The Seven-Year Gum Panic And Other Nonsense

Send us a Comment, Question or Request, we'd love to hear from you You can measure a childhood by the “facts” you’re warned about, then spend the rest of your life quietly unlearning them. We’re Hannah and Davey, and we’re putting the most stubborn childhood myths under the microscope, from the classics your parents swore by to the playground rumours that somehow became universal truth. We start with the big ones: swallowing chewing gum and the famous “seven years” claim, sitting too close to the TV and whether it really ruins your eyesight, and cracking knuckles and the fear of arthritis. Then we get into the myths designed to keep kids in line, like pulling faces or crossing your eyes and being told you’ll get stuck like that, plus the food myths that tried to make vegetables feel magical, including carrots and “seeing in the dark”. Along the way, we talk goldfish memory, sugar and hyperactivity, and why expectation can be as powerful as any ingredient. From there we widen out into nature and everyday life: can you catch a cold from being cold, does shaving make hair grow back thicker, will touching a baby bird make its mum reject it, and do bulls really hate the colour red. We also share the truly cruel ice cream van rumour, the car interior light “illegal” rule, and finish with pop culture nonsense, screen burn, and whether dogs only see in black and white. If you enjoy warm, funny, genuinely curious conversations with a father-daughter twist, hit subscribe, share the show with someone who loves a myth-busting chat, and leave us a review so more people can find Bonus Dad Bonus Daughter.Support the show