As children, we received countless warnings from parents and other adults concerning habits that should be avoided at all costs. For those of a certain generation, these included strong messages about never taking anything from the hotel minibar or turning on an interior car light while the vehicle is in motion.
Many of those warnings stuck, and as adults, we still abide by the same rules. But, as it turns out, a lot of those things aren’t quite as bad as our parents had us believe.
From comical exaggerations to outright lies, here are 25 relatable tweets about the things adults conditioned us to worry about.
I can't believe adults warned us about the dangers of quicksand and completely ignored telling us about how stressful it is paying rent
— Leo (inactive) (@leonardcowalski) October 17, 2019
I am 32 years old and still deeply terrified that consuming anything from the hotel room minibar will bankrupt my entire family somehow
— Armand Domalewski (@ArmandDoma) August 21, 2021
why did my mom make me think it was illegal to turn a light on in the car while we were driving throughout my whole childhood
— ugh (@gIitering) July 26, 2019
Remember when were kids they used to talk about our “permanent record” LMFAO I was TERRIFIED
— T (@tinnkky) September 12, 2020
Growing up I thought I’d be getting sprayed by a lot more skunks by the way adults warned us about them.
— gregg (@Gregggyboy) December 27, 2019
Did your parents tell you the black seeds in watermelon would grow a watermelon in your stomach too or are you normal?
— ✨ (@svgjean_) April 30, 2020
Was anybody else raised to believe that if you take a shower during a thunderstorm, you’ll probably die via lightning strike?
— Bethany Scott (@Scott_Bethany) December 18, 2021
Did anybody else's parents every tell them not to swim after eating because of cramps?? Did you know that's false? Did you know we were raised by liars!?!?
— Eric D (@methsyndicate69) March 5, 2021
I was 6. My mum told me it was illegal to feed squirrels. She just didn't want me to go near squirrels. When I qualified as a lawyer I tried to find the relevant statute. There wasn't one. I'd been warning people for years that they'd go to prison. #LiesYourParentsToldYou
— Susan Calman (@SusanCalman) June 20, 2019
Did anyone else’s parents tell them that if you sit too close to the TV you’ll go blind?
— kittyhouseknife (@kittyhouseknife) August 7, 2020
Stuff Mum told me as a kid that were untrue:
— Dr Amir Khan GP (@DrAmirKhanGP) May 17, 2019
Cracking knuckles leads to arthritis
Swallowing gum takes 7yrs to digest
My face will stay in that position if the wind changes
Swallow seeds and a plant grows inside of you
Sitting close to the TV ruins your eyes
#FridayFeeling
Took something from the minibar at my hotel and even though my parents are 3,000 miles away I can hear them screaming
— Leslie Grossman (@MissLeslieG) May 12, 2018
anyone else still feel nervous when turning on the lights in a car bc when u were a kid your parents acted like you were committing a felony
— rii abrego (@riibrego) July 15, 2017
I’m shook eating a midnight milky way right now, because subconsciously I still believe candy before bed gives you nightmares.
— Post Madone (@rgennaro222) April 14, 2021
why did our parents have to scar us like this?
Are there any silly "lies" parents told you to get you to stop doing stupid stuff? I just remembered my mom would tell me if I put my face in front of the AC it will freeze and I'll be ugly forever.
— Kamex (ACE WEEK -1 about 50% done) 🇩🇴 | BLM (@KamexVGM) August 11, 2022
Or like if I sat on the radiator when it was on I won't be able to pee or smth
Do you ever think about all the weird things your parents told you when you were little so you wouldn’t do that thing. The one that still haunts me is “if you swallow gum your insides will stick together”
— 𝒥𝓊𝓃𝒾𝓅𝑒𝓇 🌻 (@sunshineskies7) July 16, 2019
#FunnyThingsMomsSay
— 🔥🤘😈ɢɨʍʍɛʝǟʍֆ 😈🤘🔥 (@80sjams) May 9, 2018
Mom:Wait 30 minutes before you swim...
Me: Mom, I had three chips!!?!
Mom:You want to get cramps and drown??
Me:...no...
Remember when your parents told you not to sit close to the TV or you’ll go blind? pic.twitter.com/qAiZcxxlL1
— 🇨🇦ƬӨЯᄃΉIΛ💎 (@kingtorc) March 1, 2022
My old man had me thinking turning on the center light in the car was gon have us looking at RICO charges
— Trill Withers (@TylerIAm) February 6, 2020
Did your parents tell you ice cream before bed gives you nightmares or are you normal
— Ryan (@ryanhopely) July 21, 2020
#LiesYourParentsToldYou
— Scifer is too hot to draw (@Sciferthebox) June 20, 2019
Parents : You have to learn mental arithmetic. You aren't always going to have a calculator in your pocket!
Me : pic.twitter.com/6cnzkucVn1
I was told by my parents that I couldn't have any pink in my steak because that means it wasn't cooked right.
— Michael or The artist formerly known as FART! (@HitRewindPod) November 17, 2021
That's why I didn't care for steak.
I just had it medium and frankly it's better.
I think I might try a notch lower next time.
did y'alls parents tell you putting scotch tape and/or crayola washable marker on your skin was poisonous or were my parents just another brand of wack
— michelle hannah (@itsmichellehann) July 7, 2020
did your parents tell you that you’d get a cold if you went to sleep with your hair wet or are you normal?
— ash (@ashleyav__) September 9, 2021
Our parents warned us for years about the ‘dangers’ of the internet while knowing nothing about it, then finally dove in and fell for every. Single. One.
— Shower Thoughts (@TheWeirdWorld) November 8, 2019