10 myths parents tell their kids: debunked

We all know that parents tell little white lies, but are any of these parental myths true? And if not, where on earth did they come from? Here are ten of the most popular myths: debunked!

1.  If you sneeze with your eyes open, they'll fall out

FALSE. Your eyes closing when you sneeze is a reflex action. Some people don't have that reflex and their eyes don't fall out because there are loads of muscles holding them in place!

2.  Carrots will make you see in the dark

TRUE. Well, sort of. Carrots contain vitamin A which can improve your sight when there's low light. If you have night blindness carrots can help, but they won't give a healthy person night vision (sadly).

3.  Eating crusts will make your hair curly

FALSE. This myth probably came about a few hundred years ago, when people thought that curly hair was an indication of health. Bread crusts are the most nutritious part of the loaf, so people thought eating well gave you curly hair!

4.  If you cross your eyes, they'll stick that way

FALSE. Of course your eyes won't stick like that (it's physically impossible!). This is probably a myth used to stop children from freaking out their siblings with crossed eyes.

5.  Cracking your knuckles gives you arthritis

FALSE. There is no evidence that giving your knuckles a good crack gives you arthritis, but it can strain your tendons and reduce the strength of your grip!

6.  You must wait an hour to swim after you eat

TRUE. You can get cramps if you swim straight after eating, because your body is trying to digest and exercise at the same time. But there's no need to be too rigid, some light swimming after a light meal probably shouldn't give you cramps.

7.  If you go outside with wet hair, you'll catch a cold

TRUE. But not because being cold and wet outdoors causes colds (it doesn't). You need to catch the cold virus, and being cold and wet will lower your defenses, making you more likely to catch it.

8.  Chewing gum stays in your stomach for 7 years

FALSE. Although it's true that gum base can't be digested, that just means it'll go the same way as other undigestible things: out.

9.  Drinking coffee stunts your growth

FALSE. There is no evidence to suggest coffee stunts growth, but large quantities can cause anxiety, jitteriness and teeth problems if you're loading it with sugar. So enjoy your lattes in moderation!

10.  Reading in poor light damages your eyes

TRUE. Reading in poor light makes your eyes work harder, which can cause eye strain. However, it won't give you permanent eye damage and you certainly won't go blind!

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