POLL: Did your parents ever threaten to sell you to the Gypsies, as a child?

[EveDallas]

Of course. Not only was almost sold to gypsies, I was then reminded that my behaviour was so bad, the gypsies would return me.

I'm a gypsie reject.

LOL! Me too!

 

[PatsGirl]

No, but I think I would have loved it On the other hand, I often threatened boarding school and military school with DS, once going so far as to print out information and leave it on the kitchen table. And, at 14 he was given two options, a local technical school or boarding school (I pulled him from the regional district school where all his friends were), he picked tech -- now he's in the Air Force so all my threats really came to fruition

DD is such a chicken about everything and needs an adult close by at all times. I tell her not to worry about being kidnapped, that she'd be returned before dinner when they got a load of her Drama Queen act She doesn't think that's very funny though

 

[Mermaid02]

yes- and now I often tell my dog I am going to sell her to the gypsies and they might eat her if they get hungry enough. She's very secure in her place in the family though and she doesn't listen to a word I say.

My Grandma used to tell my Mom and her sisters not to be afraid of the dark because, "If anyone took you in the night- they'd bring you back by daybreak"

 

[Mermaid02]

no; and that's really awful.

I always knew that it meant my Mother was exasperated with my behavior and she was trying to diffuse the situation with humor. I never REALLY thought she would "sell" me to anyone.

 

[ConcKahuna]

My mother would threaten to sell me to the circus, but she realized I just got excited that I'd be able to play with the elephants all day

 

[Magic Mom]

Of course. Not only was almost sold to gypsies, I was then reminded that my behaviour was so bad, the gypsies would return me.

I'm a gypsie reject.

Now that's tag worthy!

 

[crazyme5kids]

My mother said I fell off the Gypsy wagon and she found me in the front yard . To this day, she says I must have been a Gypsy in another life.

 

[twinmomplus2new]

I was ALWAYS told we were being sold to the gypsies. It scared the heck out of us. There was also a Shel Silverstein Poem about being sold to the gypsies. Aquarter for the fat ones. A nickel for the skinny one's. Something to that effect.

I think it was called children for sale?
In any event it was 1974 that he penned it. and it was the onmly poem he changed the wording of in his Sidewalk ends book. after some letters were written saying using the word gypsie was derrogatory.
Now I guess it says the Googies.

I tried to find it online and couldn't. very cute poem though!

 

[chloe770]

No gypsies here, but I often tell DS5 that I'm going to sell him on Ebay for the bargin price of just $5.00.

 

[Cindy's Mom]

CR - of course my parents told me that - it was must have been our neighborhood

As I got older my dad would call me and my friends gypsys

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

My DM said my grandmother was terrified of the gypsies and was afraid they would kidnap one of her children. She made them stay close to home whenever they were in town. Now if I had 12 children, I don't know if I would have minded so much.

 

[powellrj]

We have always been told that my grandfather WAS kidnapped by gypsies when he was little. We were told they sent him back after a few days because he was so rotten! We were also told that he had a baby bottle until he was 8 and gave it up because he couldn't smoke and use a bottle at the same time.

Granted my grandfather was a colorful character when he was alive. The stories about him are legendary. The people who would know if the stories of his youth are true are now dead, but knowing how he was as an adult, I have to believe many of them.

 

[paintnolish]

My sisters have also told my dcs that they were going to have the flying monkeys take them away. Also, apparently you can telephone the gypsies. We have threatened to call them and have them meet us while out- can you tell they don't behave in the car sometimes (Mom! She's touching me/looking at me/ breathing!).