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Original poster

If somebody swore on your childrens' lives...

30 replies

BlueRaspberry7 · 14/05/2024 08:25

... to their partner that they hadn't done something, but they had done it - and they then told you about it, could you ever forgive them?

Could you trust them with your children?

Won't drip feed and can't give more context here, except that it wasn't a life or death situation.

OP posts:
Beezknees · 14/05/2024 08:36

I'd trust them with my children, yeah. Swearing on someone's life doesn't mean anything to me, it's just a dramatic and silly turn of phrase.

I wouldn't forgive them for lying though in the context of a relationship. I'd end the relationship.

OmuraWhale · 14/05/2024 08:39

In my experience, someone who swears on their children's lives is always lying. It wouldn't stop me trusting them with my DC though. It means they're a liar, not that they're a risk to children.

WimseyofBalliol · 14/05/2024 08:42

Why would they be in any way a risk to your children because they lied about something unrelated to another person?

Myopicglass · 14/05/2024 08:43

I agree with OmuraWhale In my experience swearing on a child’s life means they are lying. Although I agree it’s just a dramatic turn of phrase I would lose respect for the person.

SpringerFall · 14/05/2024 08:45

How does swearing on someone's life actually mean something? Sure i know the expression but all this sounds a little over the top

maslinpan · 14/05/2024 09:20

It's not a legally binding phrase and should never be uttered outside a school playground.

PhilosophicalCheeseSandwich · 14/05/2024 09:24

I wouldn't think they'd happily let my kids die because of a silly nonsensical thing they said when they were backed into a corner. So yes, I'd trust them to look after children if they were otherwise sensible.

I wouldn't trust much of what they said though. It seems that the biggest liars make the most elaborate claims to be honest.

MermaidEyes · 14/05/2024 09:31

I thought people only used that expression on telly 🤷🏻‍♀️

TTPD · 14/05/2024 09:34

could you ever forgive them?

For what? Lying to someone else? Being over dramatic with their swearing on someone's life?

If the lie was unrelated to my children (and unrelated to their general ability to safely care for children), then it wouldn't have any impact on whether I was happy for them to look after them. The children aren't harmed by someone swearing on their lives.

CheapThrillsMeanNothing · 14/05/2024 10:35

I absolutely hate that phrase. Usually means they're lying.

MrsSkylerWhite · 14/05/2024 10:39

maslinpan · Today 09:20
It's not a legally binding phrase and should never be uttered outside a school playground.

This.

CountingCrones · 14/05/2024 10:43

I’d think they watch too many soap operas

TheNameIsDickDarlington · 14/05/2024 10:44

I have a weird issue with "swearing on xs life" type proclamations, from my mother always swearing on my life during arguments with my dad, as a child it felt like I was being brought into their arguments and having responsibility for their issues forced on me.

Because of this I don't trust people who swear on anyone's lives and would be absolutely furious that my children's names had been brought into their adult issues.

CelesteCunningham · 14/05/2024 10:46

MrsSkylerWhite · 14/05/2024 10:39

maslinpan · Today 09:20
It's not a legally binding phrase and should never be uttered outside a school playground.

This.

This. Someone swearing on someone's life wouldn't make me any more likely to believe them, but it would make me think they were an emotionally immature idiot.

OP, in terms of your particular dilemma, the lie itself would concern me far more than swearing on your children's lives. If the lie is one you could forgive and your children have a good, healthy relationship with this person then I'd carry on.

saraclara · 14/05/2024 10:50

I hate the phrase, and instantly think vastly less of anyone who uses it.

Using the idea of anyone's life as a guarantee revolts me, whether or not the speaker is lying.

Sammysquiz · 14/05/2024 11:07

It’s a totally meaningless phrase. As an aside I’ve just been watching Traitors for the first time and noticed that none of them ever say anything along the lines of ‘swear on your DC’s life you’re not a traitor’ or ‘I swear on my kids life I’m a faithful’ etc which makes me wonder if the producers ban that phrase. Otherwise people would be forced into swearing stuff on their kids lives on TV, which even though is meaningless would still feel pretty dreadful!

RenoDakota · 14/05/2024 11:09

It's a phrase used by very stupid people. But would still annoy me.

GentlemanJohnny · 14/05/2024 11:42

Beezknees · 14/05/2024 08:36

I'd trust them with my children, yeah. Swearing on someone's life doesn't mean anything to me, it's just a dramatic and silly turn of phrase.

I wouldn't forgive them for lying though in the context of a relationship. I'd end the relationship.

This. It's a totally meaningless phrase. If anything I would be inclinded NOT to trust anyone who could come out with such tosh.

Notreat · 14/05/2024 11:46

Swearing on someone's life is meaningless. I
Probably would never believe or trust them again but unless there is other behaviour here to I wouldn't necessarily think that alone would mean they are not safe around the children

LakeTiticaca · 14/05/2024 11:48

The fact that someone has told a barefaced lie, I would not trust them.
Swearing on someone's life is meaningless, I've never heard of harm coming to anyone but it's a stupid childish thing to say

BingoMarieHeeler · 14/05/2024 11:49

Swearing on someone’s life doesn’t mean anything and is used by stupid people 🙃

littlestarlittlemoon · 14/05/2024 12:33

BlueRaspberry7 · 14/05/2024 08:25

... to their partner that they hadn't done something, but they had done it - and they then told you about it, could you ever forgive them?

Could you trust them with your children?

Won't drip feed and can't give more context here, except that it wasn't a life or death situation.

I'd trust them with the children (I'm assuming they are the children's father and that it's not a safeguarding issue).

But I'd 100% know they were lying if they swore on the lives of their children.

MagnetCarHair · 14/05/2024 12:43

If anyone decided to prove their trustworthiness by swearing on my children's lives, I'd assume that they were lying from the outset.

And, as an aside, what an awful fucking phrase it is, using children as capital for emotional blackmail. Dreadful.

muddyford · 14/05/2024 12:51

I'd wonder which cess pit the lying git had crawled from.

Family6888 · 25/06/2025 16:56

Not necessarily i swear on my son life before on things i know truly never know never lie about that not true sometimes someone is telling the truth when saying that