Parents' scare tactics

by sunstarr 12 Replies latest jw experiences

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  sunstarr

  You all know what I'm talking about. Those horror stories that parents tell their children to keep them from doing something annoying or potentially dangerous (e.g. "Your face will stick that way). Anyone have any stories out of the ordinary told to you by your parents? How about any that you now tell to your kids? Here's one I will never forget:

  I remember at a young age my mother warning me not to touch my butt after I had just picked my nose. She told me that it would cause a pimple to form on my butt at the place I touched. Believe it or not, it made me a little reserved about cleaning my nose while on the toilet. I was always a little afraid of causing an epidemic outbreak on my behind. I always wondered why she felt the need to warn me about this. I didn't exactly have some booger/butt fetish. I certainly didn't walk around with my hands attached to my rear. I've never been limber enough to make my nose touch my butt directly (not that I've ever tried, or that there would ever be any need). To this day I still think about that story while relieving myself. If I ever have children I think I may pass this on to them as some form of tradition. I might adapt it a little to say that they will get a pimple on their face if they scratch their butt and touch their nose.

  So, whatcha got?? Any stories out there?
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  Angharad

  This was told to me by my older sister, think I was about 5 or 6:

  If you swallow chewing gum, it will stick to your heart - I remember once swallowing some accidently, I was terrified!
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  Shimmer

  If you eat watermelon seeds a watermelon will grow in your stomach.

  If you don't clean your ears out potatoes will grow in them.

  And my favorite of all. My grandmother told me that if I ate food in the bathroom the devil will come to visit me. She wasn't a JW, just a little psycho I think.

  Shimmer

  Maybe being oneself is alway an acquired taste.-----PATRICIA HAMPL
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  Simon

  I was told tomatos would grow ... I still don't eat them

  Also the chewing gum thing: did you ever swallow some by accident and then panic? What do you do? It's serious so you have to tell mum but she doesn't seem to think it's a big deal for some reason - doesn't she realise the mortal danger you are in?!?!

  The other one I had was "don't site so close to the TV". I think it was because it would make me go blind or something but now, as a parent, I know it's just because my head was in the way of the TV.
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  borgfree

  Sunstarr,

  I have never heard anything like that!

  My mother told me when I was very young though that if you crossed your eyes (kids did that sometimes back then) that your eyes might freeze that way.

  My Grandmother (English) thought that if you drank coffee your skin would turn black. She drank tea, figure that one out.

  Simon, When TV was fairly new, 1950s, they said that the TV gave off radiation, and that it was best not to be too close.

  Borgfree

  "We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home." Edward R. Murrow
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  julien

  When I was about 5 or 6 my older brother (age 7) told me that if I slept on my back that the demons would look down at me and laugh at me. So from then on I slept on my stomach only. Thanks Bro!
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  Beans

  Tell them if they don`t listen you`ll call Santa and he won`t bring any presents.If they don`t believe you pick up the phone and start dialing!NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

  Beans
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  Sargon

  My mom always said that when your dad came home, there'd be blood on the moon. I never really figured exactly how this could happen, but I knew that it could.

  
  Imagination is more important than Knowledge. Albert Einstein
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  sunstarr

  Borgfree,

  I have to say, I'm amazed at some the crazy things we pick up from our parents. They can be some wild people. I find most interesting the things that we remember from our parents.

  "Oh would you like to swing on a star.....carry moonbeams home in a jar....."
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  borgfree

  Sunstarr,

  It is very necessary for parents to pass on the more important things, like your quote from Bing Crosby. If parents did not do that, their children might even be drawn to heavy metal. We know where that could lead.

  Borgfree

  "We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home." Edward R. Murrow