When you a child, what things did your mother tell you that you've never been able to forget?

If you swallow chewing gum it will stick to your heart and die. If you didn't wash your ears, potatoes would grow out of them. She also used to say 'beware of those whose eyebrows meet'.

My granny frequently warned me, if I wasn’t good I’d be sold to the gypsies!

My mum used to say if you eat cheese before bed time you'll be dreaming of thee. I guess she meant nightmares. I used to tell that to my children too.
She used to say never put an umbrella up in the house, it was bad luck.
She wouldn't have lilac or Mayflower blossom in the house, bad luck.
Sitting on the cold doorstep gave you piles.
If you don't wash your ears you'll have potatoes growing out of them.

I was told never to go out with just one boy or it might get serious!! I didn't know how to take that!!

I was told to wear a hat or a scarf when travelling on a bus or the head lice would land on my head. That applied to fleas too.
Brush your hair 100 times every day to keep its shine.
Chew your food slowly -30 times, and never gobble.
Never talk with your mouth full or interrupt.
Never wear brown - it's so ageing
Red and green should never be seen, except on the dress of an Irish Queen
Blue and green should never be seen because they clash.

I never knew that about ankle straps being tarty or red shoes. I longed for black patent ankle strap shoes which I eventually got but grew out of! I always have a pair of red shoes. They are so cheerful.

Chips and white bread were common!

So many of these are familiar, likes from sitting on cold stone etc. I always had to cover my mouth with a scarf if it was foggy or very cold otherwise you’d get a lung infection. I still do it! Wasn’t allowed to walk round with bare feet, your feet will spread! And, of course, keep yer ‘and on yer ha’penny! Nice girls didn’t do anything but!

If you pick dandelions you wet the bed!

When I was about 10, my mother told me how she lost her virginity to a fairground hand behind the dodgems! Now there's an image to be permanently burned onto the retina

GrandmaKT

Goodness me! Your mum must have been cool!

Apple pips caused appendicitis. I still wouldn’t take the risk
People whose eyebrows meet are not to be trusted
Many of the others already mentioned

Indeed

Bare legs was common,even when it was Lady Di my mother was horrified about her bare legs .."trollope" she said.Well she may have been right.Apart from that no fashion advice as she as a bit of a fashionista and was often heard telling dad to stop moaning about micro mini skirts or over the knee boots because "you'd be as well dead as out of fashion".Her dad was a tailor who would sit up all night hand sewing an outfit she'd seen in a magazine so she would be a step ahead of all her pals at the dancing and new shoes every week to go with her outfits .That was in the 30's.My dad wasn't quite so indulgent.

Listening to a conversation between my mother and her friend "she's had it all taken away ". It took me years to find out that the woman had had a hysterectomy.

I had a tiny patch of garden as a really little girl...planted nasturtium seeds and things.

Mum decided to talk about the facts of life, I was only small, but she said “the Daddy plants a seed in the Mummy” - so for years I was puzzled and had a clear mental image thinking of a packet of Thompson & Morgans...

Ah yes, the unwritten rules our mother's taught us. So many of those posted familiar to me. My own was 'never to take more than two biscuits if at someone's house for tea'. Or one slice of cake or a bun, but no more however tempting. However, despite having kept this 'file's haven't stayed the whippet slim girl I used to be!

My sex education was when I went home at the age of eleven and told my mum we were shown a film about menstruation. I still didn’t understand it. She told me that now was the time to tell me that when I get married men only want virgins and I must keep myself to myself. Trying to get my head around what a virgin was was just too much. I had only discovered I had a vagina!

A friend of mine was never allowed patent leather shoes, as her mother said men would be able to see the reflection of her knickers in them!

Don't raise your arms above your head when pregnant or you will strangle the baby. Ankle chains, ankle straps on shoes, patterned tights were all common and would inevitably lead to ruin. Or even worse,being talked about.

My mother was very mild-mannered and never told us outright not to do anything. She did have a thing about ankle-straps and black clothes, though.

And her favourite shoes at the moment (she's 99) are a pair of red Hotter flatties.

Oh - and she would never mention menstruation, let alone washing hair or any other old wives' tales associated with it.

I remember my mum sitting me down to tell me all about menstruation. She was embarrassed, I was embarrassed and I couldn't bring myself to tell her that I knew all about it from my Human Biology lessons

So many of these ring a bell with me.. No red shoes, nor patent leather shoes as men would be able to see if I was wearing knickers , pretty much anything and everything I wanted to wear was responded to by ‘young ladies don’t wear things like THAT!’ It’s a wonder I ever found anything suitable to wear...

I was never to wash my hair if I had a period- what the connection there is, is beyond me! I also think I was not to have a bath then either.

I am still waiting for sex education!

Talk is cheap is one I remember and hold true today.
She also told me men don't look at the fireplace when they're poking the fire.