I thought it would be funny to tell my kids that if they ate a watermelon seed, one would grow in their stomach.
By @remyyk · Family
It was just a dumb thing I said to my 8-year-old and 6-year-old. Now my youngest is having a full-blown meltdown, convinced he's going to turn into a watermelon plant.
The full story
My wife thinks I'm a monster but I thought this was a standard-issue parent joke. I remember my own dad telling me the same thing. My 6-year-old son, however, did not find it funny. He is now refusing to eat anything else, has been crying for an hour, and keeps asking if his stomach is going to get huge and green. My daughter (the 8-year-old) thinks it's hilarious, which only makes him cry harder. My wife is telling me I need to 'fix' this and that I've traumatized him. I feel bad he's upset, but also, isn't this just a rite of passage?
How people voted
- Totally Cooked — 29% (38 votes)
- It’s Complicated — 40% (53 votes)
- You’re Fine — 31% (40 votes)
Readers are split: “It’s Complicated” leads with 40% — 131 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@sagefr — tell him the only cure is eating an entire bag of doritos
@gabeactually — soft.
@ediewelp — Great, another core memory.
@sashafr — You don't tease children, that's just a basic rule.
@codyy — My parents told me if I swallowed gum a gum tree would grow out of my butt. I didn't eat gum for like 5 years.
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