In an effort to ensure that my sister and I ate all the rice in our bowls, my mom would tell us that the amount of rice left-over in our bowls will equal to the amount of freckles on our future spouses. Not having been exposed to freckles at that time, we both ate every, single piece of rice dutifully. Funny thing is I still can't leave any rice left-over comfortably even though I think freckles are cute.
A childhood belief about general

others believed things like this
- my brother told me rice crispies were really fish eggs we gave to the goldfish. I never ate rice crispies.— johnboy
- My older sister had me convinced that noodles grew on trees, but that rice was man-made...— Trusting little brother
- My Nan used to say that if you ate rice pudding every day you would live till 100.— Jayne
- Someone told my that rice was really spider eggs. I still don't look at it the same. Anon
- I used to believe that if you ate rice and water and jumped up and down you would explode. Thanks Dad.— Nina
- I used to believe the Metallica song "Trapped Under Ice" said "I turned down the rice."— Erik Z.