7 Little White Lies That Moms Tell Their Kids
You never really want to lie to your kids, but once in a while, you have to stretch the truth just a little bit. Sometimes it’s to keep the peace, and other times it’s to maintain your sanity. Whatever the reason, no one’s going to blame you, shame you, or otherwise make you feel like you should forfeit your “Mother of the Year” mug. You’re just trying to raise great kids. Scroll on for the little white lies that are okay to tell your little one.
1. Mommy forgot to buy batteries. No you didn’t. You actually have a stockpile of them hiding in your pantry. But if you hear your child’s piano play “The Wheels on the Bus” one more time, you’re going to freak out. So, save yourself a headache and tell your kid, “Oops, we’re all out of batteries!”
2. That’s not a cookie, and you wouldn’t like it. Sometimes mommy needs a cookie, a cupcake, or a chocolate bar that’s all hers. Just as you’re about to take your first bite, your toddler makes a grab for it, and you swiftly pull YOUR treat away. Screaming, “It’s mine! It’s mine! It’s mine!” won’t exactly teach your tot a lesson in sharing. But you really, really don’t want to share. You share so much, so it’s totally okay to keep one thing to yourself. So, that’s when you say, “Oh no, this isn’t a cookie. It’s one of mommy’s grown-up vegetable snacks. And you wouldn’t like it.”
3. Bunny went to live with his best friend, on a beach, across the ocean. Maybe you lost your child’s stuffed bunny, shredded it in the washer, let the puppy get it, accidentally dropped an entire bottle of purple grape juice on it, or did something else that completely destroyed it. You honestly tried to tell your child that her bunny is gone. But her lips started to quiver halfway through the discussion. You couldn’t take that sad face, so you may have lied just a little to calm her down. It’s okay.
4. The Tooth Fairy/Santa Claus/Easter Bunny is real. Oh yeah, and there’s totally a Hanukkah squirrel who brings eight nights of presents to good little boys and girls. These stories are probably the biggest lies that parents tell their kids. Let’s face it: They’re part of childhood. At some point, though, that snarky older boy who lives down the street will skateboard by your innocent child and spill the secret, saying, “Your mom is really Santa!”
5.Mommy and Daddy were just wrestling. Your tiny tot recently discovered that he can easily hop out of bed, twist the door handle, walk down the hallway, and end up in your room. It’s Sunday morning and you and your honey are spending some “grown-up time” together. That’s right when your kid busts in. Explaining S-E-X to your three-year-old is, well — let’s just say he isn’t ready to understand it yet. Instead of screaming, freaking out, or slamming the door, you decide to lie and give the old “We’re wrestling” excuse.
6. The toy store isn’t open today. Okay, so this one doesn’t work as well as it did about a decade or so ago. Chances are that your preschooler will respond with, “Yeah, but isn’t Amazon or eBay open?” Kids are super savvy about computers, the internet, and online shopping. So, you’ll need to say something like, “Oh no, it looks like the internet is down right now.”
7. It’s time for bed. It’s been a long day. A crazy long day. And it’s that time of the year when the sun sets somewhere around 5pm. Your toddler doesn’t see the difference between 5pm and 10pm. As the clock strikes 6pm, you’ve already fed your kid, done bath time, and read 15 stories. But bedtime isn’t supposed to be until 8pm. Well, it’s “8pm” right now. That gives you two whole extra hours to eat rocky road ice cream from the carton, watch The Real Housewives, or have an actual conversation with your S.O.
What acceptable lie have you told your child? Share yours and tweet us @BritandCo!
(Photos via Getty)