They do. Sometimes. But why? Daniel Kolitz:

We all know the placebo effect is a powerful thing—it can ease pain, alleviate depression, turn CBD into a billion-dollar industry, and more. Less widely understood is why it works—how the human brain, in tandem with various other organs, can turn a simple sugar pill into something that, in some cases and for certain ailments, works just as well as the real, patented, super-expensive, active-ingredient-containing thing.

Kolitz posted a list of professional opinions, but I have firsthand knowledge. I bought my kids glow-in-the-dark pajamas and told them they need to lie on the floor for an hour so they ‘glow’ gets charged up. It works– for an hour– every day.

I don’t know what will happen when they learn to read.