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Food Fibs: The Lies We Tell Our Kids
Parents don’t always tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth to their kids. In fact, some of us are pretty adept when it comes to lying in order to get our kids to do what we want them to do. And nowhere are our fibs more fantastic than at the dinner table. Whether we are trying to convince a picky eater to try a new food or to lay off a favorite one, breaking out the bogus is sometimes the easiest way to get our way.
CNN’s Eatocracy knows what I’m talking about. They’ve polled colleagues and friends to find out how they bend the truth when it comes to kids and food. Some of these we’ve heard before. In fact, my own mother told me the one about swallowed gum staying in your stomach for seven years. Apparently, that is not true. And who didn’t grow up thinking that swallowed watermelon seeds would grow in your stomach?
Oddly enough, bread crusts seem to be the cause of many a tall tale. Eating it will make your hair curly. All the nutrients are in there. It helps you whistle (like birds, get it?)
My own kid believes that chocolate will make her skin break out and that caffeine consumed after 3 pm will cause nightmares. A colleague here at Strollerderby has convinced her kids that eating foods that contain “fake sugar” will make them throw up. What food fibs have you told your kids?
Image: DMJarvey/Flickr
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11 Comments
[...] Food Fibs: The Lies We Tell Our Kids [...]
IVF Linked to Cancer | Strollerderby commented on Jul 19 10 at 3:46 pm[...] Food Fibs: The Lies We Tell Our Kids [...]
Stop Picky Eating – Latest Stop Picky Eating news – London Trip 2010: British Airways Experience in Club World – SALE NEWS commented on Dec 14 10 at 5:57 ambob commented on Jul 19 10 at 1:08 pmGo ahead, tell lies to your kids. One of these days, it will make your tongue turn black.
Snarky Mama commented on Jul 19 10 at 3:01 pmI’ll admit it: from about age 1.5 until he was about 5, I let my son believe the ice cream truck was really just a “music truck” that visited our neighborhood simply to spread cheer and good will.
Even worse? When he found out the trucks really sell ice cream, I said something like, “Wow! I wish I knew about that sooner!”
mbaker commented on Jul 19 10 at 6:50 pmMy husband and I avoid feeding our son fast food except for the rare treat of Chick-Fil-A. A month ago we were passing a McDonalds and my son asked me what that was. I told him the name of the place and that the food there gives his dad and I tummy aches because the food is extremely unhealthy which is true. The last time my husband and I stopped there was during a road trip and we were both really sick afterwards. Somehow my son was convinced that McDonalds food also gives him tummy aches and we’ve let him believe that.
deebee commented on Jul 20 10 at 3:41 pmRE: bread crust…. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/11/021105080817.htm
Seriously, I thought this study was on Babble a year or so back…? So that one is true, except for the curly hair thing. I heard that about carrots, but it was pregnancy that did it for me.
MommyLies commented on Oct 19 10 at 5:23 pmI have my kids convinced that the candy by the check-out counter at the grocery store are doggy treats. I should feel guilty, but I don’t. Just hope I can keep the lie going for a few more years.
Gina commented on Aug 25 11 at 5:10 amI told my daughter that Candy is spicy! She won’t go near the stuff.
Kristina commented on Nov 15 11 at 9:45 pmMy sister doesn’t want my nephew to eat the food at Chucky Cheese, there are other fun places to go! She started telling him one day that they were closed…every time we see the commercial…he says “Oh that place always closed” He also believes that all gumball machines are “broken”. She gives him the occasional treat when deserved, but uses those quick lies to avoid tantrums. A friend of mine also uses the “Music Truck” line for Ice Cream trucks!
CaioBella commented on Dec 03 11 at 3:53 pmI used to tell my kids that meat was just a regular food, I did not say that it was an animal. After watching “Meet You Meat” I decided that the lies are not worth it. My kids now know that meat was an animal.
abeautyandthefeast commented on Feb 05 12 at 5:41 pmDon’t we all lie to our children in for the holidays. The man in the red suit!
http://abeautyandthefeast.blogspot.com/
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