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From the start, it is necessary to point out that most of the myths that will be presented in the following article are mainly enforced by parents to protect their children from the potentially dangerous consequences of the activities. On the other hand, other misconceptions have earned their “absolute truth” moniker by repetition and some of these white lies are simply more convenient explanations for facts of life that our kids are not yet ready to hear.

Nevertheless, all parents want what is best for their children. In this case, teaching them the ability to dissociate between actually proven facts and misconceptions that stem from “common knowledge” from an early age is the right thing to do. Let’s try to debunk the prevalent ones.

1. Coffee and caffeinated beverages stunt growth

The main reason why parents are not comfortable with their children drinking caffeine based beverages and particularly energy drinks or coffee stems from the inevitable burst of energy and hyperactivity. As of such, they will try to employ the kids’ fear of being short for the rest of their life in order to deter them from these drinks, sometimes utilizing pseudo-scientific explanations like “coffee burns calcium and your bones will not develop properly, so you will not grow up tall”. Now, without denying that children need a healthy dose of calcium and coffee is not exactly the best way to achieve it, at this point no study has determined a direct correlation between height and caffeine in kids.

2. You will develop acne if you eat chocolate

This myth stems from the idea that fatty aliments promote the secretion of sebum, which blocks the skin pores and eventually causes acne. Truth be told, refraining from excessively eating chocolate is not actually bad for the health, especially since child obesity is a global problem at this point, but then again, no research has linked chocolate and acne so far. Children are more likely to experience acne during adolescence when hormonal changes kick in, particularly if they have an oily skin complexion.

3. Sneezing with your eyes open will cause them to pop out

Leaving aside the fact that it is virtually impossible to keep your eyes open during a sneeze, there is a ton of reason why this outcome is impossible. First of all, the number of muscles that attach the eyes to the socket would not allow your sight organs to become dislodged, irrespective of how strong the sneeze is. Secondly, we all know that the only person who can sneeze with his eyes open is Chuck Norris. Lastly, the Black Plague has been eradicated since the Dark Ages.

4. You can become cross eyed simply by crossing the eyes too often

Since no child wants to develop a “deformity” that would brand them as an outcast among his peers, parents tell them this popular myth in order to stop them from making weird faces in public. True, it can be embarrassing for you as a parent to have your kid squinting and grimacing at strangers, but there is no evidence to support this theory. When the strain on the eyes’ muscle becomes too great, they simply revert to the original position. You can keep your eyes crossed as long as you like and it will not become the second nature to your visual organs.

5. Going outdoors with wet hair is a surefire way to catch a cold

Here is an interesting statistic revealed by surveys: in excess of 40 percent of the interviewed parents genuinely believe that you stand to catch a cold if you go outdoors before your hair has been fully dried. Moreover, they are enforcing this belief on their children. Fortunately, the combination of wet hair and cold weather is actually harmless, because contracting a cold requires exposure to the actual virus. Furthermore, cold weather is only a factor in less than 0.5% of cases, since only 1 in 200 forms of the virus is more likely to thrive if the temperature outside dries the nostrils. By all accounts, you are more likely to catch a cold in winter by sharing the space with an infected person.

Many parents stumble when asked math and science questions by their children. They are unsure of the answers. This articles looks at 10 questions many parents fear to answer. It also examines how parents can approach to answer the tough questions.

1. Where do babies come from?

This is a question that is consistently asked by curious and inquisitive children. Many parents find very unusual and inaccurate answers. The best way to answer this question is to use resources that are age appropriate.

2. Why is the moon visible during the day?

Many parents do not know the answer to this question when asked by children. Not many of us would know the answer either unless we have researched it. The reason for this is because of the moon’s rotation and the role the sun plays in lifting it.

3. Why is the sky blue?

We may have been asked this question numerous times. We feel stumped on this question with no concrete answer. The true answer is because of the light (of many colors) is divided into particles in the atmosphere. Blue light is sent out more than the other colors.

4. Will aliens be ever discovered?

Children are fascinated by aliens. They believe that aliens exist in this world and can invade earth at any time. This is a question that really cannot be answered. One thing parents could mention is the possibility of life on Mars. They could also add how it is far from earth and not easily accessible.

5. How do airplanes fly?

This is a question that is pretty easy to answer. Airplanes fly because of the upward lift and its curved shape of the wings. The cycle of the air above and below the wings allows a plane to fly.

Nothing is more shocking than a child killing a parent or even a step parent. There are no stereotypes to fit a teenage murderer. Many of the teenagers look innocent and you would never think they were responsible for the most horrid events.

1. Tyler Hadley:

Hadley, 17, used a framing hammer to kill his parents in July of 2011. He covered both the bodies with clothes and continued to invite his friends on Facebook over for a party. No motive has been established yet. No one even knows if Tyler killed his parents before or after the party began. Police were going on an anonymous tip about the murder.

2. Joseph Lyle Menendez & Eric Galen Menendez:

These two brothers were convicted for killing their wealthy and affluent parents in 1989 with a shotgun. The murder occurred in the den of the family’s Beverly Hills home. The father, a wealthy entertainment executive, was shot point blank in the back of the head. The mother, Kitty Menendez was shot in the leg, arms, chest and face several times. Following the deaths of the parents, the brothers lived a lavish life, spending money on a Mercedes-Benz and a Rolex watch.

3. Sarah Johnson:

Johnson, 16, lived in Idaho with both her parents. On September 2, 2003, Johnson killed her sleeping mother in the head and her father (who was in the shower) in the chest and right above the heart. She proceeded to go to the neighbour’s house, reporting that her parents were murdered. When police arrived, they saw a discarded gun/weapon in the trash can. On the weapon was Sarah Johnson’s DNA.

4. Morgan Moore:

This 17 year old was indicted on two counts of first degree murder and arson. He and his friend Chase Vinson murdered the former’s parents. It is alleged that Moore asked for Vinson’s assistance in killing his parents on more than one occasion. Moore is expected to be tried as an adult. This crime carries a life sentence.

5. Adam Sapikowski:

In 2006, Sapikowski murdered both his parents and left their bodies inside the home for two weeks. Adam was 17 at the time and planned to go camping after the murder. The only reason he did not go was because a female friend passed on the opportunity. He was sentenced to at least 20 years in prison.

Kids love taking things from their parents without permission. They sometimes forget to give the items back as well.

Alternatively, many parents never get rid of their kids. The kids keep coming back and taking things from their parents’ home.

Here are just 10 things kids steal (meant take) from their parents without asking. I hope many of you understand that when I speak of kids, I am talking about the kids that grow up and move out.

1. Food:

Many parents still find their kids crawling back into their house and taking food from the refrigerator. Many kids are used to having someone cook for them. When living on their own, the responsibility becomes theirs. Many are lazy and just enjoy eating out. The only problem with that is money. They then turn to their parents to help them.

2. Furnishings:

The motto here is…if they like it…they take it. If they like something they see at their parent’s house, they try to take it. From carpets to cup holders, kids love to collect furnishings from their parents’ house to their own house.

3. Appliances:

Kids love having parties. They thus borrow appliances such as barbecues and toasters from their parents. The only problem is that they become Homer Simpson and never return it or just forget about it.

4. Electronics:

The first thing kids take with them is electronics. From boom boxes to televisions to stereos, kids love taking electronics. They figure that their parents hardly would need them. They thus borrow the electronics for an unknown period of time.

5. Money:

There have been cases where kids would come to the home take money from their parents’ wallets/purses. They would not announce it until they are out the door. One parent quoted their son as saying “Mom I need $20, I’ll pay you back.”

Here is a list of 10 secrets kids/teenagers keep from parents. Kids and teenagers are becoming tactful and some of these do work.

1. Smoking:

Teenagers nearly always hide their smoking habits from parents. They would hate to know the consequences of their actions. One girl hid in people’s cars outside her house to prevent her mother from seeing.

2. Sex:

Teenagers almost never admit to parents when they have sex for the first time. I know one 15 year old who never told her mother she was pregnant until 7 months into her pregnancy. The mother never put the pieces of the puzzle together.

3. Bullying:

If children are being bullied, they will not always be read to admit it. In fact, many bullies threaten their victims to keep silent. You need to watch for signs of bullying to know when kids keep secrets.

4. Damage:

If kids/teenagers damage an item that is not theirs, they almost always fail to admit it. I know a 16 year old who scratched a kitchen table and only told his parents the year after. He wanted them to cool down.

5. Tests:

If a kid failed his/her test, they will never admit it. They would always try to hide the test. In fact many students would forge their parents’ signature to keep the secret even more.

Many parents leave it up to teachers and other educators to teach children proper manners. It is the job of the parents to do preliminary education with their children. Here are the top 10 things they would need to teach their children at a young age. The younger the better!

No insults intended, but the follow 10 things to teach kids should be made into laws across the world.

1. Respect for Elders:

How many times did we hear these statements from children: You’re not my mother! You’re not the boss of me. No matter who the individual is, children should have respect for them. It’s the role of the parent to teach that to their children. Otherwise, children would run into problems every time a child is being taught a lesson or two outside of the house or outside of the nuclear family.

2. Wash Hands:

This is very important to teach and to model to children. Washing hands could eliminate germs and can eliminate anyone being sick. With viruses such as H1N1 and SARS being deadly it is important for all children to know how to wash their hands. It should not just be taught at school, it should be emphasized and reinforced at home as well.

3. Please and Thank you:

The problem here lies sometimes in the parents and elder siblings. Children pick up on things quite fast. If for example, a parent forgets to say thank you, they child will find it is a useless word to use. Be consistent and emphasize politeness for children.

4. Table Manners:

This should be part of the grade 1 class curriculum and part of a child’s upbringing. When you sit at a table, do not use your hands to pick up food, chew with your mouth closed and wait for others to sit down before starting to eat. Constant nagging can be eliminated if children were taught table manners during their early upbringings. Teachers could reinforce this in the classroom as well.

5. Keep hands and feet to yourself:

Role-modeling is one problem parents face. Children are greatly influenced by parents and their elderly. If their parents or other elders use violence to solve their problems, children will copycat them. Parents should always emphasize “keep hands and feet to yourself at all times”. If they fail to see why they need to role model, they should examine the Bobo doll experiment by Albert Bandura.

Don’t you really hate it when you sound like a broken record, you say things without thinking and as soon as it is out of my mouth, you are tired of hearing it too.

We all do it. We repeat the same phrase over and over, and for some reason we expect the kids to respond. But they don’t hear us – they hear the teacher’s voice from Charlie Brown instead.

Let’s examine some of these popular phrases we need to repeat.

1. “You’re grounded”:

Name me one child who has not heard this phrase before. No one is perfect and everyone has made one mistake or two. Mistakes do come with consequences. The consequence may lead to 1 or 2 days/weeks/months without TV and other privileges.

2. “Money Does NOT Grow On Trees”:

Children are demanding…sometimes too demanding. Many parents do not have millions of dollars to pay for their children’s luxury items. They thus use this phrase to teach their children the value of money. In my opinion, the phrase hardly works.

3. “You are such a sweetie pie”:

I heard many parents use this phrase on their children under the age of 10. Many children love to hear this phrase. This usually is when the children could manipulate the parent to get what they want.

4. “Don’t touch this”:

Fearing things will break, parents use this phrase. Many parents also fear that children would hurt themselves, if they touch knives and other sharp items. This phrase is thus a precautionary measure which is in the child (ren)’s best interest(s).

5. “Use your Indoor Voice”:

Kids are parents’ pride and joy. When kids get excited, they forget that they are indoors. They would sometimes scream and shout without noticing the decibel level of their voice. This even happens when the person, they are speaking to, is standing right next to them.

Proper Term: “SHHHHHH….)