Crossing my eyes would make them stay like that.. even if i did it for like 5 seconds.

Going out with wet hair will give me pneumonia (I always go out with wet hair and i have never had pneumonia.)

Not being properly dressed will get me a cold. Like not a proper jacket or flip flops in the fall when it is a bit cooler. Mom still tells me this now. i yell "you dont get a cold from the cold you get it from germs!!" less

When I was little, maybe 4, my father told me that he was the reasons that bananas grow in South America. He said he was in Canada, where he said bananas used to grow, and found out that the bananas were all being eaten by the moose - and if he didn't do something to save last bunch of bananas, the moose would have eaten all of them. So, he said he had rescued the last bunch and had it in his sleeping bag with him while he slept by his fire at night. The moose were in the trees, surrounding his camp, but he guarded the bananas with this life. He then traveled to South America, where the moose wouldn't go, and planted banana trees. And that is why bananas grow in South America.
I was about 18 when all in one go, I remembered this story. I said "Dad! You told me bananas used to grow in Canada and were being eaten by the moose!" He had a confused look for a second and then laughed "Oh. Yes. I did tell you that."
I also realized that at one point in my early childhood I was afraid of moose because I thought they were monsters that lived in trees. Thanks Dad. LOL less

My dad used to tell me when I was 10 or so and so proud of my little training bra, that if I wore it to sleep in, my boobs wouldn't grow. Now while that's a popular myth, my reaction was the funny part. I didn't WANT my boobs to grow, so after he jokingly told me that, I wore it to sleep every night for a few years. And seeing as I'm now a 36/38 DD, it clearly didn't work... less

Well there's the ever classic "If you hold your face like that it'll stick forever."

I was also told things by my mother just to insult me, make me insecure, and ultimately cry. Like I was cold because I was fat and had poor blood circulation. Or I was too hot because I was fat and the 'blubber' kept me warm. Or the fact that I drank a lot of milk gave me acne.

Thankfully I'm old enough to just tell her to keep her ignorant and hurtful opinions to herself. less

Most of these are answers given to children because parents don't think it's time to give them the 'real' answers. The others are old wives tales that make life a little more interesting and I hope they continue.

I can't remember all of the ones my mother told me, the one that sticks out the most is "drinking coffee with put hair on your chest". less

Most of these are answers given to children because parents don't think it's time to give them the 'real' answers. The others are old wives tales that make life a little more interesting and I hope they continue.

I can't remember all of the ones my mother told me, the one that sticks out the most is "drinking coffee with put hair on your chest". less

When I was a child, my grandmother used to tell me not to sit on public toilet seats because I would get herpes. I believed her for many, many years. Now I just don't sit on public seats to strengthen my leg muscles.

Another good one was that my mother used to tell me not to wear underwear to bed because I would become infertile. I think she was confusing the fact that men wearing briefs to bed will potentially lower their sperm count. Thanks mom, I don't have testicles or a sperm count. Great advice!

What awful advice were you given? less