Scare Tactics

So, a friend of mine was telling me that her son recently lost his first tooth and they had to have "the talk". You know the one, the one about the Tooth Fairy.

She wanted him to hide his tooth and look forward to the thrill of finding a little money beneath his pillow the next morning. But then they got to talking and she told him he had to always remember to brush his teeth or they would rot out of his head. (Okay so maybe that's not a lie--technically--but it is a scare tactic...right?)

I'm just curious...are there any mother's out there willing to talk about things they've told their kids to get them to do something...and used a little scare tactic to get the job done...? Doi you think it's a good idea to scare kids into doing something . . . ?

I have to admit, I once told my son he couldn't cut the cat's whiskers or she'd die...

He thought they were too long and wanted to cut them. I was afraid he'd poke her in the eye with the scissors. I was frantic..."No, she'll....die!" I told him. Now, it didn't hurt him and it might have saved the cat's . . . life...or at least her eyesight.

So, I don't know....is a little lie--okay?