Children believe everything adults say to them. This is because they rarely become skeptical at their age. They don’t face conflicts between what they already believe in and what they are told as much as adults do. Plus, they are inclined to trust older people.
Unfortunately, although not with bad intentions, some adults take advantage of kids’ trusting nature. Here are 40 good examples of the most absurd lies adults tell children.
1. It’s illegal to keep the lights in the car on at all times.
It’s not really illegal. It’s just probably distracting for the driver.
2. Sitting too close to the TV may hurt your eyes.
This isn’t entirely false. Sitting too close to the TV may cause eye strain which can be uncomfortable. However, if you only did it once or twice, your eyes should be alright.
3. Peeing in the pool will cause the water to turn red.
There’s no special chemical in pools that’ll make the water turn red after coming in contact with urine. However, you should still refrain from peeing in the pool. It’s just gross.
4. Swallowed gum will stay in your gut for 7 years.
Gums are just like any other food. If you eat it and swallow it, your stomach will just push it out. It won’t stay there for years.
5. Drinking coffee may stunt a kid’s growth.
This could be due to the notion that caffeine may reduce calcium absorption. However, the effect is so small that there’s no way it can stunt kids’ growth.
6. Before swimming, wait for 30 minutes.
Swimming after eating isn’t dangerous. However, for your safety, you should wait for a couple of minutes before you hit the water. Digestion may divert some of the blood flow to your stomach which can trigger muscle cramps.
7. Touching a toad can cause warts.
Toads can’t give you warts. Honestly, I don’t think any amphibians can do that. People probably had the wrong idea because of the wart-looking bumps toads have on their skin.
8. If you eat watermelon seeds, they’ll grow in your stomach.
Your stomach doesn’t offer the perfect environment for watermelons to grow. You should be fine even after accidentally swallowing one or two seeds.
9. Making faces will leave your face looking that way forever.
Your skin and muscles are elastic. Even if you make faces all day, your face won’t stay that way.
10. Sneezing with your eyes open will cause them to fall out.
Sneezing can cause the pressure in your eyes to increase. However, the pressure isn’t enough to literally push your eyeballs out.
11. Cracking your knuckles can cause arthritis
Cracking your knuckles won’t cause arthritis or larger knuckles.. The sound it creates is just the negative pressure sucking nitrogen gas into the joint. It may cause loud and distracting sounds, but it isn’t harmful.
12. A leftover grain of rice on your plate is equal to a year of bad luck.
Kids shouldn’t be threatened with the idea of bad luck. They should simply be taught that wasting food is disrespectful.
13. Reading in the dark may damage the eyes.
Reading in the dark may cause headache and eyestrain but it can’t do permanent damage to your eyes. It won’t cause a decline in your vision, too.
14. Sugar makes kids hyperactive.
Sugar making kids hyperactive is just an old wive’s tale. Children won’t experience changes in their behavior just because they ate sweets. Parents should be more concerned about sugar’s effect on their kids’ teeth.
15. You tend to lose more body heat through the head.
In the cold season, your head is probably less covered compared to the rest of your body. This causes you to lose more body heat through that area. If you wear a hat or cover your head, you shouldn’t be concerned about this.
16. There are different sections in your tongue for different tastes.
Some areas of your tongue may taste certain flavors more strongly, but that doesn’t mean that you can taste specific flavors in specific parts of your tongue. All parts of your mouth that have taste buds can sense all taste qualities.
17. You can find the North Pole on the north side of the Earth.
The North pole isn’t really in the north. It may actually correspond to a magnetic south pole.
18. You have five senses.
You can actually have more than 5 senses, depending on how you define senses. For scientists, humans may have as much as 14 to 12 senses.
19. Eating carrots can help improve your vision.
Carrots are rich in beta-carotene which your body can convert to vitamin A. Including them in your diet might help with your vision but they won’t make you see without your glasses or read in the dark.
20. Don’t wake up sleepwalkers.
Waking up sleepwalkers won’t cause heart attack or brain damage. However, if you plan on waking up one, consider your safety. Sleepwalkers tend to be combative.
21. Dogs can only see in black and white.
Dogs’s vision isn’t just limited to black and white. They can actually see grays, blues, and yellows.
22. You can see the Great Wall of China from outer space.
Yes, it’s true that you can see this famous tourist spot from outer space. However, for you to be able to do that, you’ll need telescopic lenses. You won’t be able to see the Great Wall with just your naked eyes.
23. Adam and Eve ate an apple.
Adam and Eve ate a fruit in the bible. However, it wasn’t really specified if the fruit was an apple. Some say that it could be fig or pomegranate.
24. Penguins are monogamous.
Penguins stick to one partner during mating season. Next year, they’ll find a new partner.
25. You’re just using 10% of your brain power.
This isn’t quite true. All the parts of your brain are working at full capacity to sustain life.
26. Pee on a jelly fish to lessen pain.
Your urine won’t help with jellyfish stings. Instead of peeing, the first thing you need to do is to remove the tentacles using anything but your bare fingers. Pour an acidic solution, like vinegar, to disable the nematocytes. Take a flat object and scrape off the stinging cells.
27. Bees can only see yellow.
Bees are able to see lighter colors better. This is why they react better to yellow and green colors.
As for the darker colors, they can only seem them as black.
28. Bulls despise the red color.
Bulls are color blind. They don’t attack red flags because of their color but because of the way they are waved.
29. It’s ok to follow the five-second rule.
Technically, if a food falls down on the floor, it will pick up bacteria the second it touches the surface of the floor. So if you drop your food, consider it contaminated.
30. You’ll get a cold if you go outdoors with wet hair.
You won’t catch a cold if you go outside with wet hair. You’re more likely to get sick if you get exposed to people infected with the virus.
31. Foods made with mayonnaise will spoil quicker.
Mayonnaise is generally acidic. If you’ll be cooking something with it, try to keep your food cold most of the time. For leftovers, cover them or put them in your refrigerator.
32. Chocolate causes acne.
A diet high in sugar may cause acne. However, there’s no evidence that eating chocolate, particularly in moderation, can trigger acne.
33. You should get your hair squeaky clean.
Washing your hair until it’s squeaky clean might not be a good idea. It can leave your hair dry and brittle since excessive washing can strip off your hair’s natural oils. To keep your hair healthy, try to apply shampoo on the roots only and work the lather to the tips of your hair.
34. Eating turkey will make you feel tired.
It’s not really the turkey’s fault that you feel tired after Thanksgiving dinner. It’s actually the amount of carbohydrates you consume that makes you feel sleepy after eating your meal.
35. The thing your feet touch when you’re swimming is probably a shark.
This used to give me mini-heart attacks back them. But as it turned out, my feet weren’t touching sharks. They were actually touching bits of seaweed.
36. There’s a shark at the deeper end of the pool.
I guess this is what kids get from watching too many films about sharks. There’s no way a shark can get into a pool- unless someone actually put one there.
37. You have cancer if your hands are bigger than your face.
You can’t use your hands as a way to diagnose cancer. Your doctor will need to do some tests to make a diagnosis.
38. Nap is a punishment.
Naps are important for kids’ growth and development. It’s also a way to keep them from getting overtired.
39. Adults have lots of money.
Reaching adulthood isn’t a guarantee that you’ll have lots of money. You need to work hard in order to be on top of your finances.
40. You’ll have everything figured out once you hit your 20s.
Absolute lie. Some people still can’t figure out their lives even in their 50s. It’s not the same for everyone.
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