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Index
Preface
“If You Break Your Leg, Don’t Come Running to Me!”
(Spring and Summer)
“Run between the raindrops—you won’t get so wet!”
“Stay away from the windows during a thunderstorm!”
“Every day is Children’s Day!”
“No swimming for an hour after lunch—you’ll cramp up!”
“Remember, there’s a chemical in the pool that turns pee blue— so we’ll all know! ”
“You can still get sunburned on a cloudy day, you know!”
“I don’t care if we’re indoors, I hear thunder. Out of the pool!”
“Don’t run around barefoot, you’ll get worms!”
“Was the nail you stepped on rusty? You’ll get tetanus!”
“Put On a Sweater, I’m Cold!”
(Autumn and Winter)
“Don’t touch your Halloween candy until we get it checked out!”
“Close the damn door! Are you trying to heat the whole outdoors?”
“Bundle up or you’ll catch a cold!”
“Put on a hat—most of your body heat escapes through your head!”
“Don’t eat snow—it’ll make you sick!”
“Stay away from the Christmas poinsettia! The leaves are poisonous.”
“Don’t Make Me Get the Other Thermometer!”
(Sickness unto Barf)
“Feed a cold, starve a fever!”
“I’ll bring you some chicken soup, you’ll feel better!”
“You know what’s good for that? Castor oil!”
“Don’t hold in a sneeze, you’ll hurt your ears!”
“You’re better off catching chicken pox now—go play with your sick cousin!”
“Nope, nothing but soda! It’ll settle your stomach.”
“Don’t Pick at That!”
(Bumps and Bruises)
“You need hydrogen peroxide on that!”
“I’ll blow on the cut, it’ll feel better!”
“Take off the Band-Aid and let the cut air out!”
“Big kids don’t cry!”
“It might be a concussion—we need to make sure you don’t fall asleep!”
“If your nose is bleeding, don’t lean your head back!”
“When the scab itches, that means it’s getting better!”
“Don’t you dare pop that blister!”
“Those are just growing pains!”
“Look Both Ways Before You Cross the Street!”
(Grievous Bodily Harm)
“Never run with scissors!”
“Don’t play with plastic bags—you’ll suffocate!”
“Stand in the middle of the escalator or you might get sucked under!”
“Don’t talk to strangers!”
“Don’t drop a coin from here—it’ll fall so fast someone could get hurt!”
“Watch out for those kiddie drugs that ‘pushers’ give out near schools!”
“If you crack your knuckles, you’ll get arthritis!”
“Always wear a helmet when you ride a bike!”
“Never play around refrigerators—you’ll get trapped inside!”
“You’re too young to lift weights. It’ll stunt your growth!”
“You Don’t Know Where That’s Been!”
(Things Not to Put in Your Mouth)
“Don’t eat your boogers, it’s bad for you!”
“If you swallow watermelon seeds, they’ll grow in your stomach!”
“Those silica gel packets in pill bottles are poisonous!”
“Swallowed gum sits in your stomach undigested for seven years!”
“Don’t suck helium out of those balloons, it kills brain cells!”
“Apple seeds are poisonous!”
“Thumb sucking is bad for you!”
“You’ll Eat It and You’ll Like It!”
(Mealtime Misinformation)
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!”
“It’s okay, just pick it up and eat it. Five-second rule!”
“Eat everything on your plate, there are children starving in Africa!”
“Eat your crusts, that’s where the vitamins are!”
“No snacks, you’ll ruin your dinner!”
“Dinner is not a race! Chew each bite thirty times!”
“No double-dipping, you’ll spread germs!”
“Stay out of the cookie dough, you’ll get worms!”
“Stop opening the door and peeking in the oven! All the heat goes out!”
“Sugar rots your teeth!”
“Finish Your Milk!”
(And Other Drinking Problems)
“You need eight glasses of water every day!”
“No soda! The sugar always makes you hyper!”
“Coffee will stunt your growth!”
“It’s too hot for milk, it’ll curdle in your stomach!”
“Quit shaking your pop cans, you’ll make a mess!”
“Don’t chew your ice, it’s bad for your teeth!”
“I Told You to Go Before We Left the House!”
(Bathroom Badgering)
“Put down the lid before you flush! You’re spreading bacteria everywhere!”
“Wash your hands after you use the bathroom!”
“Light a match in there, it’ll get rid of the smell!”
“Give your teeth a good hard brushing!”
“Don’t swallow your toothpaste, it’s bad for you!”
“Make sure you shampoo every day!”
“Pee on your athlete’s foot in the shower!”
“Your Face Will Freeze Like That!”
(Looks and Grooming)
“Yuck, get a Q-tip and clean out your ears!”
“Brush your hair one hundred times every night before bed!”
“If you pick your nose, it gets bigger!”
“Wear your retainer or your teeth will get crooked again!”
“If you keep wearing lip balm, your lips get ‘addicted’ to it!”
“You’re not fat. You’re just big-boned!”
“Wash behind your ears! You could grow potatoes back there!”
“It’s All Fun and Games Until Someone Loses an Eye!”
(Vision and Supervision)
“Don’t cross your eyes or they’ll stay like that!”
“Don’t wear someone else’s glasses—it’s bad for your eyes!”
“Finish your carrots, they’re good for your eyesight!”
“Never sneeze with your eyes open—your eyeballs will pop out!”
“It’s too dark to read in here, you’ll hurt your eyes!”
“You’re sitting too close to the TV!”
“Don’t look in the microwave while it’s running!”
“Don’t look at the sun, you’ll go blind!”
“You’ll shoot your eye out!”
“Don’t Let the Bedbugs Bite!”
(The Science of Sleep)
“Don’t eat that right before bed, you’ll have bad dreams!”
“You’re yawning, must be bedtime!”
“Early to bed, early to rise!”
“Never wake a sleepwalker!”
“This Room Is a Pigsty!”
(Kids and Other Animals)
“Don’t touch its wings, or the butterfly will die!”
“Don’t pick up that dirty feather!”
“Don’t feed the dog chocolate!”
“Don’t give those bones to the dog!”
“If you touch that baby bird, its mommy will abandon it!”
“Don’t feed the ducks!”
“It’s against the law to kill a praying mantis!”
“Quit Eating the Paste!”
(School Days)
“Sit up straight, it’s good for your back!”
“Don’t sniff the Magic Markers!”
“This will go down on your permanent record!”
“Your first answer is usually the right one!”
“Chew on your pencil and you’ll get lead poisoning!”
“Just ignore bullies and they’ll leave you alone!”
“Don’t draw on your skin, you’ll get blood poisoning!”
“Kids These Days!”
(Technology and Modern Life)
“Keep the fork out of the toaster or you’ll get zapped!”
“Don’t yank the plug out of the wall like that!”
“Start saving now and compound interest will make you rich!”
“Don’t flick the light switches off and on, it wastes money!”
“Don’t mix different types of batteries!”
“Never run the microwave empty!”
“Keep your arms inside the car, that’s dangerous!”
“Well, Life Isn’t Fair!”
(The Motivational Mom)
“You are a special little snowflake!”
“We only use 10 percent of our brains, you know!”
“These are the best years of your life—enjoy them!”
“It’s okay, even Einstein flunked math!”
“Your name just makes you more special!”
“If you’re mad, just go let off some steam!”
“What If Your Friends All Jumped off a Cliff?”
(The Awkward Age)
“If you shave there, it’ll just grow in thicker!”
“Chocolate’s making your skin break out!”
“If you pick your zits, you’ll get a brain infection and die!”
“You can’t use tampons. You’re a virgin!”
“If you keep touching it, you’ll get hairy palms and go blind!”
“If you sleep on your stomach, you’ll be flat-chested!”
“Alcohol kills brain cells!”
Acknowledgments
About Ken Jennings
Index
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