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Pencils, Rings, Boy or Girl?

Let me set something straight - I do NOT believe in the accuracy of wives tales, goofy tests or wizardry of any kind. I belive in the sovereign plan of my God and am fully aware that HE holds my future in His hands, and that He is the only one who knows that plan.

But...

It is kind of weird.

What I am talking about is the "Pencil Test". Ya know, where you thread a needle and stick it to the end of an eraser and let it swing freely over your wrist to predict the gender of your child?

If you hold it completely still, it will start swinging. It will stop in between children. (You can also do it with a wedding ring and holding it over your belly - both tests can be done regardless if you have had children yet or not...it will still tell you....we did this in college all the time!)

If it swings in a line back and forth - it's a boy.

If it swings in a circle - it's a girl.

It is spooky because it is SO right the vast majority of the time.

I know people who have multiple children and it accurately predicts the gender and the order in which they had them.

I have pregnant friends who know what they're having, and the pencil swings the way that the ultrasound shows.

It. Is. Weird.

What is even more strange, is that it does the SAME thing every time. And if you hold it over a guy's wrist, it stays completely still. Freak. Me. Out.

I know a woman with three children. Boy, girl, boy. The pencil test ALWAYS shows four children. Boy, girl, girl, boy. This woman had a miscarriage before she had her last child. AH! STRANGE!

So. The pencil test, ring test and the Chinese calendar state that I am having a boy. I feel like I am having a boy, but I won't know for another month.

Do you have any stories about the pencil test? Did it work on you? If you haven't done it, go here - read up on how to do it, and come back and let me know if it was accurate! And if you don't yet have children - tell me what it predicts!!
I am a modern day homemaker with a passion for family, cooking, celebrating, decorating, travel, and memory making! The Lord has blessed me with the desires of my heart in my husband and our two sons. We recently built our dream home and cultivating a loving and happy haven for my family is where I find so much joy.

Comments

  1. Hmm, I am having a hard time doing this... I have twin girls and it just keeps going in a craaaaazy circle and doesn't stop. Does someone else have to hold the ring and hair? Maybe it keeps moving bc I am continuing to breathe - lol!

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  2. mine just stays still. Maybe cause I couldn't find thread and used thin ribbon? I dont have kids yet, but think I could be pregnant. maybe I will try again later. =)

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  3. I had a family member tell me I was having a boy after she looked at the Chinese calendar. She said it held true to everyone she knew that had a baby. Well, it was wrong for us because we had a baby girl. I'm not a believer in those things either, but I suppose they make for good conversation!

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  4. I did the chinese birth calendar on myseld and numerous friends... and it was pretty accurate if the people KNEW the right dates.

    My mom used to tell me about a DRANO test. Sure you could look it up.

    Something about peeing in a cup with drano in it and dependant on the colour it turns dictates the sex of the baby.

    WEIRD?!?

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  5. I never did these tests when I was pregnant, but.....both times I just "knew" that I was having boys. Shannon's mother passed away (from stroke related complications) a month before our first son was born, and before I was even pregnant, she looked at me very seriously and said,
    "Shannon needs boys. He will have lots of boys."
    And she was right.
    I have always just felt like it was something God let her know, since she wouldn't be here to see them. Does that make sense? It is a special memory for me, needless to say.

    God Bless,
    Amy:)

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  6. I think I did this with Brinsley and it was a girl but I just knew what both of mine were with out the doctor telling me.

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  7. Never have done the tests of any kind. We didn't know with either of our first two what they would be until the moment they arrived. With Katie I had an amnio because of "advanced maternal age". Now, if that doesn't make a pregnant woman feel really old I don't know what does! I am imagining you with a girl so it will be interesting to see. It would be fun if you and Casey have different genders so the fam has one of each.

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  8. NO!!! It did not work for me! I thought for sure I was having a girl with my third-did the pencil test, and Chineese chart...I even bought a couple pink outfits! I was soo sure!!! At the ultrasound-I saw IT-and I have seen that two times before, so I was ready when the tech said, "So, Do you want to know what it is?" I said,"It's a boy-right?" and I was right...So then My husband took me shopping for baby clothes at the Ralph Lauren Store, and I bought everything...I felt just fine, then... and BTW-I adore him, and won't trade him for a girl-even on a bad day!!
    If you find out-I gotta know!!!

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  9. HMMMMM I don't know maybe it work maybe not, I used to be a labor and delivery nurse and people who didn't want to know the sex would do thoes test and tell us they know it's gonna be a girl, and it would usually come out a boy, although maybe they were not doing them correctly, of course some were right though, anyway congrats, Have not seen a baby update lately how many weeks are you now?

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  10. My mother-in-law always insisted the Chinese calendar was right, but it was wrong every time for us. When my mom was pregnant with me, she knew I was a girl, even when the doctors told her I was a boy. When a good friend was pregnant with her last baby, she KNEW it was a boy and even began calling it a boy. It was a girl! I don't hold any stock in anything other than a clear ultrasound. :)It is fun to guess, though!

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  11. We do the needle test on everyone... and it has worked on everyone that we have tried it on..
    like you said, even on miscarriages. We also have a friend that never had children and on her it does not move at all. We have even done it on fathers.. It is crazy... but we get a big kick out of it.. We do the one with a needle and thread..

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  12. I just knew with both pregnancies that I was having a boy. I now have two little girls;) Can't remember what the ring test said.

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  13. Oooh!! I can't wait to see if it's right!! :)

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  14. I would probably trust your gut feeling more than anything.

    BUT I picture you with a girl for some reason :-)

    Weird.

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  15. Haha, I have never heard of this! It's spooky, though! :)

    By the way, I'm having a contest on my blog. You could win a fabulous Christmas ornament! Feel free to participate. :)

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  16. None of the pencil tests worked on me. But one of my friends did the Drano test that worked for her twice. Have you heard of it? Well, you have to tinkle in a cup and then mix it with drano. It turns one color for a boy and another for a girl. But I am not sure which is which. Pretty crazy, huh!

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  17. Ive done this before, but I just did the ring test again and it said girl, boy, girl, boy, girl.... then another BOY, then it stopped! I already have 5 kids, girl, boy, girl, boy, girl! Everyone jokes that I need another to even it up and every month someone else says I'm pregnant. My hubby has the big V but you never know I guess. Only time will tell if that test was right.

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  18. I never tried it. I thought I was having a girl my first pregnancy...it was a boy. My second...I had a feeling it was a girl...it was!

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  19. I remember doing this in elementary school and we thought it was so fun. I haven't done it in years but now I am kinda curious! haha I will have to give it a try when I get home tonight!

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  20. It is crazy creepy :) I will have to try that when I am pregnant! :) I want a girl and a boy soooo bad :)

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  21. i've done the ring test and the chinese calendar. the ring circled over my belly and i read it was a boy, but you read it was a girl. one chinese calendar said boy and another one said girl. i can't keep it all straight because nothing is accurately documented! :) i'll just wait to hear it from my doctor's mouth. :)

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  22. Eh, it swung back and forth while turning in a bit of a circle. I wouldn't put too much faith in it, Whit!

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  23. My friends and I always did this too and your right, it is scary! I haven't done it in a long time so i don't remember the order of my children....I'm gonna have to do it again!

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  24. I did'nt do any of those tests with my first 2(both boys) I just waited with baited breath for my ultrasounds. After the ultrasound tech told me that my third was a girl I tried the ring test and it swung in a big ole cirlce, so it was right for me.

    Oh wait, I did look at the chinese chart and if I remember correctly it was wrong all three times. Can't wait to see what you're having!

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  25. We used to do this at work back in the day and it was correct on several women with kids (but I always wonder if subconsciuosly the person holding the string makes it move). I hope it's wrong, because it told me I am only having one boy! I want a whole houseful!

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  26. Everybody wants to know...except me! The ultrasound tech told my husband, but he is keeping it a secret so I can have the surprise. We have: girl, boy, girl. The chinese calendar has always been wrong...and we are positive on my dates- because I keep a calendar. silly I know. A friend did a test several weeks ago, IF I was a HORSE, 80% chance it's a girl.... ha. we'll see.

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  27. I feel like mine is going to be a girl, but I haven't done the pencil or ring test to see what they say. Like you, I don't put any stock in the Chinese calendars, but I checked it to see and it said I was having a girl. Only God knows!

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  28. Okay, so out of curiosity I went back and did the chinese chart on my three and it was right each time, so...:)

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  29. I had dreams with babies 2 and 3 that were SO REAL - each dream revealed the genders of my babies before the sonogram did. After the dreams, I just knew (and I was right)! :)

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  30. You forgot to tell them that it used to predict you were having triplets! Lets hope that doesn't turn out to be true!

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  31. What fun. I have heard of a few friends using various methods like these it worked for them...we'll see!! I can't wait to find out what you're having!!

    P.S. I linked up to an AMAZING giveaway on my blog--and I'll be very surprised if your creative self doesn't win!

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  32. Oh! Oh! I need to try this!! I'm the type that when I get pregnant will be counting down the days until I can find out the gender.

    PS. I'm also one of those types that needs a daughter. And a son. But, must. have. girl(s).

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  33. I love it that is so nonsense but so fun, and crazily accurate, haha! I am pretty sure we did the ring thing with BabyBoy and it was correct! Soo funny!

    Check out my blog girl!!

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  34. oh, i don't have kids, but it did boy, girl, boy for me!!!!! i sure hope so. bc my husband is rooting for a boy but i've always wanted a little girl :)

    and no i'm not pregnant!

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  35. I never did any of these, but I did have dreams during both of my pregnancies of what I was having and they were right!

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  36. I never did the pencil test, but I "felt" like I was having a boy, too! Isn't it weird how that works? Your intuition could be right!

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  37. I have never done the tests. It kind of makes me want to have another baby just to see if it works. Although I always had a feeling it was a girl and seeing how there has not been a boy in either of our families in like 16 years the chances of me have a boy I think may be very low.

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  38. I don't know about the pencil test but I have heard of that Chinese Calendar working for a lot of people! :)

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  39. I have done the ring test with 4 of of my friends- and so far it's been right on for all of us- we each have 2 or 3 kids. Mine shows two boys and a girl- so far we have two boys!

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  40. Hi, you don't know me but i was given your blog info by someone at tbc and was told you were really funny and to check out your blog sometime...so I have! I enjoy your sharing your life and your openness. I too am pregnant and I am two months along. As your sister in Christ, I want to hold you accountable and encourage you regarding these "gender tests." I am embarressed to say, but I too did the ring test at my neighbors house and I also have heard many stories of it's accuracy. During and after my particapation in this "test" I was deeply convicted and so was my husband who was there at the time also. It's wrong. It's not pleasing to our God whatsoever. When doing this test, we are putting our trust in a power other then our God. Unless you will stand on the belief that God himself makes that ring move everytime, then the source of the power is going to someone or something else. Esp. the showing of all 4 children in order. Please. Don't you see how wrong that is. Don't be decieved. I assure you that it is entertaining outside powers and principalities who would love nothing more than to corrupt your firm belief in the voice of God alone. Please take these words to heart. There is such a need for Godly pregnant women, despite our curiosity, to stand up to these things and not be naieve and fall victim to these rituals. And definately not to promote, lift up or encourage them in anyway. It's wrong and making light of it is a serious thing that I am confident displeases our Lord. I hope and pray that you will too.

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  41. Anonymous: Of course I do not believe it's a "power" moving the pencil or ring! How silly! I think that obviously, it's the chemicals/hormones in our bodies reacting to the metal of the ring or the lead of the pencil. And no, that does not mean that it predicts the gender of my child....and I clearly stated my beliefs in the first paragraph of this post, which I hope you read.

    I never once believed "something" or "someone" was making it move. Ever. I would never promote that, nor be silly enough to believe that. I never intended for you to read any sort of "mystisicm" of this old wives tale.

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  42. Yeesh, didn't know we'd be getting a sermon by "anonymous" today! Anyway, I think it is a funny thing to try out, and, since sometimes things like this can come out with different results in the end, I'm sure we all know it isn't some other power moving the pencil. Just a fun thing to try out--don't squelch the excitement of the pregnancy, people! Geez! ;)

    Don't worry Whitney, I won't sign you up for any Mysticism 101 classes.... ;)

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  43. I did this when I was pregnant the first time. It said that I was going to have one kid girl. I then miscarried. Then I got pregnant with my daughter did it again. It said I was going to have just one boy and she was indeed a girl. It said I was not going to have any more kids. I then got pregnant with my son just four months after I had my daughter.

    Only God truely knows how many kids you will have and what sex they will be. Don't worry about this silly test. If it is right that is great, but it is only by chance.

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  44. I didn't read all of the drama above me before posting my comment!

    Might I add I know that you trust in the Lord on what sex your baby will be! I remember being so anxious about what it was! I just wanted to know so badly! I am just simply trying to say don't worry you will find out in due time. That God has it in control ;) I know you know that, but for me it is always good to hear it again!

    Blessings on you!

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  45. the pencil test said one boy with me, every time.... I have two girls...they even told me on an ultrasound that it was a boy with the last one.... we had a blue room and everything but I just knew it wasn't going to be a boy...

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