During a routine check-up for her son, momlogic's Jackie assured the pediatrician her 4-year-old was eating enough vegetables. Then, the pediatrician turned and asked the patient directly:

Pediatrician: Do you like vegetables?
Child: Yes.
Pediatrician: What is your favorite?
Child: Macaroni and cheese.

Ouch. Busted. The story made us wonder, do most parents lie to the pediatrician? Momlogic contributor and pediatrician Dr. Cara Natterson says it happens all the time and finds it amusing when kids, unknowingly, spill the beans.

"I love when kids rat out their parents in my office," says Dr. Cara. "It provides some levity in the room, and parents are usually shamed into changing their behavior." Her top three most common parent lies:

1. Do you always sit in a car seat (for a younger child) or in the back seat (for a child under 12)?
I cannot tell you the number of times that parents swear up and down that they always put their kids in the safest (and lawful) place in the car just to be outed by their child. Kids tell me that when they take short drives--like to school or to the grocery store--they are often allowed to break the rules. Sometimes the parent in the room is a rule-abiding citizen, but the parent not at the appointment is the one breaking the law. When this happens, and a child innocently reveals the violation, you know that the absent parent is in for it when everyone gets home.

2. Do you brush your teeth twice a day?
Moms are quick to say yes, but many times a child will gleefully announce that, oops! I forgot to brush this morning. This usually opens a Pandora's box, exploiting the real truth that many mornings the teeth go unbrushed.

3. Do you drink soda?
Parents tend to be very good about keeping sodas away from their children, or at least minimizing them. But it is not uncommon for a child to turn to his parent during this line of questioning and ask bluntly, "So if I am not supposed to drink them, why do you drink them every day?" I like to spare the parent by announcing that it is not Mom's (or Dad's) appointment. But the lesson is heard. Many times, at a follow-up visit, a parent will announce that they have cut down on their own personal soda consumption thanks to that last visit.

OK, tell the truth: Have you ever lied to your pediatrician, and has your kid ever thrown you under the bus?

Dr. Cara Natterson, author of Your Toddler: Head To Toe is a pediatrician and mother of 2. To buy a copy of her book, click here.