Little White Lies that we tell our Kids

daisy_doughnut_2

my nan used to tell me that ulsers an them little white spots you get on your tonge were because you had told a lie an to get rid of them you had to tell mummmy what you had lied about

the amount of trouble i got into as a child was ridiculas..lol

i told my child that all swear words could be detected by santa an he wouldnt come if he heard one

so one day she comes running in crying unconsoleably saying im going to bed because im naughty when i asked what she had done she said i swore so im sending my self to bed so santa might see im really sorry i asked her what she said and after alot of convinceing that she could say it again just to tell me she had said b ugger

all these things we tell our children make better child hood memories i think

seven-day-weekend

We used to tell our son that if he pulled a really awful face at the traffic lights, they would change (and of course, if there is a delay, it means his face isn't awful enough and he'll have to do better)!

The one I remember most was one day when we took him to Caenarfon Castle, he was about four, and there was a sign saying keep off the grass. He ran on the grass and we told him to come off, saying the King who lived in the Castle would be cross.

He spent the rest of the visit anxiously looking up at the windows making sure the King wasn't watching him.

If we'd have known then what we know now, we would not have said it, as now he's an adult we've all realised he has Aspergers Syndrome and, especially as a child, took remarks like that far more seriously and literally than most children of his age. Whoops!!!:eek:

scuzie

My OH used to tell his son that he had to talk to the car nicely before the doors would unlock and he could get in. He would then press the bleeper and unlock it. Worked for years!:rotfl:

myrnahaz

I used to tell my kids that the car wouldn't start unless they all had their seatbelts on. It worked a treat.
If they asked for a toy or something expensive, I'd tell them they could have it for christmas - this satisfied them and they usually promptly forgot about it (while they were still young-ish and provided it was earlier in the year than November).
There was also a 'naughty boy/girl bus' that could be reached with a simple phonecall. It would come and take all the naughty children away unless they started listening to their mother immediately.
One gem that I discovered by accident was the time I arrived home from school with the 2 kids in the back of the car; they'd been really naughty all the way home and we'd all got out of the car when I remembered I'd forgotten to go to the post office to post the parcel in the boot - so I shouted 'Back in the car!!'. DD asked where were we going to which I shouted 'to the post office!!. This was followed by 5 minutes of silence until DD whispered 'are you going to post us?' - I couldn't stop laughing but I said 'YES!'. I'm not ashamed to say that I threatened them with the post office regularly after that, lol.

shelley24

My mum tells my DS that there is a little boy down the street who has no toys and if he doesn't look after his toys she will give them to "Joe" because he will treat it with care. TBH it doesnt make a blind bit of difference at the moment, he either doesnt care or doesnt believe her, lol

the only one that does get him to listen is santa's watching and he wont bring you any toys if you misbehave!

positivelymummy

i've just remembered one my older cousin used to do to her little brother, when she was looking after him, and he was naughty, she used to say that she was phoning the police (haven't we all said that!?) but she used to phone 160 which back in the 80's was the piccadilly radio station line, so you could hear someone speaking on the other end, and if they were playing music, she would say, can you turn the radio down please seargent as i want you to hear what stuart has done now!:D

RadoJo

Some of the things on here are pretty mean. My Dad used to tell me similar things, and whilst I am sure it was hilarious for him, I used to be genuinely upset about some of them. I would be horrified if someone threatened my kids with illness, or being taken away for being bad as a 'joke' or because they couldn't be bothered with discipline/teaching children the difference between acceptable and unnacceptable behaviour. I believed until I was 20 that I was such an ugly baby there were no photos of me, which was a 'joke' started by my father and made me feel ugly throughout my entire childhood. It's not just that you tell them someone might take them away, it's the fact that they may believe you would let someone take them away - parents are supposed to make their kids feel secure and safe and as though their parents will always be there.

I am sure some people will call me a kill-joy, and to be fair there are plenty of things on here which I can foresee causing no distress at all, but I think a minority of you are teaching your kids that they can't rely on their parents to tell them the truth - who can they rely on?


Edit - Reading this back, I'm sure most of you will think I am being pathetic, but I was affected by lies told to me as a child, so I can't pretend to be particularly objective about any of this. Aoplogies if my comments seem over the top.

nej

Those ice-cream van tricks don't work in my house. As soon as she hears the bells, my wife jumps up yelling "Ice cream!" and comes and asks me if I've got any money.

myrnahaz

You're not completely right, RadoJo - nor completely wrong. I had two beautifully behaved children who were a pleasure to behold. I had absolutely no problem with disciplining them and certainly feel no guilt at threatening them with the 'naughty bus' when required. However, I have been amazed at their (now adult) stories of their childhood perceptions and agree that you need to be very sure of their feelings before making flippant comments.
Fore example, when DS (then aged 10) asked me the classic 'Was I adopted'. I instantly replied 'do you really think that if I had the choice of any child in the world that I'd have chosen you?'. He laughed and said 'I suppose not'. Looking back, it could so easily have damaged the poor lad, but he was a very quick witted and happy child who could see it for the joke it was intended to be, and I knew exactly how he would take such a horrid comment (he has since told me that he thought it was very funny at the time). If I'd said the same thing to DD she would have been devastated - so I agree you need to be very careful.
I also remember relating funny things that my kids had said or done to my Mum, but I stopped doing this after DD said that she found it a bit embarassing, so I wasn't totally insensitive.

mummy_Jay

My dad once told my sister that as he was in the forces that everytime he heard the national anthem he had to stand to attention and solute.

So she sat outside the toilet one day when he was in there and played it on her recorder.

He was a good sport and came out complaining that some rotter had been playing the national anthem when he was on the toilet and he had to stand to attention and solute

another one my mother used was if the wind changes you'll stay like that. So true, I still have the same dirty grin I had then. LOL