It's sometimes easier to make up a wild story, rather than explaining the truth to kids, because the truth is either unpleasant, complicated, or something the child doesn't care about. Sometimes the parental lies are simply a way to get children to do as they're told.
One daughterrecalls her mother telling her that going out with wet hair, wearing fashionable cropped clothing that didn't come right down to your bum and sitting down on cold concrete all cause a mysterious illness known as a "chill on your kidneys".
"When questioned on the symptoms when I was an adult, mum still said 'well you'll know all about it when you catch one'. It seems to also be caused by inadequate vegetable consumption and staying out late without your good coat."
"My latest form of entertainment is going to Countdown and watching the avocados go off on the shelf, because no one will pay $6 for them," writes James. "I'm sure that if they lowered the price instead of throwing them out because they are overripe, then customers would purchase them."
Good things come to those who wait
Two things Matthew Malloy was pleasantly surprised to find really don't expire. "My Whitcoulls voucher given to me for Christmas 2004 that I was able to spend this year and a letter that arrived today with stamps from 1971, 1980 and 1981."
Photo / Supplied
Truth on uphill drain trickles down
Charles Wood knows a thing or two about drains: "Drains have water go into them from either the top through the grill, or underground through a pipe from elsewhere. Often both occur.
Your uphill water drain is likely over a large drain pit and is set at that height as part of a bigger drainage system. It's a grill in case things go pear shaped and water does overflow.
A solid lid could be dislodged while a grill just lets the water flow out. So yes, it's an uphill drain, but you got the direction of flow wrong."
