25 Hilarious Lies We Believed as Kids: A Celebration of Childhood Gullibility

Roy

1 year ago

my dad told me 7 up was for kids only 7 & up, i waited a couple more years & finally asked him on my 7th birthday if i could have some— he'd completely forgotten he told me that & cracked up when he found out i'd walked around believing that for 3 years

Dumb Things We Believed As Kids

Ah, childhood. A time of boundless imagination, unwavering trust in authority figures (especially those pesky parents), and a delightful susceptibility to even the most outlandish fibs. We believed anything and everything, from the existence of magical creatures under our beds (thanks a lot, monster movies!) to the dire consequences of swallowing watermelon seeds (visions of sprouting vines were a constant nightmare). Prepare to relive (and laugh at) the 25 most ridiculous things we believed as kids, courtesy of our well-meaning (or perhaps slightly sadistic) parents.

These 25 photos are a hilarious reminder of our childhood gullibility. From classic parental pronouncements about the car's interior light draining the battery (because apparently, a dome light is more powerful than a car engine) to the terrifying notion that birds would poop on your head if you looked up with your mouth open (because apparently, avian air traffic control is a thing), these images capture the nonsensical beliefs we held so dear. Be prepared for pictures showcasing the elaborate bedtime stories our parents weaved to get us to behave (like the wrath of the "Great Vegetable Stealer" who would snatch disobedient children), the elaborate ruses they employed to avoid unwanted chores (because a "broken" washing machine is far more believable than just not wanting to do laundry), and the downright bizarre explanations they offered for everyday phenomena (like the stork delivering babies...need we say more?).

what's something extremely bizarre you believed as a very young child? i definitely thought that any cheese that had holes in it was caused by mice who lived inside it
My sister's name is Leah, and she did gymnastics, wearing a leotard.....or, Leah-tard as I thought. It only seemed natural for me to wear an Alyssatard. I believed you just named it after yourself for much longer than I can admit
I thought when people got married the wife automatically became pregnant. Possibly because the music teacher wrote a play for 4th grade every year and in every single one the prince and princess got married and the next scene was them with a baby a year later.
I thought "getting fired" meant they literally took you outside and lit you on fire because you did a bad job. I was horrified when my parents said my uncle got fired from his job at the grocery store.
I thought that all newlyweds permanently moved to the Honey Moon in outer space.
That men gave birth to girls and women gave birth to boys 000 Kristen Arnett @Kristen_
I thought my parents got a divorce because my mom was bad at sex. And I came to that conclusion because on my mom's drivers license it said "Sex: F"
grew up in Indiana and I thought the mcnugget shapes were Indiana (boot), Ohio (ball), and Illinois (bone/bell) and that kids in every state got menuggets in the shapes of their tri-state area
my dad told me 7 up was for kids only 7 & up, i waited a couple more years & finally asked him on my 7th birthday if i could have some— he'd completely forgotten he told me that & cracked up when he found out i'd walked around believing that for 3 years
I thought that if you wanted to go kayaking, you had to be in the splits the whole time, Barbie style.
I thought tiny people worked behind colored glass in traffic lights and they just stood up there all day flipping a switch whenever it was their color's turn. But the switch was almost as tall as they were.
Well, I thought "toll bridges" were "troll bridges" and that people were collecting money to pay the troll that lived under the bridge. It seemed logical and like a good way to establish peace between humans and trolls. :)
Oh, that people were regularly pulled under escalators and never seen again, because my parents were so adamant that you watch your feet at the last step.
My mom convinced me that the steel mill in our town was the factory where clouds were made and that's why there was always a big cloud above it.

So you've scrolled through this nostalgic (and slightly embarrassing) collection of childhood myths. You've chuckled at the car light lie, questioned the logic behind sky-pooping birds, and maybe even shed a tear (or two) at the sheer creativity of your parents' bedtime stories. You've emerged with a newfound appreciation for your own critical thinking skills (because thank goodness we eventually figured some things out), a tinge of sympathy for your gullible younger self (we've all been there!), and a guaranteed conversation starter for your next family gathering (because who can resist reliving these hilarious childhood misconceptions?).

Feeling a pang of nostalgia for the good ol' days? We've got a whole archive of funny 90s school trends memes to reminisce with. Still wondering about the logistics of stork-delivered babies? Check out our collection of hilarious "explain it like I'm five" memes or lose yourself in the world of adorable baby animal pictures. Thunder Dungeon caters to your inner child, from childhood misconceptions to heartwarming animal moments.

Roy

Roy R., Chief Meme Curator Roy founded Thunder Dungeon in 2012 and has since guided its growth into a 2.5 million‑strong community of meme enthusiasts. With over a decade of digital‑media experience and a nose for viral humor, Roy oversees content strategy, ensuring every post is both hilarious and high‑quality

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