Mama Said What?

I know there are things we heard from our parents that simply weren’t true, and if we’re honest, there are things we have told our kids that aren’t true either. Mama said what is a list of a few of those things.

1. Mama said: Don’t swallow your gum. It takes 7 years for your digestive system to break it down.

According to pediatric gastroenterologist David Milov of Nemours Children’s Clinic in Florida as told to Scientific American, this is 100% poppycock. It actually hangs around about a week.

2. Mama said: Put a hat on, you’ll stay warmer because it keeps your body heat in.

I loathed hats when I was a kid. I’m not that keen on them now. They mess with my hair. This myth began with a U.S. military study in the late 1950s, or so I’m told, in which soldiers were outside in extreme cold covered up everywhere except on their heads. But a 2006 study discovered that in normal circumstances, children only let out about 10% of their body heat from their noggin.

3. Mama said: Although I never heard the words, “the five second rule” as a kid, I will add that one here.

Floors are generally filthy. Some germs can lurk in the cracks between tiles for weeks — even if you’ve mopped up recently. You could retrieve your morsel in a tenth of second and it wouldn’t make a bit of difference.

4. Mama said: Santa will only bring you gifts if you’re good.

What?!!! I was as naughty as they come and I always got gifts. We won’t even go down the whole Santa, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy road.

5. Mama said:

This is going to hurt me more than it hurts  you.  Actually, now that I’m a parent, I get that one. Some things just do.

6. Mama said: If you keep crossing your eyes they will stay that way.

Never happened!

7. Mama said:

Sitting too close to the television will cause you to go blind. Yep, I heard that one.

8. Mama said: I’m leaving without you.

Yes I did! Said it, and even started driving (very slowly) down the street. But no, it never happened.

9. Mama said: Those white marks on your fingernails are really lie marks. Every time you tell a lie it will make a mark on  your nail.

What kind of connection is there? Might as well just say your nose will grow. While some say the white marks are due to a vitamin deficiency, the most common belief is due to trauma to the nail bed. I’m not sure what trauma was going on with my nail bed in my childhood because I certainly had quite a few of those white marks. Maybe they really were “lie marks”.

10. Mama said: You won!

Yep, I was one of those parents (aunts) maybe a grandma one day. I just can’t lose a board game to a kid…very often. The older they get the better I am about this.

11. Mama said: Our dog went to live on a farm where he/she will have lots of room to run and play and live a happy life.

I never used this nor heard it as a child but I know of someone who did. I’m here to tell you that dog didn’t even get close to a farm.

12. Mama said: Don’t go out in the cold with wet hair or you’ll get sick.

I can give you data and facts but suffice it to say this too is a myth.

So you see, I didn’t make this just about the things I heard as a kid. I fessed up too.

Your turn. Share one of your favorites.