security camera and if it was on it meant he was watching them to see if they were being good. It was on a lot in winter!

I once really wanted trainers with lights that flashed when I walked. All my friends had them. My mum bought me a pair and told me the light would only start working when I had done enough walking in them first. It took me a month of wearing them non stop before I realised she was lying.

RubiksElf · June 2014

My mom told me air pressure gauges were called caterpillars. I didn't find out for 5+ years they aren't really called that. To this day, I still call them that. Pretty funny!

edoliesmom · June 2014

I was born with weird skin tags on my ears, so in order to feel special about it instead of self-conscious, my mom told me that before I was born, I was in heaven with God. She said He would kiss me on my face to make my nose, my eyes, and when He kissed my ears, He gave me extra kisses because He loved me so much.

CalinAZ · June 2014

SLSchuerg said:

I was born with weird skin tags on my ears, so in order to feel special about it instead of self-conscious, my mom told me that before I was born, I was in heaven with God. She said He would kiss me on my face to make my nose, my eyes, and when He kissed my ears, He gave me extra kisses because He loved me so much.

@SLSchuerg - That's so sweet!

olenkapdx · June 2014

My parents planned to take me to Disney World but it rained. Instead, they took me to a strip mall nearby that sold Disney figurines in one of the stores and said we were at Disney World. I believed them.

(They did actually take me to Disney World a year or so later.)

Twirple · June 2014

My former step mom told me that the blackened parts from when she burned dinner would whiten my teeth. With the way she cooked, I should be able to star in tooth paste commercials.

nycgirlkat · June 2014

smushi said:
My mom told me if I ate the crust on my bread my hair would turn curly.

Our house was near the high school, and during track meets, we could hear the loud speakers. My sisters told me it was aliens.

I also found out recently that my sister tells me nephew that cokes are Adult Beverages, and that's why he can't have them. Welp, the kid went to a birthday party and his buddy had a Dr. Pepper. Nephew yells in shock, "Mom, he's got an adult beverage!"

Just wow.

My grandmother used the same eat your bread crusts for curly hair!!! It didn't work...

My mom used to tell me that if I ate dry pasta I'd get worms. Wasn't true either.

My friend had a can of diet coke one morning recently while driving her 5 year old daughter to school. When her daughter kept asking for a sip she turned around and told her she put beer in it and couldn't drink it. I'm shocked her daughter didn't tell any of her teachers "mom's swigging beer at 8 am while she drives me to school".

eireyes · June 2014

I told my little sister that the water chestnuts in dinner were overcooked potatoes (I probably should have said undercooked, but hey, I was 11) and not to complain about not liking them because it would hurt my mom's feelings. She hated water chestnuts, and eating them was always a fight, but she didn't say a word that night. Told my mom years later and I thought she was going to die laughing!

ksulli · June 2014

I was told crust would make my bair curly. No such luck. Now I tell my 3yo the same thing.

We also made magic cookies in our toy kitchen and then would have to go play outside. When we came in, elves has put cookies in our toy oven. Sometimes those elves made chocolate chip cookies. If mom was busy, they made Oreos.

LaNorte · June 2014

Growing up, we had a small closet-like room in the basement where the sub pump well was. To keep us from going in there, my dad told us there was a werewolf in it. Definitely worked - we were terrified to play down there alone for years. Thanks Dad.

ashcole28 · June 2014

When I was in 3rd grade our house burnt down and we didn't have time to get my cat out. When I asked what happened to miss kitty my dad always told me she jumped out was running. To this day he tells me she's still running.

RedDawnsRevenge · June 2014

@ashcole28‌ that's horrible! When I was a kid I had a tortoise named myrtle. My aunt thought myrtles shell felt soft so she took him and the tank outside. Apparently it got so hot he cooked in his little glass tank. They told me myrtle the turtle ran away...

smushi · June 2014

@ashcole28 that's really sad!

My parents sort of did the same thing to me but I was a little older. My cat had somehow broken her back (but oddly still walking and didn't seem in pain). My mom took her to the vet to 'get better'. Three weeks later I asked when the cat was coming home. Bubble burst = parent hate

sking72 · June 2014

Whenever we drove over a bridge my dad would yell "look at the whale/seal/dolphin! Ohh you missed it!"

I can't think of any other ones for some reason... Maybe my parent were honest, or maybe I still believe them!

I told my boss'a kid when my cow died that she went to another farm because she was sick and they were going to take care of her. His response "what if she died there?" Well, idk kid, I'm not having the dead pet conversation with someone else's kids.

SoulTermination · June 2014

My mom used to tell me that dead cats lying on the side of the road were just sleeping, so I wouldn't be sad about their deaths.

Teresa1896 · June 2014

I told dd today that if she pees in a pool, the water turns red and everyone will know she peed.

I don'tknow that it was a deterrent, but oh well!

BabyBsMommy · June 2014

Ooopsbaby14 said:
My oldest would eat ham and that's it as far as meat. We got her to try turkey by telling her it was white ham. Then did the same with steak. She thinks it's hilarious that she fell for it.

We did the same with DS...except all meat was chicken.

Whenever we drive by grandma's house, I have to tell him she's not home or he has a big fit and wants to go see her instead of to daycare.

My dad used to put Chapstick on all my cuts and scrapes when I was little (like the windex guy in "my big fat Greek wedding"). I didn't know Chapstick was for lips until middle school.

fourthnlast · June 2014

I tell my kids the ice cream truck only plays music when they are out of ice cream.

I'm an asshole.

Bailey'sbride · July 2014

@aronie82‌ I read that as "poop was really brown water". So confused! Glad it was pop not poop.

Bluebird2318 · July 2014

My mom let me watch Forrest Gump when I was little. If you recall, there is a point where Abbie Hoffman is at the mic in front of the Washington Monument asking Forrest about "Viet-fucking-nam!" and Forrest makes some comment about "the 'f' word." I asked my mom what "the 'f' word" was. Of course she told me it was "Forrest." That was one of my favorite movies when I was little too. The first time I watched it as an adult and realized that it referenced drugs, sex, suicide, molestation and assorted other non-child-friendly elements I was amazed. I was like 19 or 20 and hadn't seen it since I was very little.

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Ways Parents Trick Their Children GTKY

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