10 People Reveal Their “Don’t Tell Mom About This” Moments

Parents will go above and beyond to ensure their children have the best memories possible. Yet, in their pursuit of these experiences, some may inadvertently cross boundaries. In this article, we present a remarkable collection of stories featuring fathers who took humorous approaches to provide their kids with unforgettable adventures that they could look back on fondly in the future.

• One night, when I was about 8 years old, I had gone to bed while Dad played a Nintendo game we had both been stuck on. Suddenly, he found a secret passage. He paused the game and came upstairs to wake me up.
  Excitedly, he ’snuck’ me downstairs in a blanket, and I got to stay up past midnight on a school night, hiding under that blanket to see where the hidden passage led. It was a silly little incident, but it became one of my most cherished memories. © Strongdar / Reddit

• One night, I was enjoying a small bit of ice cream after my 4-year-old daughter had gone to bed. Suddenly, she came downstairs and ’caught’ me. I offered her a small bite, but since she was supposed to be in bed, I said, “Don’t tell Mom.” She assured me she wouldn’t.
  After she went back up to bed and I settled down on the couch, she snuck into the master bedroom, where my wife was resting. With innocent charm, she told her that I had let her have some ice cream and that she was afraid of ’sugar bugs’, so could she please brush her teeth again?
  At that moment, my little daughter ratted me out for brushing her teeth, something she doesn’t like doing anyway! © optimaloutcome / Reddit

• When my sister was little, our dad called her over for a serious talk. He said, “I found this in your desk. Where did it come from?” and pulled out a plastic bag filled with coins. My sister froze, looking terrified, then whispered, “It’s my pay for letting other kids at school copy my homework.”
  There was a brief pause before Dad, trying to keep a straight face, told her to stop. There was no punishment that day, and as far as I know, Mom never found out.

• My dad and I—around 5 years old at the time—were on our way home from a car show when we noticed we were being followed by the cops. My dad struggled to quickly put on his seatbelt, hoping he wouldn’t get a ticket, but unfortunately, we got pulled over. This was probably the first time I had ever seen a cop up close, let alone spoken to one. I was like a deer in headlights the whole time.
  With a cop on either side of the car, one leaned in and asked my dad why he had been swerving. My dad told the officer that I had been tickling him. The cops looked right at me and asked if this was true. I was too scared to speak, so I just nodded.
  The officers smiled and said, “Don’t do that again while your father’s driving, okay?” They left without saying anything else, and my dad gave me the classic, “Don’t tell your mom” lecture. © Ambrosius_Rapture / Reddit

• My dad and I thought it was a good idea to start a small fire on the porch — a wooden porch. It was mostly paper, and we made sure to scatter the embers afterward. Then, we went inside and went to bed. The wind must’ve picked up overnight because when we came outside the next day, there was a giant hole burned into the porch.
  My dad just looked at me and said, “Hey, don’t tell your mom. I’ll get it fixed.” Then he covered the hole with a small table. Mom found out anyway, and we’re pretty lucky the house didn’t burn down. © who_is_this- / Reddit

• When I was little, my dad had a workshop in the garage where he’d do woodworking. I’d come out and talk to him while he worked, and he’d let me sit on the car that was parked in the garage. He framed it as something so bad and edgy that we couldn’t tell my mom. I was five, so I believed him and felt so cool, even though I wasn’t actually doing anything wrong or dangerous. © Minaowl / Reddit

• When my son was 6, I was playing Grand Theft Auto late at night. He woke up, came to the living room, told me he couldn’t sleep, and asked if he could watch me play. I agreed, but told him not to tell his mom. He smiled and agreed.
  An hour went by, and he was the one playing while I watched and helped him. He couldn’t stop laughing, driving into people and running from the cops. I told him to watch out for the 5-0, and he asked me what that meant, so I explained it was slang for the cops. He just shrugged and kept playing.
  Fast forward about a week later, and we were all driving in the car. Suddenly, I heard him scream, “Dad, watch out, it’s the 5-0!” I started laughing so hard while his mother asked where he learned that. He just said, “YouTube.” She found out later that I let him play GTA, but I hope that memory is as special to him as it is to me. © polarbearsaregay / Reddit

• When my wife is at work, I take my 4-year-old daughter out for breakfast. Then, we go on a small adventure around a shop of her choice and pretend to be whatever she wants. Last time, we went to a car parts shop and rolled tires around as if we were freeing them from monsters. So far, my wife doesn’t believe her when she later tries to grass me up. © ReaperWright88 / Reddit

• I’ve always worked in restaurants and got home late at night. On Fridays, I would treat myself to takeout — not just any takeout, but the indulgent stuff: cheese fries topped with gyro meat, steak nachos with guacamole. Always a large order, always with a big bottle of soda.
  When my girls were little, they would sneak downstairs late at night, and we’d munch on “bad food” while watching hilariously bad movies filled with all the swear words. © Astrochef12 / Reddit

• When I was in middle school, my father gradually bought computers and monitors for the four of us kids, as well as for himself, and the five of us would play World of Warcraft together for days on end, always logging off an hour before Mom got home.
  We’d rush through all the chores in that last hour, showcasing our finest teamwork. She never knew we all played because she thought the game was the work of the devil. © theNameless97 / Reddit

The people in these stories express gratitude for fun memories that have stayed with them over the years. However, not all memories are worth holding onto. In this article, we’ve gathered 8 stories from people who shared childhood experiences they would prefer to forget.