My parents had many rules, but one always struck me as odd:

NO gargling.

It didn’t matter with what. It could be water or mouthwash.

I’m not saying we didn’t have mouthwash; we did. But the second they heard me trying to gargle, they would run into the room and yell at me to stop.

Of course, when you’re a child, you tend to accept things your parents say as the norm, so I didn’t even consider questioning their rule. I guess I just thought that it was bad manners.

I learned my lesson when I slept over at a friends house and heard him gargling. So, me being me, I promptly went to him and gave him a piece of my mind on proper etiquette (yeah, I was a basket case) and how dangerous it could be for him.

He just sorta looked at me sideways like

He then took me to watch videos on what gargling is and how, like, EVERYONE does it!

Remind me to thank my parents for making me look like a fool.

EDIT:

Some people have been asking why they had this rule. It’s because my uncles (from either side of the family) have very nearly died from choking on food. I guess that meant, for them, that gargling could lead to choking my lungs out.

Shoulda said that originally, because now y’all think my parents are freaks.