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

The mum-of-two says she’s “not really sure” how their plan is going to work out when they’re older, but for now, her kids are none the wiser. 

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

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

And no, it’s not ‘If you’re not well behaved, you won’t get any presents.’

It’s about when their birthdays actually are.

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Image: TikTok / @abbieguy

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"I don't want their dad to miss out"

Yep, these parents, Abbie and Callum Guy, use a little creative license with their two kids’ birth dates to ensure that both of them can be physically present to celebrate their big days.

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

So she says that she and her husband, who is a professional football player, pretend it's their kids' birthdays on his off days.

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

“I don’t really want their dad to miss out either.”

The mum-of-two says she’s “not really sure” how their plan is going to work out when they’re older, but for now, her three and four-year-old are none the wiser. 

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

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"Just celebrate their birthday twice if needed"

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

"I'm self-employed and have missed lots of birthdays and family parties due to work schedules," said one person. "It comes with the job!!!"

"My husband is in the airforce and often misses birthdays, Christmas and special occasions. We just celebrate when he is home. We can't tell them white lies," wrote a second. 

And speaking to the Kidspot team, they weren't that onboard with the idea either.

"Sounds pretty stupid to me," said Leah. "The kids will never know when their birthday is. At what point does she plan on telling them the truth? I think it would build better resilience in the long run if she's just honest from the start. Dad won't be here for your birthday so we're celebrating a week earlier. YAY a whole week of celebrating! They'll love it all the same."

And Liz had a similar opinion: "I don't think you need to have to lie about their special day. It doesn't mean dad can't be involved, just celebrate their birthday twice if needed! One on their day and one with dad. Wouldn't that make them feel extra special, rather than lying?"

But Nama had a more balanced take, writing: "I am the parent who tells the harshest truths inappropriately at any age, so I'd never do this - but I know that kids can get sad about this sort of thing so I get it, and think it's very sweet."

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

What do you think? Unethical? Or sensible? Tell us in the Facebook comments. 

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