The funniest lies told to children - revealed

From dogs being undeveloped humans to staying quiet in the car to make the journey go quicker

Parents tell lies to control children, avoid inappropriate questions, and sometimes just for fun... (Monkey Business Images/REX Shutterstock)

Although parents might not always admit it out-loud, raising children can be exhausting and sometimes telling a little white lie can make life easier.

With the rise of social media and online forums, parents have more platforms than ever before to vent about the difficulties of the task at hand.

In a recent Reddit thread, users were invited to reveal the funniest lies they’ve told small children. Others took the chance to share the fibs they were fed when they were young.

The answers ranged from tricking children into being quiet, to elaborate tales about the origins of humanity.

Here are some of our favourites:

Comment from discussion What are some funny lies to tell small children?.

Comment from discussion What are some funny lies to tell small children?.

Comment from discussion What are some funny lies to tell small children?.

Comment from discussion What are some funny lies to tell small children?.

Comment from discussion What are some funny lies to tell small children?.

Comment from discussion What are some funny lies to tell small children?.

Comment from discussion What are some funny lies to tell small children?.

Comment from discussion What are some funny lies to tell small children?.

Comment from discussion What are some funny lies to tell small children?.

A recent study published in Developmental Science found that most parents admit to lying to their children, to make them behave or co-operate or to avoid answering questions deemed to be inappropriate.

Testing whether children pick up lying from adults, researchers found that school-age children were more likely to be untruthful after being lied to, while pre-schoolers were not affected.