Fess up: what fibs do you tell your children? - £200 voucher to be won.

[EllieSmumsnet]

What fibs do you tell your children to make parenting a little bit easier? From saying carrots help you see in the dark, to pretending the ice cream van has run out when the music plays – three-quarters of parents admit they tell little white lies to their children.

But with criminals becoming increasingly sophisticated, it’s more difficult to spot when someone’s telling you a big lie. In the run up to Christmas, fraudsters will try to trick you with “too good to be true” deals on products that never materialise. One in four parents have been tricked by a purchase scam, so don’t get caught out this festive season!

• Share your family fibs in the thread below to be entered into a prize draw.
• One lucky winner will win a £200 voucher for a store of their choice.

Here is what the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign has to say:

“Stay alert to criminals targeting you with purchase scams. Only 26% of parents always research a new retailer before making a purchase, but doing your homework this Christmas season could help protect you from scammers.

Use secure payment methods recommended by reputable retailers and be wary of bank transfers. Pay by credit card for purchases over £100 if you can.

Shop savvy in the lead up to Christmas, find out more about protecting yourself from purchase scams at: www.takefive-stopfraud.org.uk”

🤣 my DS is adorably cynical and would have said "Oh.... that's weird. Maybe I should try it..I might like it?"

I've told my teenager that "it's not going to rain today" when he is setting off almost late for school in just a jumper because the raincoat drama will add about ten mins to his journey.

You wouldn't like this, it's grown up food

We told them that the red light shines on the burglar alarm sensor's when Santa is watching.

If you watch The Polar Express they have monitors on the kids which we used to validate what we had said.

With hindsight it was pretty mean but it worked.

The kids laugh about it now.

My age. Mum is 24, actually 41

I used to tell DS that I knew if he was telling fibs as his hair would move when he told them. I’d make a point of keeping my line of vision just above his eyes so that he knew I was watching his hair. He learnt, but not well enough, and whenever he told me a fob, he would put his hand on top of his head to keep his hair ‘still’. And he wondered why I could always tell if he was telling fibs!

If you keep scowling - your face will stay like that !

I've got eyes at the back of my head !🤓

The tooth fairy exists and is forgetful...

I had got Santa on speed dial so they'd better behave.

The TV is broken every morning.

It makes getting them out the door quicker and with less drama.

Many of my chocolate bars etc have been far ‘too spicy’ for the DCs to eat when they were little!

I don’t, I don’t think it’s necessary.if I don’t know the answer I tell them

That the intruder alarm sensor in the corner of the room was Santa's cam, so he can monitor behaviour and decide which list to put my son on. Then Polar Express was released and played right into my fib 😊

The fire alarms were how Santa knows who is naughty or nice.

That when she told a lie her ears glowed bright red, she used to cover them before she told a tall tale! Helped her grow out of it and was very funny.

My DSs were well into their teens before they realised that the green flecks in sauces etc weren't herbs they were chopped spinach.

that screens will make your eyes go square
oldie but goldie

I'm not sure if this is a fib, but I have been know to play games like snakes and ladders giving the child their own special dice. Ie it was weighted. Great for games where you need to throw a 6 to start.

When they were little, that coke was an adult only drink like alcohol. It worked until they went to parties. They still don't drink it now, even though they are both grown up.

If you tell a lie your nose grows

I just said it as a throwaway line, trotting out the silly things my parents said to me and it was purely meant as a joke comment but my poor daughter truely believed her eyes would go square if she sat too close to the tv.

She was about 11 when she questioned why smart phones don't do the same thing and I had to fess us😬

I tell them my chocolate is coffee flavour. They've cotton on now so I have to just buy dark chocolate as they don't like that!

It's got peppermint in, you wouldn't like it.

We were going to Florida and I told them it would be a Ryan Air place and that I'd forgotten the portable dvd player. They were pleasantly surprised that the dream liner had screens in the seats.