13 little white lies all parents are guilty of telling our kids

We teach our kids to always tell the truth, but whether or not you want to admit it, sometimes as parents we might throw in a little white lie for our own sanity!

13 little white lies all parents are guilty of telling our kids

As much as we try to be good role models for our children, sometimes parents may struggle to be completely honest in what we tell them.

So we might blurt out a few white lies every once in a while because we're either at our wit's end, or not sure how exactly to answer our inquisitive kid's endless questions.

Admit it, you are probably guilty of a few of these yourself at one point or another!

Scenario 1: Your child wants to go on a coin-operated kiddy ride

White lie: "I don't have any coins", or, "This is spoiled, it's not working anymore."

So we let them just sit there on the motionless ride for a few minutes as we impatiently tap our foot and hope that we don't bump into yet another coin-operated fire truck or dinosaur round the next corner in the mall (and then have to repeat the same white lie).

Scenario 2: Junior refuses to brush his teeth

White lie: "If you don't brush your teeth, they will all fall out!"

You've tried coaxing him gently, buying cute toothbrushes, singing fun songs about brushing teeth, yet he still refuses to open his mouth to clean his pearly whites and you're genuinely worried that eventually his teeth will actually rot away!

Scenario 3: You don't feel like sharing your food

White lie: "Ooh, no! This is very spicy!"

There are days when you just want to treat yourself to a piece (or two) of dark chocolate, or a nice hot cup of coffee before you lose your mind.

So when your little one abandons her own snack and asks for a taste of yours, a part of you knows it's so mean but you just don't feel like sharing for once.

Scenario 4: Your kid is misbehaving in public

White lie: "The policeman will come and catch you!"

Kids know that the boys in blue will send bad people to jail (and supposedly naughty children!) so this will instil a bit of fear in them.

Although you do wonder if this could possibly make them grow up resenting the police?...

Scenario 5: Your little one wants a new toy at the store

White lie: "This one is not for sale, it's just put there for decoration."

Your house is already bursting at the seams with all sorts of toys which have not even been well-played with yet, so you're not willing to fork out another $69.90 for a singing bear that your child will probably be scared of anyway and run away from as soon as you put in the batteries.

Scenario 6: Forcing your tot to take some medicine

White lie: "This is so yummy! It tastes like candy!"

As soon as your toddler even sees that bottle of medicine, he's already trying to run away for dear life, so you have to chase him around the house and pin him down with your thighs as you pry his mouth open and force the supposed "delicious" syrup in.

Candy? Yeah, perhaps candy that has been mixed with fish bile and armpit sweat.

Scenario 7: Your child insists on going to the toy store or ice cream shop

White lie: "It's closed already."

Apparently everyday is a public holiday for all toy stores and ice cream shops across the nation, because each time your child begs to go there, she is told that they're closed for the day or closed down for good -- even though there are clearly a few customers walking in and out. Whoops

Scenario 8: Trying to get your kid to follow you somewhere

White lie: "I'm going now. Bye bye!"

Afraid of being left behind, your child will probably panic -- especially if you actually put on a big show about it by taking a few steps and waving enthusiastically -- that will guarantee to make most kids scream and run towards you.

But of course you weren't really going to abandon your kid (...right?).

Scenario 9: During a really long MRT ride

White lie: "We're reaching soon! Only a few more stops away."

You're thankful that your tot doesn't know how to tell the time yet, because then he'll soon figure out that travelling from Boon Lay to Tampines is not going to take "a few minutes" like you claimed it would almost one hour ago.

Enjoy the next 20+ stations with his constant fidgeting and asking, "Are we there yet?" at every single stop. So much fun.

Scenario 10: Requests to go to an expensive theme-park

White lie: "Ok, next time."

When exactly this magical time will actually ever arrive, no one knows for sure -- perhaps when pigs can fly, or when people can live on Mars?

If you saved a dollar for every time you promised to bring your family to these places some day, you'd probably have enough to actually bring them there already.

Scenario 11: Forcing your kid to finish her vegetables or drink her milk

White lie: "If you don't finish it then you won't grow and you'll just stay small like a baby forever."

Just the very thought of remaining a pint-sized little tot who's still not tall enough to go on all the fun rides at the amusement park, or reach the basketball hoop, or get to the same height as mummy and daddy is enough to make your kid quickly shovel down all her broccoli like a ravenous (vegetarian) wolf.

Scenario 12: The batteries of that annoying and loud toy finally dies

White lie: "Oh no, it's broken."

You will then proceed to tinker around with it under the pretense of trying to fix it, even though you jolly well know that it just needs a battery change.

But your innocent little doe-eyed child doesn't know that, and even if she does, you'll either pretend not to have the right tools to open up the battery panel, or you'll intentionally put in some new batteries the wrong way round to prove that the toy really is broken.

Sounds cruel, but if you have to listen to Elmo's incessant giggling for another 24 hours straight, you truly fear for your own sanity.

Scenario 13: Your child proudly presents you with her artwork

White lie: "Wow! That is beautiful!"

You have absolutely no clue what it is supposed to be -- a cross-eyed dragon jumping on a trampoline? A skinny hippo dancing on the moon? A portrait of mummy just waking up in the morning?

Whatever it is, you truly do love it and are fiercely proud of your child's masterpiece which will be prominently displayed in your house for all to see and admire.

Personally, this is probably our favourite little white lie to tell all kids.

Have you ever used any of these white lies on your child? What other fibs are you guilty of telling your unsuspecting kids? Share it with us by leaving a comment below!