# What advice did your parents give you that freaked you out? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 14, 2002, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-advice-did-your-parents-give-you-that-freaked-you-out/142695 "2002-12-14T05:16:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TVGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/82dd89/32.png) [@TVGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-advice-did-your-parents-give-you-that-freaked-you-out/142695/21 "2002-12-15T17:31:03Z")
Hell, my parents can’t even talk about sex with _EACH OTHER_ let alone offer any advice or guidance to anyone else. Except when they sat my sister and her BF down to “have the talk” after they found out that the kids were living together. You have to understand that the kids were 23 at the time. Sis and BF eventually got married and now have a four year old boy. They have permanently made their home in Alaska, however - about as far from mom & dad as they can get and still be in the USA. The wierdest advice that my mom gave me as a kid was the classic one about your face freezing like that if you keep making faces. I belived that one up until I was 11 or 12 - she was that convincing. ---
**Author:** ![mandielise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@mandielise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mandielise)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2002, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-advice-did-your-parents-give-you-that-freaked-you-out/142695/22 "2002-12-15T17:33:27Z")
When I was in 6th grade, my mom was too shy to have the “sex” talk so Dad did it on the way home from bball practice. OYE! “We don’t want you having sex till you’re married, but if you do the ‘in-and-out’ method doesn’t work. That’s how I was born.” Who wants to hear about their grandparents’ methods of contraception (that didn’t really work)??? ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-advice-did-your-parents-give-you-that-freaked-you-out/142695/23 "2002-12-16T14:10:21Z")
When I was in fourth grade in the early 60s: “Never hold hands with a boy in public.” “Never wear pants in public.” ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-advice-did-your-parents-give-you-that-freaked-you-out/142695/24 "2002-12-16T15:18:26Z")
As I was in the airport getting ready to leave for Japan: “Don’t get killed!” Granted, it’s hard to argue with advice like that, but I think it was the cheery smile they said it with that made it so weird. It was early in the morning, so I guess I can’t be too hard on them. > [@](#): > > “Never wear pants in public.” You know, I think the world would be a much better place if more people followed that advice. Not that I’m advocating skirts or anything, mind you. ---
**Author:** ![Judith\_Prietht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b19c9b/32.png) [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-advice-did-your-parents-give-you-that-freaked-you-out/142695/25 "2002-12-16T16:04:14Z")
From Mom: “Don’t date a man with back problems. They’re no good in bed.” ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-advice-did-your-parents-give-you-that-freaked-you-out/142695/26 "2002-12-16T16:04:46Z")
This one wasn’t directed toward me, and I have no idea why she was telling my brother this, but I remember mom consoling him once by saying: “It’s not the size of the ship, it’s the motion in the ocean.” It’s burned into my memory forever. ---
**Author:** ![Legomancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-advice-did-your-parents-give-you-that-freaked-you-out/142695/27 "2002-12-16T16:15:40Z")
One weekend we were having a big family outing, and a friend of mine was going to come along. My dad took me aside and “informed me” that my uncle was gay (I had known this for some time). He then warned me not to go off with him alone, and look out for my friend. I was scared and shocked and creeped out all at once, not about my uncle, but my dad. My uncle is somewhat of a jerk and somewhat annoying, but he has never done anything untoward at me, and not even come close. Suffice it to say, nothing happened at the family outing. I still think about this from time to time and it still creeps me out. ---
**Author:** ![burundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@burundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burundi)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2002, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-advice-did-your-parents-give-you-that-freaked-you-out/142695/28 "2002-12-16T16:19:08Z")
From my mom, on more than one occasion: “Be sure and have fun before you get married, because once you do, it’s all up.” A travel tip from my dad as I as packing to go to England: “You can wear underwear two days in a row if you turn it inside out the next day.” ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2002, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-advice-did-your-parents-give-you-that-freaked-you-out/142695/29 "2002-12-17T00:19:59Z")
My sister had mentioned to my father that my mother (his ex wife) had told us that they used to smoke alot of pot. My fathers reponse? “That’s bullsh-t! I mean, I won’t lie to you… I did enough coke to stop an elephant, but I never smoked pot!” ??? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-advice-did-your-parents-give-you-that-freaked-you-out/142695.md?page=1)