We tell our children the same lie every year on their birthdays

When it comes to the little lies we tell our children, some are more unethical than others.

A mother has taken to TikTok, admitting that she and her husband tell their children the same untruth on their birthdays every year.

And no, it’s not “If you don’t behave well, you won’t get any presents.”

It’s about when their birthdays actually are.

“I don’t want their father to lose”

Yes, these parents, Abbie and Callum Guy, use a little creative license with their two children’s birth dates to ensure they can both be physically present to celebrate their big days.

“What would you do if, because of your partner’s schedule, he had to miss most of your children’s birthdays?” she asked her followers. “Due to my partner’s work, we can’t book the day off or plan ahead.”

So she says she and her husband, who is a professional soccer player, pretend it’s their children’s birthdays on their days off.

“That way, he gets to wake up with the kids, open their presents and go to parties,” she explains, “and just have a really good day with them.”

“I don’t want their father to lose either.”

The mother of two says she’s “not really sure” how their plan will work when they grow up, but for now, her 3- and 4-year-olds are none the wiser.

“They don’t really know any different,” she laughs.

“Only celebrate their birthday twice if necessary”

People shared their thoughts in the comments, with some saying they disagreed with the controversial strategy.

“I’m self-employed and have missed many birthdays and family holidays because of my work schedule,” said one person. “It comes with the job!!!”

“My husband is in the air force and often misses birthdays, Christmas and special occasions. We only celebrate when he is home. We can’t tell them white lies,” wrote a second.

And speaking to the Kidspot team, they weren’t so keen on the idea.

“Sounds pretty stupid to me,” Leah said. “Children will never know when their birthday is. At what point does she plan to tell them the truth? I think it would build better resilience in the long run if she is just honest from the start. Dad won’t be here for your birthday, so we’ll celebrate a week early. YAY to a whole week of celebration! They will like it just the same.”

And Liz had a similar thought: “I don’t think you should lie about their special day. That doesn’t mean dad can’t be involved, just celebrate their birthday twice if necessary! One on their day and one with dad. Wouldn’t that make them feel extra special, instead of lying?

But Nama took a more balanced view, writing: “I’m the parent who tells the harshest truths inappropriately at any age so I would never do that – but I know kids can be sad about this kind of thing, so I get it, and you think it’s very sweet.”

And then Em echoed that, saying: “I’m in that camp where I’m totally non-judgmental when other people do it (encouraging, even!), but I could never do it myself.”