Sometimes, parenting calls for a tiny fib to keep the peace, make life easier, or just get out of the toy aisle unscathed.
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Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Parents often resort to telling small lies to their kids to navigate tricky situations like getting them dressed or potty training. Lies about food, travel, and even the Tooth Fairy are common tactics parents use to make mealtimes, journeys, and lost teeth more manageable. While some lies are told for convenience, others end up bringing lasting joy and unexpected benefits to both parents and kids.
No one sets out to outright lie to their kids. But a little white lie can save the day—especially when you’re dealing with a small child who believes that putting on a coat in the middle of winter is incredibly offensive. It’s also a helpful tactic when yourthat isn’t white toast or is gearing up for a tantrum in the toy aisle because they can’t have every single thing on the shelf. And the list goes on.
Let’s look at some of the most common situations where parents might resort to a small fib—and some examples of real lies from parents that will make you LOL and nod in solidarity.. They know what they want to wear, when they want to wear it, and how long they're willing to keep it on. That’s why a well-placed lie can come in handy when trying to get your child dressed.
“When my toddler refused to wear a hat during the winter, I took advantage of his love of baseball, and said it was a special baseball helmet. ” - Jen S. “My toddler daughter wanted jeans like her big brother, and I told her jeans don't fit over diapers. She was potty trained in one day!
Years later, my daughter saw a kid with Pampers poking out of her little Levi's and said, ‘Hey, you lied to me—jeans "When my toddler refused to wear a hat during the winter, I took advantage of his love of baseball, and said it was a special baseball helmet.
"isn’t a fun experience—for parents or kids. It gets even trickier when you need to venture out of your home. That’s where Christine Burke’s little white lie came in especially handy. When Burke was potty training, she told both her kids that bathrooms didn’t exist outside of their home.
“I told my kids that bathrooms didn’t exist in public but I would only take them out for short errands when we were actively potty training,” she says. “So, we would use the bathroom at home, head to the grocery store for a few things, and then head home. I didn’t force my 3-year-old to hold it for hours on end while out and about, but I definitely, all parents know that feeding small kids can be a total drag.
They're finicky, messy, and just plain annoying to feed. That’s why almost all of us have have pulled out a lie or two to survive mealtimes.
“Child was adamant about wanting a hot dog. We were having burgers. We rolled the hamburger meat into a hot dog shape, grilled it with the burgers, and put it in a hot dog bun. ” - Diana C.“I put water in popsicle molds and gave the kids literal ice pops for dessert.
They bought it for a surprisingly long time! ” - Erica Kates, pediatrician and mom of two in Massachusetts “When my super picky eater was about 6, the only pizza place she would eat pizza from went out of business.
After a while of her refusing to try any other pizza, when we were at another pizza place I lied and told her that the staff from the first place came and taught the staff at the new place how to make the pizza exactly the same. This was enough to convince her to try the pizza there, which then became the only place she would eat pizza from.
” - Jennifer S."I put water in popsicle molds and gave the kids literal ice pops for dessert. They bought it for a surprisingly long time!
"part is usually a test of patience. Here are some clever lies parents told to make the journey a little smoother:“We told our kids when they were 6 and 4 that we were taking them to a hotel with a pool. Didn't reveal it was“I said that a spoonful of ‘travel juice’ would make my imaginative son go to sleep and have great dreams. Worked every time.
He would toddle out if he felt scared and I would—very very carefully and with great ritual—pull out the unmarked glass bottle, measure the ‘travel juice’ into a tiny silver spoon, and watch with intense anticipation as he drank it. Then, kiss him and he’s sweetly asleep in moments! .
” - Milda D., but it’s, well, difficult to stay on top of her many appointments. Here’s how some parents navigated a missed visit.
“When the Tooth Fairy missed our house, we summoned her back the next night by tossing candy sprinkles in the yard so she would know to stop here. ” - Rachel Engel “We have forgotten about the Tooth Fairy so many times.
Once, when my youngest was in kindergarten and a lot of her classmates were losing teeth around the same time, I explained that there isn’t just one Tooth Fairy, there are multiple tooth fairies that operate on a neighborhood level. Since so many kids were losing their teeth at the same time, she was running behind that morning. While I explained it, my husband quietly snuck into the room and swapped the tooth with some money.
He said he thought he heard the sound of bells, my daughter checked again, and we explained that our neighborhood Tooth Fairy must have finally caught up. ” - Heather Q. "When the Tooth Fairy missed our house, we summoned her back the next night by tossing candy sprinkles in the yard so she would know to stop here.
"Sometimes, you just need to survive the moment—whether that's escaping a toy store without losing your entire life’s savings, or getting your kid off their tablet for just a few minutes. These “lies of convenience” speak for themselves:"There is no Wi-Fi here.
"- Sarah Howlett, a mom of tween twins in Boulder, ColoradoFinally, sometimes lies end up being enriching and unexpectedly sweet. Take these two wholesome fibs that prove that not all white lies are created equal:“When my kiddo was just on the cusp of being an independent reader, I told her, ‘Under no circumstances are you to bring books up into your bed at night. Your bed is for sleeping.
’ Within a week, half her bookshelf was hidden in her bed under a blanket—and she was a reader! ” - Liz M. “I told my kids, ‘When you have the hiccups, you are growing taller. ’ Made my kids relax about getting rid of them, they went away much quicker, and were excited to have the hiccups.
They are now 18 and 17 and I heard my daughter excitedly tell her 10-year-old cousin that she was growing when she heard her hiccup. ” - Dawn Leeson, mom of two teens These are just a handful of the situations where parents have found themselves bending the truth—for their own sanity—and for peace of everyone within earshot of them and their young kiddo.
These fibs are not only downright entertaining and relatable, but we hope they make you feel slightly less alone. Because, yeah, sometimes you just have to gloss over the truth to make it through your day. And that’s OK!
Tooth Fairy Christine Burke Parents Baseball Helmet
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