Old Wives Tales about kids

**This post can also be seen at Children's Health Blog, where I am a contributing author.**

We have all heard of Old Wives Tales that have cures and ideas about all types of maladies for adults and children alike. From the way a woman carries a baby determining the child’s sex, to one of my Grandmother’s favorites for curing a cold (warm milk with scotch – God bless her). Some are based in fact, some are anyone’s guess where they come from. But we all know a few of them.

One I recall as a boy, and use to this day is ‘feed a cold, starve a fever’. Many of us have heard of this one. I know that it was used in my youth, and I got better. Now whether that was due to this old wives tale or just the fever running it’s course I cannot say. But here is a definitive thought on the subject.

“False. Both high fevers and colds can cause fluid loss. Drinking plenty of liquids such as water, fruit juice, and vegetable juice can help prevent dehydration. And with both fevers and colds, it's fine to eat regular meals - missing nutrients may only make a person sicker.”

Another one that I recall from my early teens was ‘coffee stunts your growth’. My mother refused to let me try any coffee lest I fail to reach my full stature. My father (God bless him) didn’t agree. Thus at the ripe age of 13 I was able to have 2 cups of coffee with huge amounts of milk. Today I stand 5’10”, though my father was 6’2” and most of my siblings (younger) are about 1 ½ inch taller. So was it the coffee?

“False. Coffee won't affect a child's growth, but too much caffeine doesn't belong in a child's diet. Excess caffeine can prevent the absorption of calcium and other nutrients.”

Perhaps one item that is more prevalent today than in the past when I was growing up is ‘too much TV is bad for your eyes’. With the modern HDTV’s and 500 channels I’m sure more mothers mention this than any other wives tale. I still recall the comment, “stop watching that TV, it will hurt your eyes. Go out and play.” I’m sure all the kids out there want to hear if this is true.

“False. Watching television won't hurt your eyes (no matter how close to the TV you sit), although too much TV can be a bad idea for kids. Research shows that children who consistently spend more than 10 hours a week watching TV are more likely to be overweight, aggressive, and slower to learn in school.”

Sorry mom.

But for all the parents that have (or had) to listen to Marilyn Manson, The Cure, The Beatles, Wu Tang Klan, 50 cent, Pink Flyod (that was my house growing up), or any other music that is played at 11 on the speakers, this one is for you. The wives tale goes ‘too much loud noise can cause hearing loss’. I’m sure kids have heard this about their stereos, Ipods, walkmans (do they still use them?), CD players, et al. Here is the truth:

“True. Just 15 minutes of listening to loud, pounding music; machinery; or other noises can cause temporary loss of hearing and tinnitus, a ringing in the ears. Loud noise causes the eardrum to vibrate excessively and can damage the tiny hairs in the cochlea, a cone-shaped tube in the inner ear that converts sound into electrical signals for the brain to process. Although temporary hearing loss usually disappears within a day or 2, continuous exposure to extreme noise can result in permanent hearing loss. For example, if a child is wearing headphones - and those around him or her can hear the music - the volume is too high.”

So there you go. For more Old Wives Tales and their factual basis you can go to Kids Health and see what they have to say about pregnancy, baby and other tales.