A little white lie to keep children at bay never hurt anyone.
And while every family has its unique set of porkies, there are some universal lies every parent employs.
A new survey has revealed just how commonly different lies are used. Universally, the threat of Father Christmas topped the poll, with 62 percent of parents employing St. Nick to keep their kids in check.
Second on the list was “We’ll see,” which any child knows really means “No.”
The one that hurts the most is most likely “we’ll come back another time,” as it sounds heartbreakingly familiar.
The poll was conducted by Blue Cross pet charity, who offer advice and guidance to help parents talk openly to children about pet loss as part of their Pet Bereavement Support Service. The top white lie told to kids about their pets is after one dies or has gone missing, when “Your pet has gone to live on a farm in the countryside” is employed.
The top 20 white lies parents tell their children:
Father Christmas is watching you
We’ll see
We’re almost there
We’ll come back another time
Carrots will make you see in the dark
I always know when you’re lying
We can come back and buy that toy next time
I didn’t bring my purse with me today
If you watch the television too much, your eyes will go square
If you keep making that face, the wind will change and it will freeze
If you tell lies your nose will grow
If you touch it, it will break
They don’t sell replacement batteries for that toy
If you swallow chewing gum it stays in your stomach for seven years
There are fairies at the bottom of the garden
When the ice cream truck plays that music, it’s run out of ice cream
If you leave the house with wet hair, you’ll get sick
This is medicine, you wouldn’t like it
Father Christmas prefers a beer and crisps to a mince pie and milk
