Little white lies

I read an article yesterday which revealed the top 20 white lies we (sometimes) tell our children. It got me thinking about the little white lies I sometimes tell Amelie, often in desperation to stop her from doing something silly or when we really need to leave the house!

I definitely don’t think we should lie to our children, but there are occasions when a teeny tiny fib saves a potential tantrum or your bank balance.

I am fairly certain my parents told me a few little white lies on occasion and I haven’t been harmed, so when I really need to I do often find myself telling her these things. I giggle when I hear myself saying ones my Mum used to say!

Some of the white lies I have told recently…

1. I don’t have any money today (for the machines outside supermarkets, for cakes, sweets, biscuits) when clearly I have enough cash for the car park

2. If you eat your broccoli you’ll grow as tall as this room!

3. If the wind changes direction your face will stay like that (when pulling a funny face)

4. We can’t go there without Daddy, he’ll be sad (on why we can’t go for another babyccino)!

5. If you don’t sit in the buggy we won’t get there in time (which is probably true most of the time)!

6. If you don’t hurry I’ll go without you (clearly I won’t)!! 

I also asked fellow bloggers for the white lies they tell their children so here are the top 20 white lies from the blogging world.

20 white lies told by bloggers

1. Katrina from Trinimamabebe – If you pick your nose you will lose your finger!
2. Helen from Mummytothemax – If you lie your nose will grow!
3. Lauren from A scrapbook of our lives – Eat all your crusts and you’l get curly hair! “But I LIKE my straight hair” retorted my 4 year old!
4. Sophie from Sophobsessed – I tell my son places are closed a lot
5. Liane from Anklebitersadventures – Those little rides that cost a pound outside supermarkets – I always say they are broken 
6. Rebecca from The Coastal mummy – I’ll be there in a minute – when she refuses to go to sleep and wants me or daddy to keep going to her 
7. Helen from All the beautiful things – I quite often add an hour to the time at bedtime, so put them to bed at 6pm and say to them we’ve let you stay up late tonight it’s past your bed time. Doesn’t always work…..
8. Pete from Householdmoneysaving – I’m not really sure where babies come from. 
9. Kate from Counting to ten – A few times recently I’ve said “If you don’t start behaving I’m going to take a birthday present back to the shop”. I guess I’ll be switching to Christmas presents now.
   I’ve also been known to say my food is really spicy when I don’t want to share it.
10. Zoe from Lycra widow – I’m so sorry sweetheart, they didn’t have any in the shop” (me, every time I forget something he’s asked for!!) 
11. Lauren from Sophie’s Nursery – “We are nearly there now” mainly in the car or any other mode of transport when the moaning starts… even if we are still hours away 
12. Beth from Twinderelmo – “If you don’t tidy up your toys, I’m putting them in the bin”
    Like I’d dare throw away the Paw Patroller
13. Louise from Pinkpearbear – That the tooth fairy doesn’t come for un- cleaned teeth and that she knows if they don’t brush for 2 minutes! 
14. Becca from Beccafarrelly – if you don’t start doing as your told, your won’t be staying at grandmas this weekend!’ Yeah right, mummy and daddy can’t wait for you to go and literally nothing would stop you from going! 😂
15. Sarah from Champagne and Petals – ‘If you continue with that grumpy face, the wind will change and you will be stuck like that forever’ it’s something my Mum used to say to me and now I find myself saying it to mine. 
16. Naomi from Me Becoming Mum – “I’m sorry, they don’t have it in your size!” used for everything from clothes to shoes she wants! (Especially at this time of year when we can make a mental note and get it for Christmas.)
17. Jenny from Monkey and Mouse – ‘If you can’t pick it up then it will go in the bin once you’re in bed.’ Yeah, I’m really going to throw out their most treasured possessions! 
18. Tiffany from Little me London – That there is a dummy fairy and you have to leave your dummies out and she will collect them and then give them other children who don’t have dummies.
19. Mary from The Abbottses – ‘If you don’t stop misbehaving we aren’t going on holiday’ Yeah right, as if we would miss that flight!
20. Tim from Broken Thoughts – If I wanted dessert but hadn’t eaten all of my main meal, my mum used to tell me she needed to look into my eyes to know if I still had space in my stomach!

Thanks so much to all the bloggers who shared their little white lies, glad I am not alone!

Have you told any white lies recently in desperation?

Sarah x