These 10 Lies Told by ALL Parents in the ’90s

These 10 Lies Told by ALL Parents in the ’90s

All parents (or almost all) lie to their children a little. But there were some gems in the 90s and you’ve probably heard them too.

There is a difference between big and small lies. If you are a parent yourself, you probably know what we want to talk about. Making up a Santa story to follow tradition, talking about the little mouse or the pacifier fairy does not generally lead to great family drama.

And parents are very good at lying to their children, when they don’t have the answer to yet another question, or when they want to protect the little ones. In the 90s we were on another level of myth and some people continue to struggle today.

Parents’ lies in the 90s

The idea came from this TikTok video, in which user @90skid4lyfe shared some lies told by almost every parent in the 80s and 90s:

@90skid4lyfe

Parents always lied #90s #90skids #parenting

♬ Every Morning (remastered) – Sugar Ray

Among the most famous lies we find:


  1. “Don’t drink coffee, it slows down growth”
  2. “Don’t sit too close to the TV, it will damage your eyes” (there is no real scientific proof)
  3. “The pool water will turn blue if you pee in it” (they told me it was red)
  4. “It is forbidden to drive with the interior lights of the car on” (this is false. It is unpleasant for the driver, but it is not illegal)
  5. “If you keep snapping your fingers, you will get arthritis” (this is false and Donald L. Unger proved it)
  6. “You have to wait 30 minutes before going swimming, after eating” (another myth, we have already told you)
  7. “Chocolate milk comes from brown cows” (what about strawberry Candy’Up?)
  8. “If you eat a watermelon seed, a watermelon will grow in your belly”
  9. “If you swallow gum, it will take 7 years for it to leave your stomach”
  10. “If you get a tattoo you won’t get a job” (oops, I have a job and tattoos, SAY IT DAD)

The lies we heard even in the 90s

I add a coin into the machine, with the lies that I too heard as a child:

  • Don’t squint, if there is a gust of wind, your eyes will stick together
  • Don’t bite your nails, you’ll get appendicitis
  • We can’t go to Disney, it’s closed on Sundays
  • But obviously your rabbit preferred to go back to live in the forest to be free (in truth, the neighbor’s dog ate it)
  • You can’t eat this chocolate, there is alcohol in it
  • Eat your soup, it makes you grow
  • If you’re not good, Santa Claus won’t come by our house

And you, what were the most significant lies from your parents? Which ones do you also share with your children?

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Listen to Apéro des Daronnes, Madmoizelle’s show that aims to break down taboos on parenting.

Source: Madmoizelle

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