If you go to bed with your hand in a bucket of ice water this will cause bed wetting.

A combination of honey, whiskey and lemon will cure a cold and flu. I've heard many people swear by this.

Consumption of coffee by children will stunt their growth.

Good morning to all.
Ive also heard of the honey/children and coffee/growth deal.I believe the honey whiskey deal only because my great gram swears by it also.I couldent do it with my children the alcohol part made me to nervous. Personally I dont believe the coffee deal because, my daughters papal(her dads daddy) has always shared his coffee with her. Even before she could walk.Now shes 14 and about 5*4.Which isent really tall but considering my moms side of the family has 2 dwarfs.My uncle and hes 1st born. My daughters dads well over 6 feet tall.But I guess it all varies with people..

As for the hand in the water making you tinkle, I've heard it was warm water - vs. cold water. I remember seeing on TV somewhere where a group of college guys played this particular prank on a sleeping buddy and actually filmed him laying there asleep on the couch and he started to tinkle!

I've heard the same rave reviews about the whiskey concoction helping a cold/flu, but I'm not sure I believe it will out and out cure it. However, I know that the whiskey can help induce sleep and the honey is good for a sore throat. Honey is a humectant and kills bacteria on the spot - or something on that order. Good stuff.

I took a look around on Google, concerning giving coffee to kids. Apparently there is no compelling evidence that coffee will stunt ones growth, but at the same time, caffiene isn't good for kids because it can interfere with their sleep patterns, exacerbate hyperactivity and contribute to dehydration. It has a similar affect on adults, but kids I guess are more sensitive to these things. And you certainly don't want a hyperactive kid on your hands if it can be avoided.

It's funny... a lot of urban legends arise out of the need to control a specific behavior. The coffee 'warning' is a good example and on par with things like 'don't sit too close to the TV - you'll go blind'. It's like the "because I said so" excuse, or the real reason one shouldn't do something is replaced with an undesireable - however untrue - outcome (stunting growth, etc.) to reinforce the good behavior.

Kell

I have heard the thing about the bucket of water making you wet the bed, but the version I have always heard was if you take the hand of a sleeping person and place it in a bucket of water while they are asleep, the person will wet the bed. I have never tried this, however. LOL =)

I have also used the honey/whiskey/lemon for a cold, and it does wonderful things. I take a whole lemon, slice it up, rind and all (seeds removed) and cook it in enough water to cover it in a small sauce pan until the lemon rind can be mashed easily with a spoon. Remove from heat and mash the lemon in the liquid. Then, in a coffee mug place 2 tablespoons of this cooked lemon liquid, 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 jigger of whiskey, and fill the cup with hot water. Drink this hot mixture, go to bed and cover up. You should sleep well, and you will feel much better in the morning. Be prepared to change your sheets, because this really makes you sweat out alot of poisons. I don't know why this works, but I think it might be the fact that it helps you sleep, lemon and honey are good for a sore throat, whiskey helps a cough down, and the hot drink helps you to sweat to break any fever that you may have. If you have never tried this, give it a go, next time you have one of those miserable colds that makes you feel like you have been dragged down the road a ways and left for dead. LOL =)

I have also heard about the coffee supposedly stunting a child's growth, but I don't know if anyone ever did any serious studies on it. I have heard of a number of kids drinking coffee at a tender age, yet I've never heard anything about their growth being anything but normal.

First, I am not a doctor. But I did use alot of old wives remedies sent down through the generations.
The whiskey/honey/lemon I did use with my sons all their lives. Bobby was very croupy and it did help with the rattle in his chest. I didn't use this without any doctors care, but my doctor being older himself at the time said alot of these home remedies did in fact work. Like the one above loosened phlegm and helped with sleep.
We did the hand in the water thing at so many sleeping parties as a kid I don't think it ever worked, we really tried though.
Stunting growth, I hope not Lexi loves my coffee. My grandmother always let me drink it with A WHOLE lot of cream and sugar like I do Lexi, just a bit of coffee!
It probably isn't good for kids due to the caffeine, but look at how much the get in a can of Dew or Coke?
Hey, Hey> Have a nice day!
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PIgglie