21 Mischievous "Don't Tell Your Mom" Stories That Turn Out Surprisingly Wholesome

From Redditor u/just_mossy

When l was 12 or so I walked into my dad's office to find him counting money. He says don't tell mom and you'll find out what its for. So I don't say a thing. Two days later he wakes me up early to run errands with him. We came back with a new (used, but new for us) car. He also said if I don't tell how much he spent on it he'll let me drive it. It was only a couple hundred dollars but we were broke and she would have been mad. My mother tried so hard to find out but I kept the secret. So anytime we were in an open space like an empty lot he would let me drive it. I felt like the coolest kid in middle school knowing how to drive a car. Again, don't tell your mother he says. It was our secret thing and I'll cherish those memories forever. When I got my permit at 16 I was so excited to drive it for real. I ask my mother if I can drive her around when she has to go out but she says absolutely not since I have no experience. Well I can't argue because I don't wanna get Dad in trouble. This goes on for a few weeks, I keep asking she keeps telling me no. This finally happened one day while dad was home and overheard. He comes in the room gives me a nod and says to my mother 'she's a better driver than you anyway', tosses me the keys and tells mom everything. I was so stoked and cheering I can drive! I can drive! Dad says 'Drive it? No. If you can keep a secret for that long you can keep the car too.' Twenty years later its still one of my favorite memories.

Edit: Wow. I love you guys. This memory made me so happy while sharing and even happier to see all of your responses.

To answer some questions;

It was a 95 Geo Tracker

My mom was expecting me to get driving experience taking a driver's ed course I was signed up to attend a few weeks down the line.

Mom was not mad. She was surprised is all. We didn't keep it from her because of her expected reaction, I suppose it was just more fun to have a secret between only us.

My dad absolutely is an awesome dude. I am so very lucky to have had him and to still have him.

The greatest gifts he gave me were not material. It was his time and attention. I have so many amazing memories with him just doing regular stuff. He has the best sense of humor and is a genuinely good human. I strive to be like him as a parent and as a person.

From Redditor u/MastadonBob

Female coworker of mine was miserable at work one day. I asked her what was wrong...she told me it was her anniversary, and she knew her husband had forgotten. She had pre-teen girls at home during summer vacation....I knew her home phone number (pre-cell phone era). I called her home phone and one kid picked up. Explained to the kid who I was and that she needed to call Dad at work and remind him it was Mom and Dad's anniversary....and don't tell Mom OR Dad I called.

The next day she was all smiles, gosh he DID remember, brought home flowers and took her to dinner. Mission Accomplished. Not a word was ever said about this....

Until 6 years later, when she left the company. She gave me a hug at a farewell luncheon, and whispered "My kids ratted you out. Thank you".

From Redditor u/vickyaage

When I was in middle school I was the only one willing to go shopping groceries with my dad, he didn’t want to go alone and my mom was at school studying her master’s. None of my siblings wanted to go with him. We used to go to Carl’s Jr., have a big breakfast, and then we went grocery shopping. Nobody knew, not even my mom, until years later. He would also let me buy any cereal I wanted. That’s actually how I learned how to buy good fruit and veggies, how to order meat and fish, etc. When my siblings found out they were angry bc “they would’ve gone if a big breakfast was on the menu”. My mom just laughed. Nowadays they sneak to have breakfast together before going grocery shopping since we’re all grown up.

From Redditor u/Strongdar

One night when I was about 8, after I had gone to bed, my Dad was playing a Nintendo game, Legend of Zelda I think. We had both been playing it but we were stuck. He finally found a secret passage, paused the game, and came upstairs to wake me up. He told me he figured out where we were stuck, "snuck" me downstairs in a blanket (I'm sure my mom knew), and I got to stay up after midnight on a school night, hiding under a blanket, to see where the hidden passage went. It was a silly little incident, but very memorable.

From Redditor u/optimaloutcome

One night I was enjoying a small bit of ice cream after my four year old daughter went to bed. She came downstairs and 'caught' me. So I offered her a small bite, but since she was supposed to be in bed, I said "don't tell mom." She assured me she wouldn't. My wife wouldn't have cared anyway but it was a fun little game to play.

After she went up to bed and I was down on the couch, she snuck in to the master bedroom where mom was resting. She told mom that I had let her have some ice cream, and she was afraid of "sugar bugs" so could she please brush her teeth again.

My wife just laughed at me the next day. Little sh*t ratted me out to brush her teeth, something she doesn't like doing anyway.

From Redditor u/bluej1375

Not a father but a story about mine. One day, I decided to pull a sick day at school and came down stairs and saw that my dad was making a coffee, I asked him what he was doing and why he wasn’t at work and he said I could ask you the same question. We stood in silence for a moment and he said I won’t tell your mum if you won’t. We had a good laugh about it and he let me have the day off.