15 Things Most People Thought Were Normal Childhood Memories But Really Aren’t

Buckle up, fellow adventurers, as we embark on a whimsical journey through the twisty lanes of upbringing and discover the extraordinary in the ordinary. Get ready to swap tales of the quirky, the curious, and the downright unexpected in our exploration of “Childhood Chronicles: Unveiling the Unconventional!” From family traditions that raise eyebrows to those peculiar habits you thought were completely normal, we’re diving headfirst into the charmingly eccentric world of not-so-typical upbringings. So grab your sense of humor, a cup of nostalgia, and let’s unravel the tapestry of unique tales that make us all marvel at the wonderfully bizarre paths we’ve traversed.

Family Dinner Time

To begin, someone said, “Growing up, I thought families having dinner was only something that happened on tv. I didn’t realize families actually ate together at home.”

Afraid of a Parent

One user replied, “Being scared of your dad. Like, always on eggshells and absolutely terrified. I remember being at a friend’s house, and her dad came home from work, and she was excited to see him. He didn’t yell at her even once!!”

Dealing With Memories of Abuse

A popular comment was, “Getting slapped for “talking back” when you were only trying to explain your side of the story.”

Poop Secrets

One interesting story was. “Wiping and putting poo-covered toilet paper in a wastebasket beside the toilet. Turns out it was because we had an illegal straight pipe going into a nearby river, and my dad didn’t want toilet paper going out and making it obvious. I also didn’t realize that most kids didn’t know about flushing your turds and then racing to the river to watch them shoot out of the pipe.“

Beer on Ice

One user shared, “Your moms didn’t pour their bud light over ice. Who knew? Over the years, she (my mother) switched to doing the same with Mich Ultra, of which she would drink maybe 2/3 and be giggly she’s an awesome lady and an even better mother, but this just cracks me up so much.”

Home Cooked Meals

A comment was, “Growing up, I thought everyone always had home-cooked meals basically every night. My mom was a saint for this, and we barely ate out at all. Then I found out some families eat out basically every night. I was dumbfounded.”

Close Family

One reply was, “I always thought kids were close to their parents. I enjoyed being around mine. We were always together, and I had no issue sharing “embarrassing ” life events with them. It wasn’t until high school that I came to understand that this was not how every family interacted.”

Neighborhood Issues

A user replied, “Street/gang violence. Grew up in 1980s Los Angeles. I just assumed every city was like that until I moved out. I started noticing that no one had their head on a swivel. Little things like the way people concentrate on their phones and don’t pay attention to their surroundings, don’t watch car mirrors and don’t look into glass reflections. That’s a potential death sentence in the wrong neighborhoods.“

Not Reading

A person shared, “I guess the big one that comes to mind is how my family practically bragged about never reading and would make fun of people who did read. Heck, it wasn’t just my family. It was the entirety of Texas, it seemed… I remember once reading a novel, and an adult asked me, “Whatchu readin for?”. An ADULT asked me this… when I was a CHILD. This was normal in Texas, or at least where I grew up in Texas.”

Sale Prices

One reply was, “We always bought stuff on sale, so when I met other people who never batted an eye when buying something at full price, I was amazed.”

Another reply was, “My parents always bought stuff on sale and used as many coupons as possible. For clothes, it was clearance racks or nothing. Every car we owned was bought used. The only things we bought brand new were electronics, tools, and hobby-related things.”

Dads Cooking Skills

A surprising story was, “My dad would cook all of our meals. He was an amazing cook, and everything was homemade with no recipes needed! No boxed or processed foods with our dad cooking. He also did all the grocery shopping. Our mom would basically clean up the mess…she didn’t mind at all (she enjoys cleaning). I really had no idea until I moved away from home and went off to college how rare it was to have a father do the cooking. I’m 46 now, so my generation was almost exclusively the mother cooking, grocery shopping, and cleaning.” 

Getting Ahead On The Clocks

One comment was, “Apparently, it’s not normal for the clocks in the house to be purposely set back anywhere between 5-7 minutes to account for my mom’s ADHD!”

Another comment was, “My mom did the same thing. Every clock in the house has a different time showing.”

Specific Meals

A user said, “We have this wonderful thing in our family called Catastrophe. It’s just a skillet dinner with eggs, hash browns, cheese, and whatever you got in the fridge and/or pantry: ham, bacon, sausage, chicken, etc. It’s always a little different because it depends on what you have available, but it always tastes like love.”

A second user replied, “Mayonnaise in mashed potatoes, apparently.”

Specific Friends

A popular response was, “I was only allowed to be friends with Christians (or kids of Christian parents). No Catholics either. I didn’t realize how brainwashed some Christian households can be. My kids won’t be subjected to that ignorance.”

Another response was, “I had a crush on a boy in 3rd grade, and he told me that we couldn’t date because I was Catholic, not Christian. I was SO confused ”

Surrounded By Hoarding 

Someone said, “Hoarding. My parents were both extreme hoarders, which was actually pretty traumatic to be raised around. We weren’t allowed to have friends over often, likely due to the shame my parents had surrounding the hoarding, so I didn’t really know it was such a big deal til I got to college. As a kid, I just thought my friends whose houses I did get to visit were lucky to have clean houses.”

Medical Beliefs

A comment was, “I grew up in Christian Science. We rarely went to the doctor. It was always pray about it, and you’ll be able to heal yourself. I had never had an ibuprofen or a Tylenol before I got to college.”

A second comment was, “Omg yes. Me too. Never vaccinated. Never given medicine or treatment unless it was a broken bone.”

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