The most ridicolous thing that parents told you as a child

[ReallyTired]

For example my mother told me that difference between Roman Catholics and protestants was that the Catholics worthshipped Mary where as we worthshipped God.

At the age of seven I went to church parade at a Catholic Church. I was completely and utterly gutted to find that they were very similar to our church.

Dad once told me that he knew the name of every person in our town. When out and about anywhere I used to pint at random people and ask him what their names are

It was only when I was pg and was thinking about this that it hit me, he didn't know the names of everyone (I was 28 BTW)

My mum told me bluebells were endangered. I firmly believed this until my thirties and moved somewhere where they grow like weeds.

Bimblin that's wonderful - lol

oooh just remembered another one that dad told me as well.

When driving past the local plant hire shop in town, I was about 4 or 5 at the time. I asked my dad what a plant hire shop was. He told me that rich people who live in big houses hire out exotic plants for garden parties and such!!

UK bluebells are in trouble. Being out-grown by the european strain ( which are paler blue and have more open flowers, thicker leaves too). Not sure if this was the case a few years ago though...

That the ice cream man is the potato man

my dad told me that the newly installed pelican crossing (I was about 7 at the time) had been built especially for me - that he'd asked the council to put one there so I could cross the road.

It was years before I realised this wasn't tru Felt really let down when it dawned on me...

That the roar from the plane as it lands was lions in the cargo hold.....

believed that for years.

Now tell that to my own DS1 (3yrs) and 'tis great fun watching his face light up in amazement

.. oh, and that thunder outside was a giant stomping around on our roof.

And that there were bogeymen in the woods behind our house that would get me if I got out of bed once the light went out.

He's a lovely man, but clearly enjoyed fairy tales and scaring the beejeezus out of me(!)

My friend was told by her dad that corned beef was made from corns on cows hooves.

Being told a panoramic view was a very shy animal that lived in the ground and if I was very quiet I might see it. Oh how my parents must have laughed at the mileage they could get out of that one

I too was told that bluebells were endangered and must never be picked.

I was told that if you swallowed chewing gum it would 'gum-up' your intestines and you would need surgery to remove it.

Sitting on cold stone walls or hot radiators gives you piles (had no clue what piles actually were of course).

Washing hair during your period would give you migraine.

That if you caught nits you would have to have your head shaved and painted purple.

And... weirdest of all... that asian ladies urinated in milk bottles instead of the toilet [totally bemused emoticon]

flies lay eggs in the end of bananas (can't bear to eat them to this day )

WHY?!

lol my mum still loads of silly things to me
bananas are fattening and you shouldnt eat them if you are on a diet is probably the best.

she also told me a tree would grow in my belly if swallowed a pip

Bananas fattening! my mum still says that! I say, compared to what mum? celery? yeah, really fattening. I'll have chips then!

Bluewolf

yy another ice cream van one - but that the jingles were a type of ambulance siren.

Used that on my own DCs, they twigged very recently heh heh heh

My parents were pathological liars!

I once dropped a ball I'd won at the fair down a gully into a woodland area, and was heartbroken. Dad "shimmied down the wall" (I only realised years later that there were steps to the side!) and fought a Troll who had stolen the ball. His story was so convincing, I actually came to believe I'd seen him do it!! (False memory syndrome, anyone?)

My mum's finest hour was when, aged 6, I found my goldfish floating upside down in the bowl on the way out to school. To avoid an emotional scene, she promised to take him to the vet. Well, the vet had to keep him in for a few days, and when he came back, he was a bit paler and a bit smaller, but only to be expected given that he had been so seriously ill, I'm sure you will agree. A few months later he took ill again, and this time came back looking far fitter- brighter, fatter- on account of the operation he had had (can you see where this is going?) The last time he needed to go to the vet, I came home from school and found him floating in the toilet! But mum had said he was at the vets! Mum shook her head sadly and told me that Fredo had been so smart he must have known he was going to die, so with his last ounce of strength he jumped out of the vets tank and swam home through the sewage pipes, so he could see me again! What a truly remarkable fish!! Especially considering he was 3 years old and had had so many operations, huh? There was never another fish like old Fredo...

You should never wash your hair when you have your period....

must ask my mum the reasoning behind that one

You're not too old for a smack!

ggirl - think about it, the sunday night bath and hair wash all in one not once a month though you dion't wash your hair

They didn't have showers or tampax so it was the norm back then to not do it - and just continued.

yes i suppose that must be where it originated from

so you'd know if someone had greasy hair they were also on the rag

jooly - he was definitley one heroic fish.

Picturethis - that panaramic view is priceless.

That there is a god

OH's mum If you pick your belly button you could bleed to death - to this day he freaks if anyone goes to touch it !!!

My Dad is really really bow legged - I was always told it was because he was cowboy, remember getting into a fight at school when one of the boys told me he wasn't !

Just before my M & D split up Mum was sleeping on the sofa (for about 4 months) because she had a bad back