30 Unethical Parenting Hacks For Moms And Dads Who Don’t Mind Manipulating Their Kids

To learn more about the little white lies that parents often tell their kiddos, we reached out to mom, parenting expert and Founder of Pregnant Chicken, Amy Morrison. Amy was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and explain why mothers and fathers sometimes resort to these hacks.

"Parenting is hard (and exhausting at times), so I think most parents will find ways to make life a little easier by bending the truth occasionally," she noted. "In the past, I have definitely used the 'park closing excuse' to get a stubborn toddler to go home."

We also asked Amy if there's anything wrong with using these little tricks. "For the most part, I think these tactics are harmless," she says. "However, I think they can turn harmful quickly, so parents should keep an eye on them."

"Lies that instill fear or shame in a child might work in the short term but can often have lasting effects that you probably don't want," Amy warns. "Children often take what you say at face value, and you want to ensure you're not traumatizing them or damaging their trust."

Finally, we asked Amy if she could share some advice for parents who want to avoid resorting to these hacks whenever possible.

"As long as something is safe and kind, there's no reason you can't use creative ways to parent, and if it works, great! I think most parents understand that these little hacks are short term solutions to get us through the day and not long term strategies," she explained.

But you might also be able to adjust the way you use these hacks as your children grow up. "As my kids got older (and before they got wiser to the fact that parks don't close), I changed my strategy to say that we had to go home in a few minutes, and asked if they wanted to go on the slide or the swings before we left. Giving them a non-negotiable heads up that we are leaving the park but some flexibility on what they could do in the time they have left," Amy told Bored Panda.