Simply 19 weird but harmless lies told by parents

Over on Reddit, u/rizozzy1 asked people an intriguing question:

What weird but harmless lies did your parents tell you as a child?

He added this –

My dad used to say that spicy food is no good, as spices are only used to hide the flavour of rotten meat. Turns out he’s just a spicy food hater and used this old myth to avoid anything with flavour.

Everybody’s parents tell them weird lies – it’s in the job description – so there were plenty of responses to choose from, and these really stood out.

1.

Whenever I had a bar of chocolate, I’d offer my dad a piece. He always said he couldn’t taste the chocolate from the first piece, so needed a second to get the full flavour.

Fell for it every time.
SpRambo

2.

When I was little my dad told me the government send you your signature once they decide you’re “ready”.

I only worked out this was total bullshit when I was 14, and I tried to explain to the postie why I couldn’t sign for a package.
ravioli_rattlesnake

3.

Sheep had 2 legs shorter than the other (as in both right or both left) growing up on mountain sides so they would have to circle the mountain or hill as they could not turn around or they would fall over.
SquidgeSquadge

4.

Many years ago I was on a uni field trip with a friend who started to kick off when we drove by a Little Chef… upon asking her what was to hate about Little Chef she explained their “pudding policy” and how you couldn’t have pudding unless you finished all of your main meal…. 19 years old and she hadn’t clicked it was her parent’s policy!
TobyChan

5.

Bit of a random one, but my family convinced my younger sister that rice pudding made her invisible.
MadameTaffTaff

6.

My grandparents told me that if I ate while standing up the food would go to my legs instead of my stomach.
Flaming_Monobrow

7.

That my uncle was Mr blobby believed that for about two years before I asked my uncle about it and he straight up looked confused then laughed at me I was only little like 6 to 8 but I fully believed it.
Snowey212

8.

My dad told me it was illegal to say Eric Cantona’s name (he’s a Leeds fan) and that you could be sued for millions if you were heard saying it.

Believed it for years and it was a conversation at school in year 7 when I realised – very embarrassing!
TheLookingGlass-

9.

Mum always told me that cold water boiled faster in the kettle. Turns out that the cold tap just produced less limescale and meant less cleaning of the kettle.

Why she couldn’t have just told me that, I don’t know. I was in my early twenties before I realised that it couldn’t possibly be physically true.
LeSwagueMasque