How Did We Think These Things Were Real?
It's safe to say we all had wild imaginations when we were kids. From believing in characters like Santa and the Easter Bunny to thinking gum would stay in our stomachs forever, we sure didn't question much when we were young. Here are 20 of some of the most ridiculous things we never second-guessed.
1. Santa Claus
We all love the spirit of Christmas and what this festive holiday brings, but really? Thinking that a big old man would jump down our chimneys, give us free gifts, and magically fly away? Definitely not in this economy! While it's a sweet myth that introduces the idea of giving to our children, it's pretty hilarious thinking back on how we once believed it too.
2. Flying Reindeer
And to top things off, it's funny thinking Santa was being carried by magical reindeer that would fly across the entire world on Christmas night - not even airplanes can go that fast! While that's already crazy enough, we can't forget to point out Rudolph, our beloved leader that supposedly has a bright red nose.
3. The Tooth Fairy
If you really think about it, does it make much sense that a flying fairy is traveling around the world collecting kids' teeth? What would she even do with them all? We were all just too focused on making a quick buck or two that we didn't realize the craziness of it all.
4. Swallowing Gum Lasts Forever
Remember being told never to swallow gum because it'll stay in your tummy forever? While it might take longer to digest than other foods, don't worry, it'll pass through your system within a few days. It was just a way for parents to protect their kids from a choking hazard.
5. Cooties
Every kid was always terrified of catching cooties despite not knowing what it was. And to be honest, there's no real answer. It's just some made up disease children thought they would catch, particularly when touching the opposite gender or someone they disliked.
6. The Easter Bunny
While we love the idea of a bunny hopping around everywhere hiding chocolate eggs for children to find, at the end of the day, bunnies are just bunnies. It's just a fun little legend that makes Easter more exciting and fun for the kids.
7. Storks Carried Babies
Before kids are old enough to learn about the birds and the bees, it's just easier telling them they were carried by storks to their parents. No one wants to get into the thick of it, meaning you might as well pass on a cute story they'll believe till they're older.
8. Teachers Sleep At School
For kids, teachers were always associated with school, meaning they didn't have a life outside of it. It was common for young students to believe they even slept at school because obviously, where else would they be?
9. Sitting Close To The TV Will Make You Go Blind
While yes, sitting close to the TV won't do anything good for your eyes, you certainly won't go blind because of it. Telling such a tall tale just makes it easier for the kids to believe. After all, no one wants to risk losing their vision over something so silly!
10. Cracking Your Knuckles Is Bad
No matter how much you wanted to crack your knuckles as a kid, we bet you held back as hard as you could. Why? Because you were probably told that it was bad for you, maybe even hearing that it could give you arthritis. In reality, it causes you no such harm or pain!
11. Eating Carrots Gives You Night Vision
Although it's true that carrots can help improve your overall eyesight, getting night vision from it is a bit of a stretch. And we're sure this is something you realized as a kid yourself - no matter how many you ate, you just weren't getting any better at seeing in the dark.
12. Chocolate Milk Comes From Brown Cows
This hilarious belief just made sense as a child! How could milk possibly be chocolate colored and flavored? Hearing that it came from brown cows just seemed to click when we were young. While we're wiser now, it did seem pretty believable!
13. Crossing Your Eyes Will Get Them Stuck
Any time we saw someone cross their eyes, we'd immediately shout out in fear, "Don't do it! Your eyes will get stuck!" The genuine worry we'd feel that someone would be crossed-eye forever was so strong. After all, no one wants to end up that way after making a simple mistake.
14. Candy Makes You Unbelievably Hyper
Many were taught to believe that eating candy instantly makes them hyper and act differently but this is just a myth. While sugar will temporarily give you an energy boost (only to take a sharp drop soon after), it won't make you go crazy. Maybe it's just a placebo at this point?
15. We Only Use A Little Bit Of Our Brains
Ever heard of the childhood myth "we only use 10% of our brains everyday?" Yeah, that's a lie. All parts of our brain are constantly working together to make things happen. Maybe we wanted to believe we had some hidden, untapped potential, but sorry, it's simply not true.
16. The World Used To Be Black & White
We know color TV and photos were a thing of the past, but some kids took it one step further in believing that the whole world was once colorless. It was hard to wrap your head around not seeing color on a screen, meaning the only possible answer was color just didn't exist, right?
17. Dogs Were Male & Cats Were Female
From all these myths we believed as kids, it seems like we didn't quite understand the meaning of gender back then. So much so that some kids believe all dogs were male and all cats were female. It likely has to do with stereotypes and what we perceived as being feminine and masculine.
18. You Can't Swim After Eating
We're pretty sure you've heard of the rule, "No swimming 30 minutes after eating!" Turns out, there's no legitimate evidence proving that you'll get a cramp and put yourself in danger. You should just trust how your body is feeling.
19. Shaving Your Hair Makes It Grow Back Thicker
To all the kids who refused shaving their hair because they were worried it would come back thicker - sorry, you were lied to. It doesn't grow faster and there's no actual change in the way it grows back! It's time to shave without fear.
20. Newborn Siblings Came With Presents
If you had a sibling born while you were also a child, we bet you fully believed that they showed up at your door with a present in hand. Of course, parents do this so you get a first good impression of them, so how were you supposed to know?
