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What was something your parents lied to you about?

Asked by Josh Board

June 11, 2008

Photo of Donna Jackson

Donna Jackson

From Mission Viejo (Payroll)

It was that he was cheating on my mom. And he still lies about it to this day, only I know the truth. The woman he’s now married to, and has been for years, knows things about me from when I was ten. She wouldn’t know certain things about my childhood. My mom was still alive then, and they were together. The things my dad lied to me about…I can give you a list.

Photo of Sheryl Clark

Sheryl Clark

From Michigan (Pharmaceuticals)

My answer would probably be the same as a lot of kids’: the truth about Santa Claus. I was probably six or seven when I found out it was my parents. I was so happy, too. Realizing that my mom and dad cared enough to buy us things and pretend about Santa. My older sister found out about Santa because she smelled paint. A lot of the gifts were always painted in this battleship grey, and you could smell it in the morning.

Photo of Jenna Sloan

Jenna Sloan

From Sorrento Valley (Waitress)

Regarding the existence of Santa Claus. My sister told me one time that there was no Santa. She is actually younger than me. I asked my mom. I was probably in third grade. She said there wasn’t a Santa but that his spirit lives on. I started crying and said, “How could you lie to us about something so important?” And she hasn’t lied to me since then.

Photo of Dan Allman

Dan Allman

From La Mesa (Project Engineer)

It was my father telling me he was a priest. For a long time, that’s what he used to get me to be good. We called him “father,” so it seemed believable. I was probably around eight or nine when I realized it was a lie. Then his big quote was, “It’s only a suggestion, but don’t forget who made it.” I guess that’s not really a lie. He was big on Catholic guilt.

Photo of Michael Hawk

Michael Hawk

From San Diego (Bartender)

I would say the time my mom found the outline of a condom in the Velcro surfer wallet I had when I was 13. It had been in there for so long it formed a permanent outline. She was really upset. I just thought it was cool to have one because a few friends had them in their wallets. None of us had money in our wallets, so storage of things was the next best use. I immediately got the birds and bees talk with my parents. I was told that sex really isn’t that great. In their attempts to keep me abstinent for the rest of my life, a lot of lies were told.

Photo of Kim Ford

Kim Ford

From Mira Mesa (Waitress)

I don’t think they ever lied to me. Maybe a few little white lies. They used to tell me if I don’t clean my ears, they’ll grow potatoes in them. I don’t know, maybe I still believe that because I’m always cleaning them. Regarding the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy, I never really believed they were real. You just want to enjoy those things as a kid. One of my co-workers was told by his parents that weeds didn’t produce oxygen, and that’s why he needed to pull them all out of the garden.

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