They may have your best interests at heart, but many parents are inveterate liars.
That is the conclusion it's tempting to draw from the latest hashtag doing the rounds on social media.
Twitter users are sharing the fibs, falsehoods and half-truths they were sold by their parents, using the hashtag #liesyourparentstoldyou.
#LiesYourParentsToldYou Parents: "We'll think about it" Me: "Thank you" *wanders off under the impression that my… https://t.co/ISNJdJkJ1W— Anthony Sinnott (@Anthony Sinnott) 1561010231.0
#LiesYourParentsToldYou when you're 18 you can do whatever *turns 18* while you're under this roof you do what I say https://t.co/0DAOJVXEpy— kiya ⚡ (@kiya ⚡) 1561021702.0
There were some old classics, like the importance of certain school subjects to adult life or the effects of chewing gum on your body.
#LiesYourParentsToldYou : “Geometry is important, you will need it one day!” Me using Pythagorean’s Theorem to try… https://t.co/PsJm1pzZRU— It Only Gets Worse (@It Only Gets Worse) 1561009352.0
Don’t swallow your gum or it will be stuck in your body for 7 years!!!😂😂😂 #LiesYourParentsToldYou https://t.co/agw73fZWVF— I AM 👑 (@I AM 👑) 1561000743.0
If you cross your eyes they'll get stuck like that #LiesYourParentsToldYou https://t.co/93OLffgOFJ— Patricia Lang (@Patricia Lang) 1560992257.0
Some of the fibs were clearly designed by parents just to keep their children quiet for a while.
“On the way back we can buy it” #LiesYourParentsToldYou— College Student (@College Student) 1561004732.0
*at relative's house* "We're going home in five minutes, hold on." #LiesYourParentsToldYou https://t.co/67h2gcCrO5— darshanie (@darshanie) 1560999371.0
Some parents just failed to foresee the way their kids' lives would pan out.
You won't get anywhere in life playing on that silly computer. #LiesYourParentsToldYou— Miles Jacobson (@Miles Jacobson) 1561023428.0
Some had potentially more serious undertones.
#LiesYourParentsToldYou If a boy is mean to me, that means they like me. y'all are really gonna set your daughter… https://t.co/MJtXry11uY— ☃️🎄Severe Christmas Addiction (50 days) ☕☃️ (@☃️🎄Severe Christmas Addiction (50 days) ☕☃️) 1560993736.0
But some were much more specific lies thought up by some very devious parents indeed.
When they were 4, 8 & 12, I told my kids swearing was illegal until 1967, punishable, in the case of extreme sweari… https://t.co/k4ky69QzJI— Chris Lang (@Chris Lang) 1561019832.0
@ChrisLangWriter I was 6. My mum told me it was illegal to feed squirrels. She just didn't want me to go near squir… https://t.co/4OA5lMfDLn— Susan Calman (@Susan Calman) 1561020446.0
But one lie came up...
It's illegal to turn your light on in the car. I was 29 before I learned this was a lie. #LiesYourParentsToldYou— Jessica Fletcher (@Jessica Fletcher) 1561000309.0
...again...
My parents made us think it was illegal to turn on the lights inside the car while driving #LiesYourParentsToldYou— Lia (@Lia) 1561011734.0
...and again...
#LiesYourParentsToldYou That the police were gonna arrest me if I turned on the lights in the car.— Anna (@Anna) 1560984363.0
...and again.
#LiesYourParentsToldYou: It’s illegal to turn the lights on inside the car while driving. https://t.co/tVioVQIoTI— Brandi Smith (@Brandi Smith) 1560984744.0
The moral of the story: never trust your parents.