Pinky promises etc

[dontcomeatme]

Popping this into parenting but I think MN is missing a nostalgia topic board!
Growing up pinky promises were like the law in our house, in my friendship groups, in relationships. They were everywhere. It was either pinky promise or "swear down on my nanas ashes/life/grave" etc. My mam would make me swear down on my nana all the time! It was the only way she knew if I was telling the truth or not.
Anyhoo, I was talking to my niece about a sleepover for all of the DC at my house and she asked "really" and I said "pinky promise" and help out my hand.. She had no idea what I was talking about 😲. It got me thinking and I realised I haven't heard some of these sayings for years and years!
So my question is, do you use pinky promise or swear down in your house? Especially with DC?
I don't think I'll use the swear down one with my DC personally, but I definitely want to use pinky promise. I miss it.

Nope, never as a child and not with my kids or grandkids.

I pinky promise with my DD(8), it is absolute gospel in our house 😂

No. I've heard of pinky promise but never used it. Never heard of "swear down".

It's almost like "I cross my heart and hope to die stick a needle in my eye" 😅 I forgot about that one!! You basically swear down (like on a bible) but on someone's life or grave that you are telling the truth.

I've heard both but no adult ever used them with me and it wouldn't occur to me to use them on a child! To me they are the kind of things children say to each other. Actually some children at my school would say "I swear down!" to adults to try and insist they were telling the truth (they usually were not )

My five year old has just started offering to pinky promise, so seems to be alive and well in our local primary school.

Holding a buttercup under someone's chin to 'see if you like butter' is also alive and well locally.

Love this!

Pinky promises or swearing down were never a thing in my childhoo or my children's.

Pinky promises weren't a thing when I was a child (I'm in my 50s) but were big at my dd's primary school so it was something which she brought home.

When I was a child, it was "Cross my heart and hope to die."

I can't believe so many people grew up without pinky promises! It was such a huge part of my childhood.

It was unheard of growing up in Scotland. Maybe it's an English thing?

I've only recently heard of it & would only use that phrase if I was half joking. My kids never used it either

Well I currently live in the NE and kids up here don't really use it, but my mam and family grew up down south 🤔 maybe its a southern thing? X

Pinky promise is used in an episode of Bluey so I wouldn’t be surprised if younger kids are doing it, my daughter has been since she watched it

Really?? I have to watch it now I love that.

I think swear down is more South - I heard it in the Midlands.

I remember swear down when I was at school, not really used at home. Pinky promise is more American, I thought it was anyway. Never used it myself only seen on American movies

I pinky promised with my DS(3) the other day and he was really chuffed. I heard him tell his Dad it was something we just made up and that it was very special and serious

I pinky promise with my partner 😂 sons too young for it yet

Born and raised Glaswegian here and both of these were very much a thing growing up.

Pinky promise
Swear down
Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye
Micky Mouse in his house pulling down his trousers, what colour are his pants? Yellow! Y-E-L-L-O-W
It, dit, dog shit
Bum tit tit, bum tit tit, play the hairy banjo
Milk milk lemonade…
I’m the king of the castle and you’re a dirty wee rascal
Skinny malinky long legs big banana feet, went to the pictures and couldnae find a seat, when the picture started skinny malinky farted, skinny malinky long legs big banana feet
Loser loser, double loser, whatever!
I’m rubber, you’re glue…
Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg…

Definitely was a thing for me too in Scotland and I do it with my kids, my youngest particularly likes it. Tonight actually she made me laugh because I’d told her maybe and she was asking ‘definitely maybe?’ And wanted to hook middle fingers to seal that the deal that it was definitely a maybe!

We used pinky promise between siblings as children, but they still get used regularly in our household with my own children! I've heard them pinky promise with their friends too. Has to be locked in with the thumb though!

Of course, it's not a real pinky promise without it 😅

I’ve heard of a pinky promise but never said it. I always thought it was an American schoolgirl thing. Never heard of swear down either.

Yes, DD used to say that to me when she was in her early teens.