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Not everyone agrees with it, but it’s pretty common for parents to tell their kids little white lies. Things like Santa Claus being real or the Tooth Fairy leaving money under their pillow are harmless enough.
But what this Redditor went through was far from innocent. She spent her entire life believing she had severe allergies to milk and chocolate, and was never allowed to eat or drink anything that contained them. Then one day, she discovered it was all a lie.
When she confronted her parents, things quickly spiraled into chaos. Read the full story below.
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The woman spent her entire life believing she had severe allergies
Young woman expressing frustration while talking to her mother about food allergies and no contact situation.
Lying to children can have a big impact on them later in life
I’m no stranger, like I’m sure many aren’t, to parents sprinkling little lies here and there. The ones about how those tiny footprints by the fireplace really were from Santa, or that the Easter Bunny himself had scattered all those chocolate eggs in the garden. Most of us laugh about them later, realizing they were harmless ways to make childhood a bit more magical.
But the woman in the story above had to live with a lie that went far beyond anything playful. For nearly two decades, she was made to believe she had life-threatening allergies. It shaped what she ate, how she lived, and even how she saw herself—until one day, she discovered none of it was real. Her parents had made it all up.
And while her case is extreme, it raises a valid question: what actually happens when parents lie to their children? Turns out, research suggests those “harmless” lies might not be so harmless after all.
According to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, childhood experiences of being lied to by parents are linked to social and emotional challenges later in life.
The research, led by Peipei Setoh, an assistant professor at Nanyang Technological University and director of the Early Cognition Lab, found that people who were lied to as children were more likely to lie to their parents later in life and experience guilt, shame, and difficulty adjusting socially.
Participants were asked to recall whether their parents had told them lies related to eating, misbehavior, or spending money. Examples included phrases like, “If you don’t come with me now, I’ll leave you here by yourself,” or “I didn’t bring any money today; we can come back another time.”
As Setoh explained to PsyPost, “Being lied to in childhood predicts lying to parents and social challenges in adulthood. The lies we studied were parental lies told to manipulate children’s emotions or behavior. The implication of the study is that parents should consider lying less to their children.”
The problem, she added, is that these lies often teach children that dishonesty is a valid way to solve problems or control situations. Over time, that can lead to trust issues and emotional distance. Instead of learning how to regulate their feelings or handle disappointment, kids learn to model the very behavior their parents are trying to avoid.
Ronald E. Riggio, a professor of leadership and organizational psychology at Claremont McKenna College, made a similar point in an article for Psychology Today. “According to social learning theory, children learn behaviors from modeling/imitating their parents’ behaviors,” he wrote. “So lying to kids may lead them to believe lying is OK and follow suit.”
Of course, not every small fib is equally damaging, Riggio noted. The number and intent of the lies matter. Occasional white lies, especially from parents who are otherwise warm and supportive, may have little impact. But when lies are used to control or manipulate, the effect can be deeply harmful.
Both experts agree that honesty, even when uncomfortable, is the better path. Parents can listen to their child and explain situations truthfully instead of relying on deception.
“As parents, we aim to build a trusting and positive relationship with our children. We can do this by acknowledging children’s feelings, and providing them accurate information so that they can problem solve on their own. This aids the development of their reasoning skills and emotion regulation,” Setoh said.
Readers agreed this was a shocking thing to do, with many suggesting the author should distance herself from her parents
Screenshot of a Reddit thread discussing parents lied about food allergies leading to no contact with daughter.
Reddit conversation about parents lied food allergies daughter no contact and discovering new foods like chocolate milk.
Comment text discussing parents who lied about food allergies, reflecting on reactions and no contact with daughter.
Screenshot of a Reddit comment about parents lying regarding food allergies causing no contact with daughter.
Comment providing advice on cutting contact with manipulative parents amid food allergies and family issues.
Comment on coping with parents who lied about food allergies, advising no contact and preparing important documents first.
Screenshot of a forum comment discussing parents lying about food allergies, highlighting parental impact and no contact issues.
Alt text: Screenshot of a heartfelt online comment discussing parents who lied about food allergies and no contact with daughter.
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Text screenshot showing a Reddit comment with 26 points saying, "For all that is holy, go forth and eat cheese!" relating to parents lied food allergies daughter no contact.
Screenshot of an online comment discussing parents lied about food allergies causing no contact with their daughter.
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Comment discussing parents lied about food allergies and recommending no contact as the best response for the daughter.
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Comment discussing changes in food allergies and intolerance toward deceptive behavior from parents about allergies.
Commenter discussing food allergies and advising caution when considering cutting ties with parents after being lied to.
Screenshot of a forum comment suggesting to test parents who lied about food allergies by eating chocolate openly.
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The woman later returned with an update, revealing that her mom spiraled out of control after the confrontation
Teenage girl looking thoughtful and upset while sitting alone, reflecting on parents lied food allergies no contact situation.
Text post showing a person sharing how their parents lied about food allergies causing a no contact situation.
Text outlining a person’s discovery that their parents lied about food allergies, leading to no contact with daughter.
Text on a white background stating a decision to cut contact with parents except through email after an original post.
Text describing a daughter explaining increased calls from parents after they lied about food allergies, leading to no contact.
Text about a daughter requesting a private dorm move due to concerns related to parents lying about food allergies.
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Mother enrolling in classes to contact daughter after parents lied about food allergies, causing no contact.
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Teen girl running on a forest path near water, representing parents lied about food allergies causing no contact with daughter.
Readers shared words of support and expressed hope that she was safe
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Conversation discussing parents lied about food allergies and seeking no contact solution with daughter.
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Text conversation about a daughter’s class schedule, legal advice, and dealing with a controlling parent’s interference.
Reddit conversation showing a parent explaining no contact after parents lied about food allergies to their daughter.
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User discussing arranging a no contact order with student affairs due to parents lying about food allergies.
Screenshot of an online forum post advising on avoiding contact, related to parents lying about food allergies.
Finally, the author shared one last follow-up to explain what happened next
Elderly woman in hospital bed looking unwell, relating to parents lied food allergies daughter no contact situation.
Readers told her not to blame herself for any of it
Reddit conversation discussing a daughter’s mental illness and parents lied about food allergies causing no contact.
Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing parents lied about food allergies causing daughter no contact with family.
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Reddit user shares experience of parents lied about food allergies causing no contact with daughter over shellfish and beef.
Comment discussing a daughter with an EpiPen amid parents lying about food allergies and resulting no contact situation.
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Online forum text discussing parents lied about food allergies, leading to daughter's no contact decision and family conflict.
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Oleksandra is an experienced copywriter from Ukraine with a master’s degree in International Communication. Having covered everything from education, finance, and marketing to art, pop culture, and memes, she now brings her storytelling skills to Bored Panda. For the past six years, she’s been living and working in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Oleksandra is an experienced copywriter from Ukraine with a master’s degree in International Communication. Having covered everything from education, finance, and marketing to art, pop culture, and memes, she now brings her storytelling skills to Bored Panda. For the past six years, she’s been living and working in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Have to agree with pickledshallots. How did the dad contact OP if OP got a new phone. Slso, how did mom, a new student enroll in the same classes as OP if these were the last classes needed for a degree ? There would be prerequisites.
OP said it was all of her classes. One was a lower level class with no prereqs but for the others she also makes the ridiculous claim (in a reply) that her mom is really smart and "tested out" the other classes, as in did a test to void the prereqs, which is extremely rare and would only maybe happen once in special circumstances, not for multiple classes.
It’s easier than you think to get hold of someone’s phone number. People change their number but forget to opt out of listing, simple online lookup. He could have contacted a known friend to say it’s an emergency and they just gave the new number without thinking. He could have contacted the service provider (OP only said she changed her phone [number]); it’s standard protocol to refuse to give the information but even customer service people are susceptible to a sob story or other manipulation. He could have contacted university admin; again, a violation of privacy but people make mistakes.
He did call her phone. He called her and left a voice message saying the mom was in the hospital. She then called the hospital and talked to her dad who was in the waiting room.
Mom is still abusing with the s*****e "attempt" and dad is gaslighting. Get away from both these people, file restraining orders. God I hope this worked out well for OP.
Have to agree with pickledshallots. How did the dad contact OP if OP got a new phone. Slso, how did mom, a new student enroll in the same classes as OP if these were the last classes needed for a degree ? There would be prerequisites.
OP said it was all of her classes. One was a lower level class with no prereqs but for the others she also makes the ridiculous claim (in a reply) that her mom is really smart and "tested out" the other classes, as in did a test to void the prereqs, which is extremely rare and would only maybe happen once in special circumstances, not for multiple classes.
It’s easier than you think to get hold of someone’s phone number. People change their number but forget to opt out of listing, simple online lookup. He could have contacted a known friend to say it’s an emergency and they just gave the new number without thinking. He could have contacted the service provider (OP only said she changed her phone [number]); it’s standard protocol to refuse to give the information but even customer service people are susceptible to a sob story or other manipulation. He could have contacted university admin; again, a violation of privacy but people make mistakes.
He did call her phone. He called her and left a voice message saying the mom was in the hospital. She then called the hospital and talked to her dad who was in the waiting room.
Mom is still abusing with the s*****e "attempt" and dad is gaslighting. Get away from both these people, file restraining orders. God I hope this worked out well for OP.
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