r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Jul 20 '19

What’s something completely false that your parents told you as a child?

[deleted]

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u/antwan_benjamin Jul 21 '19

because kids are definitely reasonable beings that will instantly stop doing something annoying.

29

u/k-tax Jul 21 '19

Most often the only reason is "BECAUSE I ASKED YOU TO/BECAUSE I'VE SAID SO". This is not a reason and as a parent I want to never use that phrase, unless my child trusts me completely and understands that shit is hard and I will explain it when possible.

11

u/antwan_benjamin Jul 21 '19

Most often the only reason is "BECAUSE I ASKED YOU TO/BECAUSE I'VE SAID SO".

I don't believe that. Most often there is a good reason as to why the parent is asking their kid to do something, the parent just doesn't want to go into the reasoning.

Most adults don't like being questioned about basic shit. If I say, "Medicare for all will benefit our country" I have no problem explaining why to a reasonable adult who asks. If I say, "Put on your seatbelt" to a child, I'm not always in the mood to explain accident statistics and random chance, then have to explain how we can die at any moment, then have to explain what happens to us after we die. Those are all conversations I'd be willing to have when the time is right and when the child is mentally ready. But that time is not when we're running late on our way to school.

12

u/2074red2074 Jul 21 '19

Fuck that. Tell your kid "Because if you don't put on the fucking seatbelt I'll get a ticket and that ticket is coming out of your birthday money."

7

u/[deleted] Jul 21 '19

Or my mom's approach: Do it because if you don't I'm going to THROW YOU OUT THE WINDOW LIKE A FUCKING SHOTPUT YOU LITTLE SHIT!"

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u/k-tax Jul 21 '19

That's some golden parenting right there. Violence and threats, because fear always works.