Myths that you were told as kids...

[ree-Xi]

Aside from the superstitions of walking under a ladder, a black cat crossing your path, and stepping on a crack will cause your mother's back to break, I laugh now at some of the stuff I remember being told as a kid. What's scary is that some of the myths were told to me by adults!!


- If you swallow gum, it will stick to your lungs for nine years! (I remember after inadvertently swallowing a piece of gum, I envisioned that every time I breathed in, I was blowing a bubble in my lungs!!)
- Going outside with wet hair or without a hat/coat/scarf will make you sick.
- Squeezing zits will lead to cancer
- Wearing a tampon takes away your virginity
- Swimming after eating will give you cramps and you will drown
- Cracking knuckles causes arthritis

Anyone else have any good ones? Have any of you who are parents ever told their kids anything like this?

[glittergal1985]

I was told that it was illegal to chew gum if you were under 25 ....

[PiKA2001]

My mom is the queen of old wives tales so I'm pretty sure I've heard it all growing up. I crack my knuckles and she still tells me that doing that will make my knuckles grow into "gorilla knuckles"...whatever that is. I'm 31 now and my knuckles are still proportionate to my hands.

[LXA SE285]

Speaking of zit-popping, I thought it was an urban legend that popping a pimple could cause an infection that could go to your brain. Turns out it's true.

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/facing-triangle-death

[Mevara]

-stepping on a cold floor without socks will make you sick
-pulling out one gray will cause you to have 2!
-if you swallow a watermelon seed (or any other seed) will cause you to grow that fruit in your belly

[carnation]

-guacamole is made by smashing guacamole lizards

[flirt5721]

If you don't stop crying La Llorona (the crying lady) was going to come and take you away.

[PGD-GRAD]

If you cross your eyes, they will stick.

There are children in India (or some other country) who would be GLAD to have that
sauerkraut!

If you shave your legs (too early), the hair will grow back like a monkey.

[camom]

If you cross your eyes they will stay that way.

[lovespink88]

Originally Posted by LXA SE285

Speaking of zit-popping, I thought it was an urban legend that popping a pimple could cause an infection that could go to your brain. Turns out it's true.

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/facing-triangle-death

Reddit?

[thetalady]

"One day I'll be dead and THEN you'll be sorry"

(my mother is never going to die. She will outlive the cockaroaches!)

[GeorgiaGreek]

"If it weren't for you, my hair wouldn't have turned grey"
Until middle school, I was pretty convinced that my father's grey hair was the result of any stress I caused throughout my childhood, especially because he had no grey when I was a toddler and by the time I got to college, he was about 75% salt-and-pepper. At least I didn't make it fall out?

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaGreek

"If it weren't for you, my hair wouldn't have turned grey"
Until middle school, I was pretty convinced that my father's grey hair was the result of any stress I caused throughout my childhood, especially because he had no grey when I was a toddler and by the time I got to college, he was about 75% salt-and-pepper. At least I didn't make it fall out?

I think this is true. I got my first grey hair about a month after my daughter was born. Truth.

[IrishLake]

There is a Wookie that lives in the back yard of my grandparents house.

[AlphaFrog]

My husband was told that beer + watermelon is lethal.

I remember being told that if you talk while you're fishing, it scares the fish away.