Parents Reveal Spooky Things Their Kids Have Done That Have Actually Made Them Believe In The Paranormal
Children are wonderful... until they're scaring the living daylights out of you, that is.
Today's burning question came from Redditor blurryrhombus, who asked the online community "Parents of Reddit, what is something your kids started doing/seeing that made you believe they were communicating/seeing ghosts?"
Leave it to these parents to serve us ice-cold dishes of Can we f*cking not?
"My son..."
My son will be quiet for ages in his room and I'll think he's asleep, then he'll start hysterically laughing. He's 2.
"Before our oldest was talking..."
Before our oldest was talking, we found that often when we lay him down in his room (either to sleep or change his nappy), he'd look over our shoulder and start smiling or chuckling, like he was reacting to someone. My wife and I independently decided that it was my dad come to look in on his first grandchild. (All the other grandparents are still alive, dad took his own life when I was 12.)
This went on for a couple of months or so but we never addressed it out loud at the time. Then we'd put our boy down to sleep and for a little while we'd hear him chuckling and gurgling for a while before he slept. Kids do that but it really sounded like he was reacting to someone playing with him.
One night he was still going an hour after we put him down and my wife said "he's your dad, go talk to him."
So, feeling slightly silly at first, I went in and said to the room, "dad, please let him sleep!" I told my son "say goodnight to grandpa and get some sleep."
As I walked out, I said "I miss you dad. I love you." I've never been too sure about whether I really believe in spirits but I certainly felt suddenly warm and comforted.
That was the last night we heard the bedtime playing. From then on, when we put our boy down, he went to sleep without a quiver and still does several years on.
About 18 months later our second child (now at roughly the same age her brother was when dad visited) starts howling not long after she's gone to bed. I go in and comfort her but got a distinct feeling of confusion for a minute before it went and then she settled down.
A couple of nights later the same thing happens. I go in to settle her again but this time I said "dad, she can't handle this like <brother> did. If you were here, she'd love you and be in your lap all the time but not like this. She can't deal with it, please leave her alone."
That was the last visit we ever had that we're aware of, even with their three younger siblings.
"We took my 3 year old daughter..."
We took my 3 year old daughter to meet my wife's grandmother who lived on the other side of the county...we walk in the house and my daughter doesn't even look at her great grandmother, but instead goes straight over to a picture of her great great grandmother, points at it and says, "That's the lady who lives in my room. She's nice."
"I had a dog..."
I had a dog from the time I was about 6 or 7 until I was about 19 or 20. My oldest son was born a few years after he died. Flash forward to when my son was around 2.5, he started telling me about "the black dog that lives in the basement" (where the dog, who was a black lab died.) He said something along the lines of "I woke up when you were still working and the black dog was in our room."
I asked if he meant our current dog, who was black and tan, but he was insistent it wasn't "Goonior" but "the other dog." And I also didn't allow the dog in our room, ever, and he never tried to come in.
Also, same kid, same time frame...
My best friend committed suicide days before my son's first birthday. He had no recollection of Pat besides knowing he had an Uncle named Pat. Well, I come home from work one morning and he is wide the f**k awake at 6am (I worked overnights and he usually slept until around 9am) talking in his crib. I assumed he was talking to himself. I asked him who he was talking to and he said "my pirate friend" and said "he has a patch" and I kinda brushed it off. Then I realized "wait... Pat was blind in one eye... Pat always cosplays pirates... Pat loved him..."
Pat continued to visit my son for years after that.
"When my youngest son started speaking..."
GiphyWhen my youngest son started speaking, the wife had a friend with a newborn. My son was constantly telling us what the friends baby was saying and wanted and he spoke to the baby more than anyone. The theory is that he was still in the cusp of being able to communicate with babies and adults but, it tripped us out for like 2 months until the baby started talking Babel. After that, the kid didn't understand what the baby was saying and would just tell us, "he's upset."
"She had no idea..."
My 4 year old daughter started not being able to sleep. She was complaining that "Simon" was coming to her room and yelling at her. It got to the point she wouldn't let us leave the room until we told him to go away and leave her alone.
My Catholic mom in law was getting worried and gave me a bag of blessed medals while I was at Walmart and saw her. I rolled my eyes and threw them in a drawer when I got home instead of burying them and saying prayers like she wanted.
My daughter stopped seeing Simon the same night. She had no idea about the medals (wasn't with me at Walmart and I put them in the drawer before she got home) so it creeped me out.
"The next morning..."
My kid has sliding mirrored doors on her closet. She goes to bed early but I check on her now and then. One night I was on my way to bed and I hear weird chanting coming from her room. I open the door to check on her and she's standing on the bed staring in the mirror. She looks at me and says "mirror me is the real me." I close the door and nope right out of there.
The next morning I ask her about what she was doing. She said "I was talking to Horrifying Me. She lives in the mirror and has no bones."
My husband's family is haunted so I guess it was just a matter of time but f**k that. Kids are so creepy.
"As an infant..."
My daughter had two moments. As an infant, whenever we laid her on the changing table, she would always squirm into whatever position would allow her to stare into one corner on the ceiling of the room. It was a plain white room and plain white ceiling, so nothing worth looking at. She would always stare and smile or laugh. As she got a little older she would point at it and say Hi. We never really worried because it always seemed to be a positive experience for her. Not a ghost, but just as eerie.
When she was 3, we were getting her ready to meet my Aunt Mary for the first time. We are not a church-going family, but she proudly told us that she already knows someone named Mary. We ask about her friend Mary and she smiles and tells us "She's God's mom," and tells how she hasn't talked to her in a long time. Of course she doesn't remember any if these conversations anymore, but they are burned in my memory.
"We took it home..."
My father bought a Native American medicine bag while he was in the western US. He brought it back and gave it to my son, who was 2 or 3 at the time.
We took it home and hung it on the door knob of my son's closet. Soon afterwards, my son started complaining of not being able to sleep because the bell on the bag would start ringing. Then "the spoonbills" would start coming out of the closet. He didn't seem particularly bothered by the spoonbills, but just irritated that they made the bell ring.
"My daughter was..."
My daughter was refusing to fall asleep so after a while I asked her why she wouldn't and she said "Because those people are watching us." or something similar and pointed to a corner of the room where there wasn't anything even vaguely human shaped.
We slept downstairs that night.
"I went in..."
I went in to my 3 year old son's room to find his vent covered with a blanket. I went to take it off and he started screaming and yelling that the "glowy" would escape... the next morning I found him sleeping on my bedroom floor because I let the glowy out.
"Last night..."
Last night me and my partner both heard a sound like 'yoo-hoo!' As in someone talking to a baby.
Our 17mo daughter started giggling like I've never heard and babbling away like she always does when she's 'talking'.
This isn't the first instance of something.... odd... happening in our house, but it sent goosebumps all over me.
"He laughs at this toy..."
GiphyMy youngest son named his favorite toy (stuffed dinosaur plushie) after my dead sister. I've never spoken her name out loud before to him or around him. I've never brought him to her grave. He'd never know this name otherwise, it's a European name my parents gave my sister because it "sounded pretty". One day he took a small plastic gun from one of his army guys and put it in the hand of another toy, and chased the dinosaur around manically saying "boom BOOM BOOM you're so dead and your baby is too!" My sister was 6mo pregnant when her boyfriend killed her, her unborn died as well. He laughs at this toy A LOT. Like... too much for it just being a game. He talks to it all the time as if it's responding to him in real time.
"My parents' first child..."
My 3 year old daughter asked "How did your sister die?"
My parents' first child died at 2 weeks due to complications. She was born the day before my mom's birthday and neither parent EVER talked about her because it was just too painful.
There is no way my daughter could have ever overheard that not only I had a sister, but that she died as well.
A month later daughter tells me "Mommy is going to give me a baby brother in the Spring. Wife and I found out we were pregnant 2 weeks later... we had a son in March.
"I read one part..."
Last night I was reading my son a book before bed. (15 months old) I read one part and tickled him and he said "hi" and waved towards his crib. At that moment the mobile started playing music.
- People Share The Creepiest Thing That's Ever Happened To Them ... ›
- Teachers Share "This Student Is So Smart It's Scary" Stories ... ›
People Share The Things They Learned Embarrassingly Late In Life
There is so much to learn in the world, it's impossible for one person to know absolutely everything there is to know.
But there are certain things, like common phrases and idioms, that everyone seems to use that might be a little embarrassing to not understand until later in life.
Redditor Curious-2577 asked:
"What's something you learned 'embarrassingly late' in life?"
Addictive Personality
"My sister was in her fifties when she found out the meaning of, 'You have an addictive personality.'"
"She thought after all these years of therapy that it meant that people were addicted to her personality."
"We laughed hysterically when we talked about this (in a very sad way)."
- casper02127
Horse Toes
"I thought that horses had toes until I was 22. I thought the hoof was a 'horseshoe' and the toes were tucked inside."
"How did I learn how wrong I was, you ask?"
"I was walking past a cavalry museum and saw a horse statue and loudly remarked, 'It must hurt so bad when they fold a horse’s toes to put them into the shoe!'"
"Dozens of horse enthusiasts turned and looked at me with wild bewilderment in their eyes."
- BronNatsPulisic
Referencing Flowers
"The saying is, in fact, 'Nip it in the bud' and not 'Nip it in the butt.'"
- too_sharp
Pastures New
"A few months ago, two of my colleagues both handed in their notice at around the same time."
"I kept reading/hearing the sentence, 'They’re both moving on to pastures new’ being thrown about the office in the weeks leading up to them leaving, and I hadn’t heard this phrase before and thought that was the name of the rival company that they were going to, like, 'Pastures New.'"
"I thought it was weird that nobody was talking about how they were both leaving for the same company."
"I was in the car with one of the two people who were leaving and said, 'So where is it that you and X are going to be working? Is it...’"
"And just before I could embarrass myself and say ‘Pastures New,' they interrupted me and said they’re not going to the same place and asked me where I had heard that."
"I think at that moment, I realized I was stupid and didn’t mention it again."
- WorriedSoft
Mario Brothers
"I think I was in college when I realized that Mario and Luigi are plumbers. I thought they just went and up down these tubes just because that was the theme of the game."
- dontbemystalker
Bonsai Trees
"That Bonsai are not a species of tree, but a way to grow them. Any tree can be a bonsai."
- ixent
Houston, We Have a Problem
"Houston is not the name of the guy astronauts talk to."
- vienna_versailles
Cowboy Beans
"I learned that pork and beans are not called 'cowboy beans.' I was 18 and asked a grocery store clerk to help me find the 'cowboy beans.'"
"We were looking everywhere and I was getting frustrated because I know that every store carries these beans. After a while, I picked up a pork and beans can with a picture and said, 'See, they look just like this!'"
"He said, 'You mean pork and beans?'"
"Then I realized that my mom called them that so that I would eat them."
"The look of disappointment from that grocery store clerk haunts me to this day."
- whyunoletmepost
The Pulitzer
"Let me tell you about how I thought you were awarded a 'Pullet Surprise.'"
- BendyBrains
Rum and Coke
"Not too late in life, but I thought my parents were making 'Roman Cokes' until I went to college."
"Which, I think is a much better name for the drink (Rum and Coke) anyway."
- Th3seViolentDelights
Oh No, Not Acoma!
"That a coma was 'A' coma. Until I was probably 19 or so, I thought it was 'acoma.'"
"I thought you fell into acoma."
- FightWithBrickWalls
It Must Have Been a One-Way Trip
"My parents were divorced the whole time and my mom was not, in fact, taking a vacation, lmao (laughing my a** off)."
- artemus_who
Multitasking
"I live near the Hospital for Joint Diseases… when I was a kid, I thought was a special hospital for people who had two or more different diseases at the same time."
- Baffhy_Duck
Ore-Ida Fries
"Moving cross-country, driving east to west, and crossing from Idaho to Oregon, I noticed huge fields with signs for the Ore-Ida Potato company."
"So I was in my early 20s when I figured out Ore-Ida wasn’t just a brand name but was because their potatoes came from Oregon and Idaho."
- Deadhawk142
Kid Logic
"When I was really young, my sister told me she threw her guts up. So I was really afraid of vomiting my entire insides up for years."
- Presitigious_Sweet_50
Some of these really had us laughing as we realized the revelations some of these Redditors were having.
But when we're really honest with ourselves, we probably didn't figure out some of these until later, too.
People Break Down The Absolute Worst Parts About Having A Child
While starting a family and having children is a goal that many people have, some do not realize that it's not easy, fun, and loving one-hundred percent of the time. Rather, it's expensive, exhausting, and hard, though it might be worth it in the end.
With this in mind, people shared what they felt were the hardest hurdles of their parenting.
Redditor ApprehensiveShock655 asked:
"What's the worst part of having a child?"
Fear of Not Doing Enough
"The constant anxiety that you’re doing enough to shape them to make good choices, a good life, be a good person and for them to have the life they deserve."
- nakedreturnsthe1st
Like the Energizer Bunny
"It's incessant. It never stops. You never get a day off."
"Going from having two days per week to relax and do whatever to literally never having a moment free from responsibility."
- mrbuh
No Break In Sight
"I’ve always wanted kids and still do, but this is the only thing that has come close to giving me pause."
"Both my siblings have young kids and I cannot get over how CONSTANT it is."
"From the second the kids wake up to when they finally shut their eyes, it’s non-stop. Then they get maybe an hour or two to themselves, which is mostly spent tidying up, etc., before the nighttime stuff starts with the baby crying, the toddler coming into bed, nightmares, etc."
"It requires years of not getting a full night's rest. You can never just go out whenever you want. No sleeping in, even on weekends because someone has to be up with them at 6 AM."
"Raising human children is an insane task."
- GirlisNo1
Mom's Body After Baby and Dad Bods
"The weight gain is the worst! During the pregnancy, I gained 35 pounds. My belly has stretch marks. My boobs are all saggy."
"And it’s not even fair because my wife only gained like 15."
- Wise-Reaction-7526
The Meal Planning
"Coming up with three meals to eat per day EVERY DAY stresses me out so bad."
"This sounds like such a small thing, but it really wears on you over time. You can’t just make something for yourself or something you and your spouse feel like eating: You have to constantly be thinking about if the kid is hungry and what they might be willing to eat."
- Ravenclaw79
Keeping Them Safe
"When people ask me this I say, 'do you know those video games where you have to escort a character to a destination without them being attacked?' That's parenting. Those missions are a pain in the a**."
- Infiniski_Gaming
Seriously, Keep Them Safe
"Having to deal with their total lack of self-preservation. They are creative and come up with all kinds of ways to try and kill themselves. Keeping ahead of the game is exhausting."
- Quizzical_Chimp
Constant Contact
"They’re just always there. On you, behind you, in front of you, just a little speed bump impeding every task."
- Tangboy500000
Letting Them Live Their Life Their Way
"Having a kid is like having a little piece of your heart running around in the world. When they're sick or get disappointed or just feel sad, it's worse than having it happen to you."
"Yet at the same time, you need to let your kids work through those things to learn to handle them. If you give into the worry and try to shield them from everything, you risk creating harmful co-dependence."
"So it's a constant struggle. But worth it!"
- um_chili
What Is "Sleep" Again?
"I'm only nine years in, but so far, it's been the sleep deprivation. Hands down."
- tessiegamgee
And What Are These "Sick Days" You Speak Of?
"Having to take care of a sick child when you are also sick. For me that has been the most challenging part so far."
- MrsLouisaMercury
Another Full-Time Job
"It's like taking a second job that lasts 18+ years with a 24/7 schedule with no holidays or sick days."
"…And no second paycheck. It's actually like YOU are paying your second salary instead of getting one."
- mouse_rat
Personal Freedom
"The loss of freedom. I can't just... go somewhere. Even with older kids, there's so much planning and thinking and getting ready."
"I miss being able to just decide to go somewhere, and go there."
- poetris
The Time Flies
"The best advice I got was from an ancient hospital security guard in an elevator. 'The days are long, the years are short, cherish them while you can.'"
- WayOfTheHouseHusband
So Unexpected
"The phrase I hate is, 'You don't know it, but one day you pick your kid up for the last time.'"
- 3_pac
There are all kinds of troubles that come from being a parent, many of which people don't necessarily think about until they already have a baby in the house.
But reassuringly, many people in the subReddit pointed out that no matter how hard some of these hurdles are to get over, it's still worth it in the end, and it goes by far too fast.
Married People Explain How They Tactfully Initiate Sex With Their Partner
Positive emotions are high among people in the blossoming phase of relationships.
Everything seems more romanticized for people in love due to the amorous joy in their hearts–which also influences their desire to frequently get it on under the sheets–or any other daring location in the heat of the moment.
But for those who've declared "'til death do us part," devoted couples may find that they are not always on the same wavelength sexually compared to when they first met.
Curious to hear how people keep their passion alive, Redditor Rude_Phone6841 asked:
"Married people, how do you initiate sex with your partner?"
When verbally articulating isn't enough...
Let The Book Dictate When
"There is a book called 'How to Subtly Tell Your Partner You Want More Sex.' If you sleep on the right side of the bed, you can casually open it up and your spouse will see the giant printed title on the front. Sometimes, I’ll just get the book out and leave it on his side of the bed. Once he was messing with me and acting like he was oblivious to my not-so-subtle hints, so I threw the book at him. The book is effective and hilarious."
"ETA: Sadly, we haven’t found the book since we moved. Fortunately, we’ve started communicating with our words instead. Words are just as effective."
– Flaky_Finding_3902
Save The Date
"I send her an outlook calendar event and if she accepts, IT'S ON."
– Dawn_Piano
The Signal
"You know when I’m down to my socks it’s time for business."
– SEA___BEAR
These couples find that verbal cues are best.
Now's The Time
"Honestly when we have the time one of us usually bluntly says 'let's go have sex right f'king now before we can't' and we go do it. Lol"
– brie1305
Option A Or B
"I have a 2 month old and a 2 year old. Some of the best sex we had was because I said 'after 2 year old goes down and if 2month decides to sleep do you want to meet in the basement' well she decided to sleep and damn that was good."
– Ahkmedjubar
End Of Day Reward
"We just ask each other tbh. We’ll bring it up earlier in the day so we build up the anticipation with each other throughout the day, flirt with each other, gas each other up. All that. Then when it’s finally time at the end of the day, we usually fall asleep cause we’re so tired."
"But the cycle continues the next day!"
– supermariobruhh
People continued offering their wisdom.
Afternoon Hanky Panky
"The trick is to initiate sex during the day. We are both too tired at the end. Plus hanging out all day after is somehow more rewarding."
"Same goes for dates. Have sex at the beginning the date, then go enjoy your time together without any pressure."
– drneeley
Kids In The Equation
"This literally happened today with my wife and me. We have two toddlers so we’re extra exhausted. Earlier today we had the sexy initiation of 'hey, we both showered today, want to have sex after the babies are asleep?' 'Sure.'"
"Then when the kids were asleep, and my wife and I were getting settled into bed, she asked if I still wanted to. I said if she wants to I’m down, but I’m pretty tired and would be fine without it. She said she was also tired and could do without it. So we kissed each other good night and she went to sleep. I’m just winding down on Reddit for a few minutes before I also fall asleep."
"I know this is boring. I didn’t write this to tell an exciting story. Just to share what married life is like for me and probably the large majority of married couples, especially parents of young kids."
– MolotovCollective
Shadow Puppet Technique
"Use my phones torch to shine a shadow of my member up against the bedroom wall."
"Kinda like a bat signal of sorts."
– SchoonerOclock
Mood Lighting
"Turn off the lights and switch on the red lamp beside the bed."
– SuvenPan
Reliable Visual
"Walk by him while taking my top off. He follows me wherever I go and it's been 30 years and counting."
– LisaBooHigh
Every couple is different, and usually establishing a strong communication bond makes everything else in the relationship–including sexy time–falls in line effortlessly.
I knew a couple who made a game out of foreplay and agreed that whoever got home first from getting off work at the same time got to choose the sexual position that night.
They may no longer be together, but I remember them recalling how that technique was fun for them at the beginning stage and it took the pressure off of establishing when they were going to have sex.
Don't take get too anxious about it. It's just sex, and it's fun.
There are a number of things people partake in spite of the known possible ramifications they have on their health and safety.
Up to and including smoking, bungee-jumping, recreational drug use, or simply bike riding without a helmet.
Indeed, even though they know that doing any or all of these things could possibly lead to their death, they do it anyway.
Sadly, even though many people go out of their way to avoid doing these things for that very reason, that still doesn't mean they keep themselves completely out of danger.
Sadly, there are a surprisingly large number of things that lead to an even more surprising number of deaths each year.
Frighteningly, these are things that the majority of the world's population does on an almost daily basis.
"What causes death more than people realize?"
When In Doubt, Call Your Doctor!
"Untreated infections."
"Your body will become septic, in which it essentially kills itself trying to kill off whatever infection one has."- cacarrizales
"Infections that are left untreated."- raptor-99
Tread Carefully. Seriously.
"Tripping."
"On average around 17k people a year in the US die from injuries incurred after tripping and falling."- EdithWhartonsFarts
When In Doubt, Don't Drive.
"Driving while sleepy."- latchkey_adult
The Handrail Is There For A Reason.
"Stairs."
"20 million severe injuries each year and at least 200,000 death from consequences of the fall."
"Both my grandparents died because of a fall."- OnTheGoodSideofLife
They Happen To The Best Of Us
"Fall accidents."
"Especially among the elderly, a fall can create a cascade of events that results in death, even if it seems minor at first."-AdmiralBofa
Never Rush Chewing
"Mozzarella sticks."
"Statistically the most choked on food."- SpecSanders
Never Skip A Check-Up
"High Blood Pressure."
"It sneaks up on you and you don't know about it or don't care but it's the underlying cause of so many deaths."- Fear51
Never Underestimate The Importance Of Self Care
"Stress."
"Your body can only handle so much of it and it’s labeled the 'silent killer' for that reason."
"With your high blood pressure and the 5 hours of sleep a night because of the stress, It will creep up on you sooner than you think."- DroppedDonut
Don't Forget To Floss!
"Untreated dental problems."
"A cavity left untreated can lead to heart attacks and strokes."- Lastalmark
Flu Season
"Influenza."
"Just regular old flu."
"Many people ignore it thinking it'll go away on its own."
"Globally the number per year is usually between 300k and 500k."
"In the US it can be anywhere from 12k to 50k per year."- PhreedomPhighter
Don't Feel Ashamed If You Need A Break
"Shoveling snow."
"I have two family friends pass from heart attacks associated to shoveling the snow."- JD054
There Are People Who Will Help You
"Alcoholism causing liver failure and it's on the rise in the USA."- Interesting_Drop8236
"Peruse your County ME’s records."
"The amount of people who die from alcohol is astounding."- hockenduke
Sometimes, It's Just Best To Mind Your Own Business
"Street fights."
"You watch some Hollywood blockbusters and some MMA fights and you think you can do it too."
"I've seen stories of a guy minding his own business and gets rocked on the side of his head. It disconnected his spine and he was dead before he hit the ground."
"There was another story maybe a year ago of a scuffle where a guy was stabbed in the neck and bled out to the point of being unable to stand within 10 seconds."
"Stop f*cking around, it's not worth your life."- Choiceofart
We never know when our number is up or how we'll end our days.
However, with a little bit of care and good judgment, we can at least likely avoid falling victim to all of the above.