That old "Mom" saying "There's kids starving in China....."

[WILCO]

Anyone know how that one started?

[Garyshome]

What?

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I don't know how it started, but at one time maybe there were. What I do remember is a funny cartoon I saw once of a little kid looking at his plate of spinach and his mom saying "Eat your spinach, Dennis; there are kids starving in China that would love to have it." And the kid replies, "O.K., mom, give it to them."

[jcwit]

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100611202345AARGW5X

https://stevengoddard.wordpress.com/2013/10/16/but-what-about-the-starving-kids-in-china/

Quick google search.

[waksupi]

One of the local saloons has one, "finish your drink, there are sober children in India."

[wch]

Forerunner to starving kids in China: "Slow down, you're gulping your food like a starving Armenian."
Both the sayings were due to very real famines in those countries.

[swheeler]

My mom never had to tell me that, not with 3 brothers and 2 sisters.

[MtGun44]

I always said, "so send it to them."

Now I would say, "good".

[Hickory]

It's one of the 8 lies parents tell their kids to get them to do or not do certain things.
Off hand I can only recall two:
1) Don't eat the cookie doe,it will give you worms.
2) Don't look at dirty pictures, it will make you go blind.
Along with the starving children in China.

[Ola]

Maybe it has something to do with The Great Leap Forward?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Leap_Forward

[WILCO]

Maybe it has something to do with The Great Leap Forward?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Leap_Forward

Thanks for the link!

[waksupi]

It's one of the 8 lies parents tell their kids to get them to do or not do certain things.
Off hand I can only recall two:
1) Don't eat the cookie doe,it will give you worms.
2) Don't look at dirty pictures, it will make you go blind.
Along with the starving children in China.

The cookie dough thing has some basis in fact. Flour usually has parasites of various types, and should be cooked before eating.

[Markbo]

I don't know why, I don't know how but back in the early 60's my Mom's favorite was "The starving Armenians". We have no ties to Armenians in any way, shape or form so I don't know why they drew her pity.

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

I always said, "so send it to them."

Now I would say, "good".

I like it!

[Hardcast416taylor]

I recall hearing that saying way back in the 1950`s.Robert

[Ola]

I don't know why, I don't know how but back in the early 60's my Mom's favorite was "The starving Armenians". We have no ties to Armenians in any way, shape or form so I don't know why they drew her pity.

That one must be based on the "Armenian Holocaust": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide

[popper]

But mom, we are sending boatloads of food to N. Korea, because the Gov. there is starving the people. And 50% of the other US kids are on food stamps and have to get meals provided by the Gov. at school. Saw a funny one a few months back, Texas school wasn't feeding enough 'good' stuff to the kids for breakfast, at school. Maybe the PARENTS should get their *** ***** out of bed and FEED the kids.

[bob208]

late 50's we would hear from the nuns eat it there are starving children n the world. one time I said back if that is what they have to eat then no wonder they are starving. that nun could swing that yard stick like a samurai warrior.

[Bad Water Bill]

The nuns I had preferred a triangular ruler.

Their rulers never broke or got nicked while violently striking the palm of your hand or your backside.

[gwpercle]

Not sure how it started or why my cleaning my plate was going help them, but heard it more than once , along with :
"Don't sit so close to the TV , it'll hurt your eyes."
"Don't eat fried fish and drink milk , it'll kill you."
"Don't go swimming for one hour after eating, you'll drown."
"Don't eat oyster's in a month that doesn't have an R in it, you'll get sick."
"Don't swallow watermelon seeds, they'll grow into a watermelon vine in your stomach."

That's just a few I could remember off the top of my head. She had a brazillion sayings, things like if you dropped fork that meant company was coming, if you dropped a spoon a child was coming , if your nose itched you were going to kiss a fool....she was from East Texas and they had all kinds of sayings/predictions/meanings for just about anything that happened or they
saw...it would always mean something.
I wish now I had written them down.
Gary