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For many of us, childhood is a time we remember as happy and carefree—playing outside, causing mischief with friends, and hitting little milestones along the way. And while there certainly were some rough moments, they usually didn’t seem out of the ordinary.
But for these Redditors, childhood wasn’t just scraped knees and bedtime tantrums. They went through truly disturbing experiences without realizing just how messed up they were until adulthood. We’ve gathered some of the most shocking ones below—just a heads-up, they’re not for the faint of heart.
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#1
In fifth grade, we had a guest speaker talking about science. The speaker took a particular interest in me, he asked me if I would like to meet with him after school the next day because I had such great insights. My teacher overheard this and insisted that she be there as well.
The meeting the next day was awkward and he left after a few minutes. I never saw him again.
When I was hella h**h in my twenties, that came back to me and I realized "wait a minute, fifth graders don't have great scientific insights."
Yeah, he wanted to f**k me raw.
Thank you, Mrs Truman, for recognizing this and making sure you were there.
Xenia Harley 9 months ago
I hope this incident was reported so it did not happen at another school to someone else!
David 9 months ago
hard to report when nothing happened due to one smart teacher.
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Ron Man 9 months ago
Yep. Here's the thing about people visiting schools: Usually people like this cost money and schools don't want to spend money. So they skip legit people with things to teach or explain, and will bring in the people who are offering to do it for free. The people offering to do it for free usually have an agenda they're pushing or they want to diddle kids.
muntherqia 9 months ago
To say usually is not correct, most people have a genuin interest in teaching and enjoy to share with kids
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StrangeOne 9 months ago (edited)
Hash? Hush? Hath? Hagh? Heth Hesh hech hegh high. Oh high. Really BP REALLY???
LB 9 months ago (edited)
Can we say it in combinations? Highschool? ETA: apparently we can. Highlands, highlights, highway
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RELATED:
#2
1980, Grade 10, I am walking home from school. Standing at a busy intersection waiting for the light to change, a kid ran by me, against the light and into traffic and gets hit by a car. I was only slightly aware of it happening, I heard the crash then turned my head to see him pinwheeling through the air. He landed perfectly upside down, with a sickening crunch, directly on his head.
I ran over to him where he was facedown in the street, rolled him over and cradled his head in my lap, there was blood pouring out everywhere. I recognized him as a popular Senior who was on several sports teams, but I didn’t know his name. He was looking up at me from these incredibly blue eyes, with a mixture of shock and confusion. As I watched, his eyes went from bright blue to medium blue to dull grey as the life leaked out of him. His lips moved wordlessly, he made a gurgling sound then he went limp.
Sometime later the EMT’s arrived and after quickly searching for a pulse, they announced him dead, and didn’t attempt resuscitation. When they picked him up to put him on a gurney, the back of his head opened like a trapdoor and some brain matter fell out into the pavement. The EMTs gave me some towels to mop up the blood I was covered in, the Cops took my statement and I was sent home.
As I walked through the crosswalk where it happened, I saw the kid’s Adidas sneakers, laces still tied, one pace apart, not even knocked over. When I got home my Mom was initially mad at me for ruining my pants until I explained what happened. We never really spoke of it again, I largely forgot about it. No one got counselling in those days.
1994, 14 years later, my wife and I are watching Star Trek:TNG and there is a scene where Geordi is connecting some cables to Data’s head and when he clicks a button a flap opened on his head…….and I f*****g lost it. I was sobbing uncontrollably and I scared the s**t out of my wife. I needed multiple counselling sessions to handle the emotions surrounding the event that I never dealt with at the time.
Lyone Fein 9 months ago
Random things unlock past traumas. I’m glad OP went to get appropriate help.
JoMeBee 9 months ago
It's so incredibly sad that none was offered at the time of the event and a kid that age was left to try to process it on his own.
Load More Replies... StrangeOne 9 months ago
Therapy is so f*****g important. Where I am, in Manitoba, youth mental health clinics are free. FREEEEE. Yet, parents had been more concerned about social stigmas.
Panda Kicki 9 months ago (edited)
As a kid, me and my friends went up a hill and found the body of a boy, dead from a fall. If it was accidental or s*****e was never known. The adults gave us some candy and noone ever spoke about it.
Riley Quinn 9 months ago
I can't speak for all children who lived with abuse, but I learned how to mentally block entire episodes of my life. This survival technique is something I still unconsciously do, sometimes to my detriment. So, when something or someone or a scene in a show sets me off, I can't even explain why I'm fearfully reacting.
#3
My grandparents used to kiss us on our private parts to show how much they love us. My parents was raised in this behaviour too so it was normalized within our family. I also used to do the same to my younger cousins when we were kids to show how much I adore them. Imagine the horror when we I got older and realized what this really is.
I hate my grandparents.
Amy Lee 9 months ago
Shockingly common... But no less horrific. This is the family set up that eventually led to Fred West.
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Bob Brooce 9 months ago
Sometimes when a brother and a sister love each other very much ...Seriously, there's no way the parent were raised that way separately, just happened to meet, and got married. There had to be some sort of "community" connection.
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Crystalwitch60 9 months ago
Wait WFT 🤬cult by any chance that’s despicable ligit sexual abuse right there the very definition of it vile perverts need putting down !
Billo66 9 months ago
A lot of cultures have very odd customs but I don't think this is that. And now my stomach hurts. Thaks BP you were supposed to make me feel better. I come here to escape reality man. I get up at 3, light my hippy drippy candles, turn on the black light, floyd or doors playing in the background. Got my coffee and fat roll. See what I'm getting at. Posts like these dont fit my vibe lol. Please customize your content to accomodate me. Thank you. :)
BarfyCat 9 months ago
Weird cultural custom??? How else were BOTH grandparents raised with it???
nm (he/him) 9 months ago
BOTH grandparents were members of the same cult.
Load More Replies... FreeTheUnicorn 9 months ago
Both parents were raised that way?!? Since OP didn't mention a cult, this is just some fantacist b******t.
weatherwitch 8 months ago
I don't have words. To think this was normalised because it was common place.... 🤢😔
#4
Pretty much 95% of my childhood. First clue, basic training everyone was crying and missing their family... All I could think was no one is hitting me, and I have way less to do here than at home.
Then when my MIL made food for my husband and hugged him I thought that's weird and creepy... Turns out parents do that for their kids, even after they're 8 years old.
And well a lot more.
Lyone Fein 9 months ago
So glad you survived that. Please know you are a worthwhile and lovable person.
P1 No-Name 9 months ago
I hope you get hugs everyday, you deserve them, everyone deserves them.
Chihuahua Mama 9 months ago
This sounds like my mom's childhood. My grandparents were monsters
Deborah Gilbert 9 months ago
The relief I felt in bootcamp was the same. At last I was free from being the third parent
Rosecat 9 months ago
I used to always see my parents fighting, and I remember making a shocked Pikachu face when I saw ny parents just sitting on a bench eating ice-cream and talking normally, and I said something along the lines of "Wtf is going on here?" My parents seemed shocked enough to say "Imagine our daughter being shocked by this normal interaction between us" but not shocked enough to change. Now my daughter sees my husband and me kissing and laughs. It makes my heart happy ♥️
#5
The way my father taught me how to "swim" .
He never wanted me! Parents divorced.
He pushed me in the pool and walked away.
My cousin went outside and luckily saved me.
I can't wait to laugh, dance, and p**s on his grave.
I told him as much the last time I saw him.
F**k that guy!
Earonn - 9 months ago
Good. Don't hold back, OP. Let the truth out. And we will dance with you, if it helps, or play the music.
Strings 9 months ago
I've found that Monster coffee drinks tend to go straight to my bladder. Do with that information what you will
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Unkeptwoman 9 months ago
Me, too. Stepfather hauled me to the high dive when I was 5 and threw me off. Public pool, no one said a thing.
Sparkle 9 months ago
I read that the person wants to p!as on his grave that is giving that horrible human being space in your mind. I had a professor in college and he told me it takes more energy to be angry than to be happy or forgive. I was in a very abusive relationship and in that moment I decided to forgive and remember the good because I was no longer going to allow that person to have the control over my life I wasn't taking my life back. Anyone who feels this way remember that don't give him/her that energy. By staying that angry and holding on to it you are still unintentionally letting them control you. Take your power back and I have PTSD it's not easy but give yourself grace and the freedom to screw up and know that recovery has no timeline and looks the same. So don't say it's been years why don't I feel better? I'm a failure xyz because your not you only fail when you believe your a failure.
Christina R 9 months ago
My father did this when I was about 7 or 8 in the ATLANTIC OCEAN. I almost drowned until another father saw what was happening and pulled me out from under the waves.
Beth Wheeler 9 months ago
He should have been charged with neglect, endangerment and attempted murder.
#6
My dad’s friend drove to the house when I was home, told me he had a Nintendo in his car, and invited me to check. I told him no thanks. When my dad got home he said he had no idea who that person was and he didn’t have any friends come by that day. Forgot about it until my dad brought it up a decade later and realized that could have been a lot worse. .
Trophy Husband 9 months ago
When I was four or five, a group of us were walking home from school and I was in the lead. A car pulled up and the guy inside held a candy out the window and asked if I wanted it. I walked toward the car to take it, and my friend Ron put his hand on my shoulder and told me not to take it. It was probably 15 years before I realized that he saved my life. He and I lost touch when I was eight, but I found him again about 20 years later I was able to thank him.
Riley Quinn 9 months ago
Even if he'd been an actual friend, adults shouldn't be swinging by the house when kids are alone like that.
Jason Kennith 9 months ago
Kind of off topic and not that important, but why do people refer to Nintendo consoles/handhelds as just "Nintendo"? There is a very large variety of devices Nintendo makes, and it makes me upset when people say things like "oh yeah, I have a Nintendo, too." I have no idea what anyone means when they say things like that.
Charity Angel 9 months ago
I assumed, given the time lapse between OP being a kid and now, this is an OG Nintendo console.
Load More Replies... #7
At my local YMCA they would get all of the little girls (5-10) years old and have us gather in a room before swim class. We had to stand in a circle and undress completely and switch into our bathing suits. There was always a man watching us doing it. He was part of the staff but he was not the swim coach. When I look back, it seems like a fever dream.
SnackbarKaat 9 months ago
As little girls having swimming classes there was always this creep watching. Everyone just tolerated that. Nowadays we would call the police to scare him off
Ronna Black 9 months ago
When I was 11 (or so), i was very well developed for my age. I injured my knee while running track, My Dr made strip down to my panties (shirt, pants bra) so he could examine my …knee. Just my knee. Before everyone jumps on why my Mom allowed this, please note I broke generations of intergenerational s*x abuse. My mom did the best she could with what she knew. Dr meant authority figure, don’t cross an authority figure. Pervo p**o doctor….F you Dr. Sood.
LiterallyJustKen 9 months ago (edited)
I work as a swim instructor at a YMCA, and I can’t even comprehend this happening with the policies we have in place nowadays.
Cat 9 months ago
This reminds me of when I was in school. There were houses that bordered the school grounds and there was always one guy who would come out and watch when we were doing P.E. I went to a girl's school and our pe uniform had very short gym shorts with a short skirt wrap thing over the top that covered nothing, especially when moving around doing sports. He eventually stopped after he came out to 'paint his fence' (suspiciously little actual painting went on) in just his underpants and the teachers complained to the school. We complained many times about him watching us, but as soon as a teacher complained, someone managed to stop him doing it... It was infuriating
#8
When I was 6, I saw my grandma fill a syringe with some sort of medication in a foil cap vial. She offered to give me some and said, "It doesn't hurt." Being a 6 year old kid, all I knew was "me no likey scary needles."
Now as an adult, I regularly ask myself what the f**k she was trying to do to me. Mary Ann, you are not missed!
Midoribird Aoi 9 months ago
My first thought was: "Maybe she had diabetes and was trying to be funny." My second thought: "WTF made me think that?"
Joe Publique 9 months ago
In all probability, your first thought is accurate.
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Trophy Husband 9 months ago
It may have been an empty offer, a joke that she thought was funny but wouldn't have gone through with...
StrangeOne 9 months ago
Wonder what era this was. I heard the Mamas and The Papas band put d***s into their kids.
ILoveMySon 9 months ago
John Phillips absolutely did. MacKenzie speaks freely about it. I knew Genevieve who corroborated. Sad situation all around.
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#9
Mother wasn’t nurturing at all. One time when I was 6, I accidentally slammed my hand in the car door and it locked (I’m old) and I was crying and yelling because it hurt so bad. Mom was mad that I was making noise. Once she went back around and unlocked the door, she said we still needed to get groceries so I should grab some ice from the seafood section and put it on there.
There were multiple times where I’d fall rollerblading, bloody legs and crying, and she’d yell at me to get out of the house and not bring any dirt or blood in there. Never once hugged me after something like that.
It came to light during therapy when my therapist was like yeahhh that’s not super normal, would you yell at a 6 year old instead of helping them when they’re injured? Oof.
My dad is just realizing it now, decades later. He had a major surgery and can’t do much for himself. He said to me “your mother doesn’t have a nurturing bone in her body”……….yes dad, THAT is my entire childhood trauma in one sentence.
SweetCheesySpaghetti 9 months ago
Both my parents were like this. I always got in trouble when I got hurt - never nurtured. I was terrified I'd end up the same way - unable to show compassion to my child. Thankfully, I did not inherit that.
Snowkit 9 months ago
I am so happy that you were able to give to your child what your sucky parents never did. Sucky is wayyyyyyy an understatement, but I’m not aloud to cuss.
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detective miller's hat 9 months ago
Thanks to this brand of parenting, I have an absurd pain tolerance and can also remain utterly silent even when in excruciating pain. This has led to a number of incidents in which I most definitely needed medical attention, but ignored the problem instead.
My O My 9 months ago
I'd get in trouble if I'd "whimper" over anything (broken your arm? Don't be such a whimp over it!). So, same with the pain tolerance. I never know when to tell a doctor that something hurts. It's just normal for me
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Riley Quinn 9 months ago
Early in therapy, I was nonchalantly mentioning what it was like living with my mother. Her eyes grew large, she was shaking her head, and finally interrupted to explain how I was describing neglect and abuse. Several sessions later, she said my mother was evil.
Crystalwitch60 9 months ago
Some people shouldn’t have kids n she’s one of em poor op n father why on earth did he marry that inhuman 🤷♀️
Jeffery Gorgonzola 9 months ago
While I agree that some people shouldn't have kids, we also shouldn't judge people for who they fall in love with.
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Hemminsleifwa E 9 months ago
How could he choose her to be the mother of his children? He must have seen signs?!
#10
Didn't think twice about it because I didn't find out about it until I was in my 40s. When I was an infant my mom, who was single, would put me to bed in my crib then go out to bars leaving me alone. She claims she always dreaded coming home to find me dead or the apartment on fire or something, but it didn't stop her from doing it repeatedly.
Trophy Husband 9 months ago
I've known both children and parents affected by CPS in multiple cities and states, and in every case it was either well deserved but CPS ended up doing nothing or it was not deserved at all and CPS made their lives hell. So I can say that there is no case under which I would call CPS under any circumstances on anyone. If I literally saw somebody beating their child I would intervene, but I would not call those monsters. Until 2016 I would have said that that is absolutely the worst thing about America, it's amazing just how terrible things can be.
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Panda Kicki 9 months ago
Just had a case in Sweden like that. Single mum left toddler in the crib, at least 1.5 day of partying in another town until police picked up her drunk a*s and found out she left a child alone. Kid was luckily still alive.
Upstaged75 9 months ago (edited)
I like to watch police body-cam videos sometimes and it happens more than you think. There was one where a drunk woman got in to a car accident but had also left her baby home alone for the whole day. Another one left her baby in the car outside a bar for hours while she was in there drinking. Personally I think you should have to take an IQ test to get pregnant.
Load More Replies... detective miller's hat 9 months ago
My mother would just bring me to the pub with her and leave me in a booth. Then get wasted and drive us both home.
Riley Quinn 9 months ago
Parents who put their add!ct!ons and s*xüal urges before their children are worthless humans. Make a decision whether you want to be a responsible parent to the dependent child you brought into this world or drop them off at your local fire station.
Michael Largey 9 months ago
She could have brought a bottle home and drunk there instead of leaving her kid alone.
#11
My creepy uncle loved to tickle me until I peed my pants. He did this so many times that I was afraid of him. The problem is that I was punished afterward, because I peed in the chair or sofa I was on! No one ever once said a word to him! This happened from maybe age 4 to 8, by the way. I know other people saw what he was doing but not one adult ever stopped it.
Bored Retsuko 9 months ago
The model in the stock photo must be delighted to illustrate this a*****e uncle 😬
detective miller's hat 9 months ago
My creepy uncle şexually ąssaulted 3 of his 4 sisters. Those same sisters had no problem leaving me, my sisters, and my female cousins in his care for days at a time. He never touched us, but we came to find out later that was just because he preferred his own daughters.
Damned_Cat 9 months ago
It still amazes me how our schools, parents, and PSAs would always warn children about "stranger danger", but no one ever said anything about knowing the signs of a p**o in your own family.
Jason Kennith 9 months ago (edited)
Ticking without consent needs to be considered assauIt. The real reason we laugh when we're tickled is because it's a form of submission, not happiness. Parents, if you tickle your children without their consent, STOP.
Huddo's sister 9 months ago
My mum and brother did this until I trained myself not to be ticklish when I was about 12. Never any other abuse in the family, but for some reason my mum didn't see how bad it was. She has apologised since then but I still don't know if she really understands.
Betsy S 9 months ago (edited)
Tickling is a recognized form of t.o.r.t.u.r.e.
Load More Replies... Riley Quinn 9 months ago
My uncles and adult male friends of my parents were not creeps, but that didn't stop our black lab from attacking them if he thought playtime was getting too rough. I'd hate to think what that dog would've done if there really was a problem.
Snowkit 9 months ago
My grandpa loves to tickle us, but not for that long! Just like, 5 seconds. We love it!
CSC 9 months ago
Yes, that is different. That is not abuse and you find it fun.
Load More Replies... StrangeOne 9 months ago
A what? If you space out the letters Bp won't censor it.
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Celtic Pirate Queen 9 months ago
My daughter developed early. She had a small frame and large breasts at 12. We were having an after wedding party for my sister and her husband. Husband best man was a creep. (He was a pilot and there were rumors about him paying for kids in SE Asia). He was practically drooling over my daughter. Before I had a chance to say anything, my husband pitched him off the deck. His GF was aware of the whole incident and acted like a grown a*s man ogling a child was perfectly normal. Never spoke to them again. Even at parties at my sister's house, we completely ignored them.
#12
Not sure if it's f****d up, but I didn't realize how strange it was when I was in high school. My school had a dress code, and my freshman English teacher was a stickler for it. He was so concerned about girls trying to conceal spaghetti straps that he would make us take off our jackets/sweaters to show him what's underneath. It didn't occur to me until I was older that we were perfectly covered, why did it matter what we had on underneath?
detective miller's hat 9 months ago
it's a troll, and a low-effort one at that. Probably some 12 year old with nothing better to do.
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Ms.GB 9 months ago (edited)
Why is it always the English teachers? My English teacher said if you ever want to talk or go out and have lunch give me a call. I was 15. He was always trying to invite me to be alone with him. He also taught some college courses and was married to one of his students like 20 years his jr. He had a really s**y photo of her on his desk where u could see down her shirt.There were a lot of complaints about him looking down girls shirts. Some of my friends were in the front row and would catch him doing it all the time. He showed us a s*x documentary. Looking back that was EXTREMELY innapropriate and had nothing to do with English.This was in the mid 90s. They just moved him to another school. I knew he was a creeper even at 15 but every once in a while I'll remember something really innapropriate he did or said that I forgot about.
Patrick H 9 months ago (edited)
In the 90s, my high school decided to add a dress code rule that underwear couldn't be showing above your pants. It was a stupid rule, but the spirit of the rule was to stop guys' baggy pants or girls' provocative underwear from showing. Again, I don't agree with any of it. One of the worst teachers in the school was a stickler for these rules. One day in my trig class full of well-behaved students, she made everybody lift their shirts so that she could see if their underwear was showing. One guy had underwear showing maybe 1cm above his pants, and she sent him to the principal's office to be disciplined. I got pissed. His shirt completely covered his waistline, so no one would have ever seen his underwear if she hasn't made him lift his shirt. Two, his pants weren't baggy. He was wearing boxers which often ride up over the waist. So, I asked her how that wasn't child molestation, and she sent me to the principal, who scoffed and just sent me back to class. Fùck her.
Riley Quinn 9 months ago
I imagine that OP has received enough responses by now that she knows her teacher was a creep. Wish just one girl had the temerity to kick him in the gonads. The girls in my high school would've dragged him into the woods and tied him to a tree.
#13
8 years old having to drive my father across a lake of ice via ice roads because he was too wasted to drive, thought it was awesome at the time but now that I have a kid of my own I would never have her do things like that
17 years old got in a fight with my father again and he threw a chair out the window and ran after me, never ran so fast in my life after that he had a three hour long rage fit inside his apartment until the cops finally showed up and tasered him.
F**k alcohol.
Nimitz 9 months ago
Yup. I remember my dad getting wasted while out with friends somewhere, then he would put me on his lap to drive us home. One time when I was about 7 or 8 I started to cry because we were in a 60km/h zone and he thought it would be fun to go over 140km/h. Then when I begged him to slow down he threw me aside and slammed on the breaks. He told everyone my black eye was from hitting my head while on the swings. Alcoholic boomer parents, f**k all of them
Hidalgo 9 months ago
Alcoholism existed long before 1947 and that generation.
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Tanya Venter 9 months ago
My father hit my brother with a hammer on his head because he back chatted. My brother had terrible head injuries and had to go to hospital. I do not know why my father was not arrested. F*&ck alcohol and F*%ck you old man. I only ever told my therapist this. This was only one of the incidents in our lives. My brother passed away at 17. I miss him. I really did try to protect him.
Yvonne Dauwalder Balsiger 9 months ago
This is absolutely heartbreaking! I am so very sorry that your brother and you didn't get to grow up in a stable, loving home and that everyone close to you 2 completely failed you - surely family, hospital staff, neighbors, teachers must have been suspicious. I hope your brother rests in peace and that you found closure somehow. You deserved and deserve love and whatever happened was never your fault, not even slightly
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Motivated sloth 9 months ago
I found out my ex had my 13 year old daughter drive him 40 minutes home from Orlando. Traffic, highways, didn’t matter because he liked to drink more than keep her safe. Took her on a cruise when she was 15, he was drunk the whole time. Late one night asked her to leave the room so he could bring a girl back. He can’t understand why she is afraid of him and doesn’t like being around him as an adult. Oh, that’s not to mention how he bullies and terrifies his elderly parents. It’s not just boomers!
Riley Quinn 9 months ago
My mother was always telling us kids what a no good alcoholic my father was. And he did drink. A lot. But it wasn't until I was a young adult that I realized why my father drank so much. He was a laborer, working 10-12hr days, and he was in tremendous pain with no insurance to cover the necessary medications. So he drank until the pain stopped so that he could get some sleep and start all over again the next day.
#14
I was 7 or 8 years old when my neighbour (a trusted friend of my parents) invited me over to "have a piece of cake" while his wife was out shopping. I was in his living room waiting for the cake when his wife came home early. He made me hide under the couch and told me to run home while he distracted her because she "hated little kids." I didn't even think about it until years later when my brother told me about how the guy would give him sweets for letting him touch his d**k.
Ace 9 months ago (edited)
Was puzzled by the censorship for a second or three. I wonder if it works with the non-US spelling as well? Paedo, Paedo.
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Amanda Hunter 8 months ago
We do as we're told as chldren, then looking back we wish we'd done otherwise.
#15
When I was young my brother and I were at the bus stop. We got jumped. One of them was holding me on the ground while the other grabbed the biggest stone he could and was carrying it over to drop on my head. My brother fought them off until one had him in a bear hug from behind, and as I was wearing steel toed boots I ran over and kicked him right in the tailbone as hard as I could. We fought for a short while longer but then everyone left. At the time it was just another day as the ostracized kids.
Now it is: They were going to k**l us but we fought like h**l and got out of it. Adrenaline kicks in even now thinking about it.
Jason Kennith 9 months ago
I knew a guy who said he used to be in a gang in high school. They asked him if he wanted to help them jump someone, and he said no. They brought him to the bathroom, beat him unconscious, then proceeded to stab him multiple times with a punch knife. Poor guy had already been through enough. I hope he's doing better now.
Peeka_Mimi 9 months ago (edited)
Gang members jumped my brother and I was only 17 but kicked those boys butts. They left our family alone after that.
#16
My mom used to make me shower with her boyfriends, i was like 8 .... for a few years she had a steady stream of different men in her life, and she'd had me go take showers with them.... i thought this was normal till i was in my 20s.
Savannah Newman 9 months ago
I had a friend whose mother would sell her to monsters. Messed her up for life. Awful, awful human! She had a sister that was protected because she showed "promise" but my friend was used in that way. Makes me so angry.
Load More Replies... Motivated sloth 9 months ago
This is definitely creepy af. I wouldn’t even let my roommates uncle stay the night because I didn’t know him and my daughter was already asleep. She also didn’t know him that well. He was around her same age but they had only met a few times when they were younger.
Svenne O'Lotta 9 months ago
OP was 8 and didn't know the grown men they were forced to shower with! It doesn't matter what gender they are! What a sick thing to write
Load More Replies... #17
Not nearly as bad as a lot of people here, but I had to feed myself nearly everyday starting when I was around 15 or so. Family was well off enough but father didn’t care and stopped providing, mom was too tired all the time from working ridiculous hours saving up for the divorce that was coming. I taught myself how to cook in order to keep my sis and I fed, but for a while I didn’t have a car, only a bike, so it was hard to get groceries home. I ate at fast food restaurants most of the time.
One night when I was about to ride my bike to the fast food restaurant near our house, mom snapped at me with something along the lines of “you can’t just eat out every single night, it’s not healthy!” I asked her who was making dinner that night then… she was so busy all the time she hadn’t even noticed she stopped cooking for my sis and I a couple years ago.
At least now I have a huge passion for cooking, and everyone tells me I’m a pretty solid cook!
Gunný Petersen 9 months ago (edited)
I was 11 when I took over all of the housework alone + cooking for a family of 7 because my home was hell on earth and if not me then who?
Lyoness 9 months ago
What's with these parents? Our mother stopped parenting when I was 9. She just went to bed and didn't get up. My older brother (12) took over the bigger stuff like grocery shopping and cooking and I did the things I could manage like cleaning and laundry. I have.a very clear memory of having to jump up to reach the buttons on the washer because I was too short to reach them otherwise.
Load More Replies... BarfyCat 9 months ago
I also had to do a lot of cooking for the family as a teen because my mom was at work. My situation was not a b u s i v e though, as my mom would always plan the meal for me and make sure I had all the ingredients I needed. However, this led me to a lifelong hatred of cooking! Luckily I married a great cook!
Craig Reynolds 9 months ago
Situations like his are why the public school system needs mandatory life skills classes. The basics! Cooking, cleaning, laundry, vegetable gardening, basic first aid, how to change a flat tire.
Beth Wheeler 9 months ago
I was standing on a chair at 5 making scrambled eggs and toast and heating soup. My crazy a*s b***h sister who is 6 years older than me and was supposed to make food for me while Mama was working her a*s off. She didn't believe the neighbors when they told her that the evil b***h was abusing me until she saw bruises on me 1 day.
Svenne O'Lotta 9 months ago
Your 11 year old sister was supposed to cook for you? And you can't see how that completely unreasonable?
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#18
My dad kidnapped us when I was in 2nd grade.
We were supposed to be going to visit my grandparents (my dads parents) halfway across the country for a week with our dad. After being there for a couple of weeks (which we of course didn't notice being kids on vacation) we were informed my parents were divorcing, and we would be staying with our dad in our grandparent's basement until it was over.
What we didn't know is that my mom had NO idea he was doing this. He just... didn't bring us back. Then, she got served with divorce papers. The worst part is my older brother and I are technically his step children, and our sisters' half siblings, so he had no legal right to keep us from our mom. Somehow, nothing was done.
We ended up being there for nearly a year while my parents duked it out in court, and my mom eventually won primary custody of all of us and we got to move back home. I didn't find out the whole story until I was an adult!
Robert Cosgrove 9 months ago
Don't downvote him. Just ignore him, don't respond at all. He wants downvotes, give him nothing.
P1 No-Name 9 months ago
Involving children in this way is so unbelievably and horribly cruel, you want out of a relationship? Fine. But never ever involve your children in your petty payback.
#19
A few years back, my cousin and I were reminiscing about how we lived together when we were 4 in a rough neighborhood and our moms would have us play a game of “who can play on the floor”. It wasn’t until that moment I realized it was because there were gangs in our neighborhood and they wanted to prevent us from getting s**t.
Riley Quinn 9 months ago
I lived in a crack neighborhood for a while that would heat up when rival gangs came through. I developed a 6th sense when things were about to pop off, and I spent as long as it took belly-walking in my flat. Real shame, too. Gorgeous buildings, big beautiful units. It was eventually gentrified, but only well-paid professionals can afford it.
Maggie Fulton 9 months ago
When I was little, my mom paid an older woman to babysit me in her home during the day. I remember she taught me to watch the sidewalk because I might find some money. It wasn’t until many years later I realized she was keeping me from making eye contact with strangers. Not a bad neighborhood or anything.
#20
My sibling was highly a***ive in every way. My parent chalked it up to sibling rivalry and I thought it was normal for your older sibling to wish you dead, even to attempt k*****g you because my parent would just brush me off all the time, even when I was 11 and told her my sibling tried to suffocate me with a pillow and then beat me for crying. I was always made out to be the dramatic one or the liar or the sneaky one. I didn't know what Golden Child was, we didn't have that term growing up and if we had, I wouldn't have thought it applied to my older sibling because they were punished for their misdeeds unless it involved a***ing me.
I jokingly started talking about this to two women I was friends with that were siblings and they looked at me like I had grown an extra head.
Brazen 9 months ago
I feel like I could have written this. One of my older brothers used to put his hand over my nose and mouth so I couldn't breathe...all because he said he hated the way I laughed/was happy. He did a lot worse than that, but I'm not going to write it all out. This just makes me incredibly sad to know someone else went through the same thing.
Beth Wheeler 9 months ago
My crazy b***h sister would do that to me after hitting me and making me cry so I feel your pain.
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Joanne Hudson 9 months ago
I don't know what a***ing is. Can someone give me the *** letters pls.
#21
I spent 8 hours a day locked in a dark closet for ~9 months when I was 6. Assumed it was normal punishment.
(It wasn't my parents that did this, but the school they sent me to. My parents did not find out about this until years later).
Lyoness 9 months ago
How could this not come up? Did the parents never ask about their day? Seems pretty basic."What did you do at school today Jane?" "I sat in the closet. " But maybe these weren't the type of parents who cared.
Neb 9 months ago
I think it might be some kind of boarding school, where OP did not come home everyday.
Load More Replies... Hemminsleifwa E 9 months ago (edited)
So sick. Poor you! Did you fell asleep or how did you manage to not freak out?
#22
When I was 11 (1971) a man snuck up behind me while I was playing pinball at my favorite arcade. He was standing real close and kept putting down dimes so I could play more games. He asked me multiple times if I could feel that. I didn't feel anything except that it was strange he was standing so close behind me watching me play. every once in awhile he would press closer and ask again if I could feel that. (No idea at that time what that was supposed to feel as I could not actually feel anything)
After some time I said It was my time to go home and he offered me a ride. As he dropped me off across the street from my house he asked if I wanted to go to disneyland tomorrow and to meet him at the arcade after school.
As a good kid should I told my mom (Single mom 4 kids) about this nice man I met. She showed concern and told me that if I ever see him again to run away and come straight home.
I was in my 30's when I thought about this one day and realized I was super close to being kidnapped by a stranger.
I do wonder why he didn't since he had me in his car but I am thankful that for whatever reason he chickened out.
I hope he never tried again.
Crystalwitch60 9 months ago
He did ! likely had before to once a pervert always one one hopes he’s dead now n rotting in hell !
Johnny McFearless 9 months ago
Wait. Had before to once a pervert always one one? What?
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Neopet22 8 months ago
It sounds like they had a b***r and were poking the kid in the back every time they got super close to them.
Load More Replies... #23
I thought only rich people had clean houses. because our house was filthy.
StrangeOne 9 months ago (edited)
That's one thing I'm thankful for, and wish I wasn't such a pain in the a**e to my mom for this, she cleaned like the Queen was coming over every week, and everything had to be spotless and put away. Sometimes we were well-off. Sometimes we were living off porridge. My daughter thanked me one day and said she's glad I keep the place clean for us, after watching Hoarders.
Romy Rösli 9 months ago
That’s interesting. I grew up on a farm. My parents working outside all day and our cats and dogs entering the house with muddy paws I was used to a not so clean house. My mom did clean, just not so often. And we kids were lazy. I’m now grateful I don’t feel the need to keep my house spotless all the time.
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Hollerfloozy 9 months ago
I grew up scraping maggots off the plates to eat off them again. To this day I have a difficult time with cleaning. What would take you 20 minutes to complete will take me hours. I get so thorough and so nit-picky I can't let it go. This causes a lot of issues because life itself is "dirty". Shoes, animals, everyday life. Therapy. Lots and lots of therapy. And, no I'm not OCD. I'm just ridiculously thorough. To the point i get on my own nerves with it.
#24
Talking in chat rooms like club penguin or FarmVille on Facebook and realizing later I was clearly talking often to adult predators.
StrangeOne 9 months ago
I was suspicious of these sites. Even if kids kept the conversation only about the centralized topic at hand, I felt that was just too much information and too much room to let in the wrong people.
Kiss Army 9 months ago
I have a couple of teams on different games that have chats and we kick anyone who gives off even a hint of "questionable" out immediately but I am sure not all teams are like that and I'm sure there are creepers out there.
Load More Replies... Susie Elle 9 months ago
I always mention this when people fondly look back at 90's internet freedom. It was a free-for-all playground, and not in a good way.
howdylee 9 months ago
I grew up in the heyday of ICQ chat rooms. Yup, just start chatting with random people from all over the world! I remember one chat partner's username had Skye in it so I thought that person was a girl, my username had Lee in it so they thought I was a Chinese boy... we didn't chat much after the facts were revealed. I was never in a chat that was sketchy, or if it ever got weird I was smart enough to leave it. It was fun talking to people from all over the world.
#25
I used to have this creepy uncle who loved tickle fights so much he practically invented them. It was like a game show—“How long can you laugh before you start questioning your life choices?” He'd finish and somehow we would both end up n***d. I just thought he was being goofy. Now that I'm older, I realize.........
weatherwitch 8 months ago
Dear Gods....... The manipulation of these paedoes hidden in plain sight of the family is terrifying 😔🤢
#26
Watched the handlebars of a 4 wheeler go through the chest of a rider when it flipped on top of him. I rode my tricycle home and told my mom I saw someone die. She didn’t believe me till the helicopter showed up.
Kalikima 9 months ago
If you're young enough to be riding a tricycle, you're way too young to be out by yourself..
BarfyCat 9 months ago
It was a different time. It was the late 70s when I was a tricycle rider and I had the run of the neighborhood, along with all the other neighborhood kids. That was the norm back in the day.
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#27
Went on holidays with my dad and fell and broke my arm in the first hour. Dad refused to take me to the hospital all day and only the next day took me to confirm. I had snapped my arm. At the time I thought it was my fault but looking back I realise it was abuse.
Joseph Miller 9 months ago
Holy s**t! I am going to stop reading these. Too depressing. I'm glad that y'all made it out alive and some of you are going to therapy. Hugs!
Heather Menard 9 months ago
I broke mine and a week later the gym teacher called my mother and told her to bring me to the hospital. They had to rebrake it.
Jorie 9 months ago
I broke my arm at five years old and my father made me wait for 24 hours. He and my mom then took me to the orthopedist and he demanded to see the x-ray. A few years later, I couldn't see the board in school and he claimed I wanted to wear glasses like my mom did. He insisted on sitting in on the eye exam, and it turns out I was severely nearsighted.
Leesa DeAndrea 8 months ago
Same thing happened to my brother. We were on a camping trip and my brother fell and hurt his wrist. Dad refused to take into town to a doctor and told him to toughen up. The next day, my brother still in pain, my mom insisted he needed to see a doctor. Turned out he broke a bone in his wrist and had to wear a cast for several weeks. Why do people have kids if they don't really want them?
SkippityBoppityBoo 9 months ago
My first ever broken rib was at 9. The house we lived in was a new build and other houses were being built at the time. Kinda a childrens dream exploration area but obviously incredibly dangerous. We were playing tag and jumping across the open deep foundations for the future houses. I slipped, fell and was gasping sort of breathing after. My friend went to go get my "mother". She told me to get up. I did and walking back down the road to our house in pain following her and a different boy. They were ahead of me, she's chatting to him about school and stuff. She didn't ever take me to hospital, not that time or after unless an injury had been witnessed such as at school. One of my teachers at primary school noticed though a few days after but was essentially powerless to do anything. I left home as soon as I could. Legally Emancipated Myself.
Justme 9 months ago
I fell and broke my arm and shoulder when I was 10. I was favoring my arm and saying it hurt but otherwise wasn’t really complaining. The next day it was swollen, discolored, and I couldn’t really move it so my mom (who is a nurse) took me in. Thankfully the doctor knew me to be rather stoic and believed my mom when she said she hadn’t thought it was broken because I hadn’t cried about it like most kids would.
#28
I had a doctor and a therapist both recommend that I start taking antidepressants and my mom talked me out of me, said that the idea of me taking them was 'scary.' I lived with pretty steady s******l ideation until I started taking anti depressants at age 34.
I also had a Dr diagnose me with ADHD and write a scrip for Adderall. After taking it for a bit, my dad pulled me aside once and said "you may have your mom fooled with this ADD nonsense but you aren't fooling me, we both know you just aren't applying yourself and trying hard enough in school." So I stopped taking the meds cold turkey without telling anyone.
Peeka_Mimi 9 months ago
I was diagnosed with ADHD at age 50. It took the VA almost 2 years but I started Adderall in early February. It's a game changer.
#29
Teacher showed me her breasts. Didn't really register it at the time. It's like my little kid mind just ignored it. Remembered it the other day, I don't know how I feel about it. But does explain some things.
Feathered Dinosaur 9 months ago
When I was about 4 I had a teacher with huge breasts and they fascinated me. So one day while sitting on her lap I unbuttoned her blouse without her noticing it (I'm a straight female btw). She allegedly opened the door for some delivery man in this state of undress, which was very awkward for both of them
Pwhge Kfkfgnme 9 months ago
Yeah he was bringing pizza, I've seen the movie
Load More Replies... #30
In Junior High during gym I was going to get "pops" (corporal punishment) for "talking during gym class" (I was an easy quiet mark). The 2 coaches made me strip n***d and go in their office with huge plate glass window so every student could see. And beat me with a paddle with 3 hard wacks. This was around 1980 in Texas. Male student/2 Male Coaches. This is f****d up isn't it???
Beak Hookage 9 months ago (edited)
That's t*orture, straight-up. (Oh FFS now I can't use that word either? This is just getting ridiculous).
Crystalwitch60 9 months ago
No we do not believe in that n I resent the word boomer 60 I might be but seriously quit tearing all us older gen like that with the same brush as the few if your really lucky u might make my age one day ! but we ain’t boomers just normal older generation end off n we most def do not want that back EVER I was never smacked as a kid n I never smacked my now 23-20 yr old either no call for it
#31
I was definitely being groomed by a teacher in high school, but I was so shy I avoided him. Not because I wasn’t interested, but because I was nervous I would embarrass myself and he wouldn’t like me anymore. Years later, at 42, he married a 22-year-old.
Allen Packard 9 months ago
Gross. How can you be attracted to someone who is young enough to be your daughter?
Jnausicaa 9 months ago
Yah. One of those was elected President of the USA. Twice.
Load More Replies... #32
We used to keep lip gloss in the car for when we visited my dad in jail so that we could kiss the glass and he would kiss where the lip gloss mark was. We called it “jail lipgloss”😬.
I am the rat in your walls 9 months ago
depends on the situation, it could either be wholesome or weird
Ace 9 months ago (edited)
Definitely a bit weird whatever the situation. I don;t know enough about US prisons, but thought the glass barrier thing would only be in high security ones, which implies he did something serious and violent, so the 'wholesome' thing would also be questionable
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Julie Zugz 9 months ago
Ew. No. Imagine how many people have kissed that glass and how infrequently it gets cleaned
Robin Roper 9 months ago
I've been in these jail visiting areas; the glass and everything else is dirty.
#33
I thought it normal to get heavily beat up for not achieving academic expectations set by my parent and that it was a form of discipline.
Bobby McKee 9 months ago
I feel you on this one, my mom once beat me for bringing home a B on the report card.
ChaiT 8 months ago
My grandmother did this to me growing up. One thing that I still remember is when I was learning to read, I would make the “p” sound instead of “q” because, in my mind, they were the same. She beat me so badly every day that week when I got it wrong. Another was when my teacher wrote, “Very chatty in class but very smart” on my progress report. She put me in a headlock and, trapped my legs, and smacked me in the month for 10 minutes; my face was so bruised I was out of school for days when I went back (the bruises were still there, my teacher immediately took me to the principal, who called the police and CPS. My mom almost lost me and my brother, but I lied to the social worker because my grandmother said mom would go to jail. While not an excuse my mother was working full-time and finishing her Master so she was not around a lot we have worked through our issues but I am NC with her mother and have an active protection order against her.
#34
That my father brought me to the beach with a woman I didn’t know when I was 3. We were living in the middle of Illinois at the time. Turns out he kidnapped me and drove me nearly 2000 miles to his hometown. The woman turned out to be a 16 year old gf of his and he was married to my mom for over a decade at the time, he was 35. Him and mom are still together 24 years later and your guess is as good as mine as to why. My mom was telling me about this and told me the nickname the girl would call me and the whole thing flashed back into my memory.
#35
When I was 12 I stayed the weekend with some salt-of-the-earth, live-off-the-land, friends of my aunt and uncle in eastern Oregon (if you know the region, then enough said). They had many animals and all the animals had a job. The dozen or so cats kept the rodent population under control. There was one cat that apparently wasn't earning its keep and the dad had plans to k**l it. We went out with a rifle and caught it but unsurprisingly the cat freaked out and started clawing and biting and scratching the dad and all that and I watched while he proceeded to beat this cat to death by swinging it by the tail against a tree. I buried it with the son. Seemed like Farm Life at the time but it has found a way of creeping up in my thoughts later in life.
Jeffery Gorgonzola 9 months ago
I have a lot, that I would like to scream at the people who killed the poor cat in such a way.
Load More Replies... Crystalwitch60 9 months ago
Dear god alive I’m farm born n bred n in uk n that is NOT NORMAL , far from , what evil people nothing salt of the earth about those inhumans
Sunshine 9 months ago
This makes me physicaly ill. And so angry and sad and full of hatred for that disgusting piece of abusive garbage. I hope this waste-of-oxygen human suffers a slow and agonizing death. I know that sounds like an awful thing to say, but I can"t help it. My heart drops like a rock in my belly when I think of that poor cat.
Earonn - 9 months ago
A friend of friends of my ex got a rat - he always got a stream of new pets. The rat bit him (and it's actually hard to make a pet rat bite you if you treat them properly) and he told us how he threw it against the wall. They stayed his friend, I told him he's an arsehole. My ex who wasn't an ex at the time continued to see them for a while and returned to be their friend after we separated. They all think they are nice, decent people, but stayed friends with this c**t.
Offbeat Quinoa 9 months ago
Alright that’s enough of this list for me. Good luck to those of you who are reading onwards!
#36
I wasn't diagnosed with autism and adhd until last year, at the age of 53. There were times in my youth when I was yelled at and grounded for not doing homework or paying attention in class, poor performance, etc. Nowadays I'd have been diagnosed and treated by elementary school. I don't hold it against my parents because they couldn't have known, but a couple of my teachers were real d***s about it.
Gunný Petersen 9 months ago
I knew it! A very small pe%is issue and really needs us to know all about it! Getting a bit boring big bear.
Load More Replies... Betsy S 9 months ago
44 for me. Wonderful to finally have information to manage my life better with.
Load More Replies... Peeka_Mimi 9 months ago
I was diagnosed AuDHD age 50. Nearly 52yo and the VA described Adderall in February. My god is it amazing. I'm so much calmer and focused. This would have helped me in school so much.
Bored Retsuko 9 months ago
In my case, I think how could my mother know something was wrong with me when she had the same undiagnosed s**t? It's "normal" to her.
Jayeff Vee 8 months ago
Nowadays, you'd be lucky to have a public school to attend. And it's going to get worse. Go home, Elon.
Midoribird Aoi 9 months ago
Back in those days, autism had a far, far narrower definition of behaviors, such as just rocking, plate spinning, being nonverbal/echolalic, screaming, self-abuse, insistence on sameness, arranging toys in particular patterns instead of playing with them in "acceptable" ways. Milder forms of autism (such as what was formerly known as "Asperger's Syndrome"), were not recognized, nor understood, anywhere near as well, if at all. In the OP's comment, their age would place them in an era where the professionals were just starting to pull back from the idea that autism was caused by parents being cold and unresponsive to their children, or the idea that autism was purely psychological, instead of biological. Even in my own childhood, such children were seen as simply a bit quirky, loners, etc.
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#37
When I was in 2nd grade, I overheard a female classmate talking about having had s*x.
It may have been bullshitting for all I know but at that age people don’t make up s*x stories to look big like how a teenager would. I don’t remember thinking much of it at the time because I didn’t know the implications, but I look back on it now realizing that I heard a 7 year old talking about being molested.
Makes me sick and sad.
SweetCheesySpaghetti 9 months ago
My son (6 at the time) went to summer camp with a kid who constantly talked about having s3x. I had to explain to him that it was likely the kid was just telling lies to seem cool. My husband and I were positive that there was something going on at that child's home, but when it was brought up to camp staff they said they couldn't do anything without actual suspicion, and bragging about s3x was not enough.
justme 9 months ago
This isn't true anymore. A child who is obviously way too young to be talking about s*x is an automatic crisis call for any mandated reporter (teacher, nurse, doctor, social worker, police officer, daycare worker, camp worker, etc). Because it's a huge warning sign that the kid is being sexually abused. Otherwise they wouldn't know what that even is. Just sharing in case anyone else wonders about this. (In the USA)
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FluffButt Central 9 months ago
When I was an educator at the Bronx Zoo, we had a camper that hugged our only male intern. She then put her hands up inside his shorts and called him daddy. He freaked out, justifiably so. The other educator and I went to the head of our department to report it. She said there was nothing she could do. We were upset but it was the early 90s and camps weren't mandatory reporters at the time.
#38
I have a sister who was constantly in and out of the hospital and jail. In and out of gangs. Constantly lying and stealing. Has bipolar disorder and would have manic episodes where my mom would tell us to lock ourselves in our rooms and call the police while my mom was working. Police would show up like, “alright where is she?” Because they knew us and visited frequently. One time my mom and sister were arguing in the kitchen and my sister threw a knife that almost hit me by a little bit. I thought this was normal until I got older and visited friends houses where it was constantly calm whenever I visited. Then I was just too embarrassed to bring it up to my childhood friends when I found out it wasn’t actually normal to have these experiences.
#39
We lived overseas ( military). My parents ( mother and stepfather) were having major issues. We lived off base. My stepfather moved on base to barracks which sent my mother into a spiral. She threatened to k**l herself and ended up in the mental health part of the hospital. Which was also on base.
Let’s just say once their marriage fell apart my stepfather didn’t give a s**t about us.
My brother, sister and i lived alone for weeks. We were 16, 14 and 5( I’m the middle),
Nobody checked on us, nobody noticed. We would go to my stepfathers office to get money or have things signed. We visited my mother at the hospital. She told us not to tell anyone because she was afraid we would be taken away.
The only transportation we had was the school bus that took us from our house to our base school. So anything we needed on base had to happen during school hours, meaning skipping school.
Once we got dropped back off at home we could just walk to a local store if we needed something.
Once she got better she filed for divorce and we moved back to the states.
The deadbeat stepdad never once checked on us at the house. I’m SURE the only reason he gave us money is because when we showed up at his job he did not want anyone asking questions.
Peeka_Mimi 9 months ago
If his command had found out about that he would have faced an Article 15 and he should have.
Hidalgo 9 months ago
If the stepfather never adopted you he had no legal obligation to support you Stepchildren have few rights. However, if were in the military he could have been forced to make some payments. In civilian life, not usually
Ron Man 9 months ago
Not true. He was in the military and the military considers step kids dependents. Why are you even bringing up "civilian life"? It has nothing to do with the situation as this was military, not civilian. If he had done nothing, paid nothing, he would've been court martialed and likely dishonorably discharged, so he did the bare minimum.
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#40
We used to go camping in far north Queensland every year and when mum and her boyfriend would go out in the boat they would chain me to a tree in camp so I wouldn’t run away while they were out….. area is known for large saltwater crocs and we always camped close to the water.
Huddo's sister 9 months ago
OMFG! If you have to chain someone up so they won't run away, you are already screwing them up enough to want to run.
Crystalwitch60 9 months ago
Shudders at that thought ffs they left you like bait Literally ! that’s just disgusting vile parents
#41
I thought everyone got beat by their babysitters.
Just a boring person 9 months ago
Nope, those are 'creatures who prey on sufferings of the innocents'
Ms.GB 9 months ago (edited)
We had a babysitter who locked us in the garage. She also invited her friends over and I walked into my parents room and saw one of them going through my mom's jewelry box. I thought she was allowed to do that because she was an adult to me and I was just a little girl. My mom's engagement ring which was my favorite and she said she'd give it to me when I was older was gone along with some other jewelry and money. Now that I'm older that really pisses me off.
He's a nut 9 months ago
My babysitter( neighbour's kid) used to strip me then lay on top of me She also made my little sister scissor her every once in a while if my mum didn't take her(sister) to work with her. I thought it was normal and would look forward to it every day. Apparently it is not
#42
My mom would drop me and my sister off at school (age 5 and 3) and not pick us up until the teacher had to call her because it was past closing time and we were the only kids left waiting for their parents to come pick them up. she’d be in a whole different city hanging out with friends, thinking that our teachers would take care of us. my parents were divorced and my mom had full custody, despite neglecting us for the majority of the time.
Strings 9 months ago
I've seen a couple of instances where, no matter how messed up the mother is, the courts feel the child is better off with her...
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#43
Was at a boys and girls club, they had a big field behind it so they built this water slide thing. All the kids were allowed to use it (groups at a time) I went there from when I was 6 until maybe 11 or 12. This would have had to happen when I was on the younger side.
I was in my bathing suit and was running from the slide back to the beginning. A big older kid (weirdly I remember him being like the stereotypical neck beard looking guy) steps in front of me and I stop running. It’s just the 2 of us, I don’t see anyone else around. He goes “can I touch that?” And I said “touch what?” And he goes “That” and points in my general direction.
I just looked at him super confused and said “uh, sure?”
He reached down and touched my v****a. Ran his hands between my legs and gripped my v****a through my suit.
He then said “thanks” and ran off. I felt kinda weird about it but kept going on my merry way. Didn’t think twice.
Didn’t hit me until I was in my teens how f****d up that was, and how dangerous that was, and how I definitely should have told someone.
This was 20+ years ago so who knows where he is now!
Robin Roper 9 months ago
An older cousin grabbed me in the p***y for years. He recently died and I'm looking forward to spitting on his grave (where his ashes will be spread.) This same cousin once held my sister's head under water until she almost downed; she's going to join me.
weatherwitch 8 months ago
This is also why teachíng children about consent to being touched, bodily autonomy is so vital. Poor OP 😔
#44
I didn’t know girls weren’t supposed to have internal exams done at the doctors when you hit puberty, i thought it was just something everyone had to do. Didn’t know it wasn’t until I told my therapist about it in passing.
Apatheist Account2 9 months ago
Brings to mind that disgusting US gymnasts' doctor who thought every injury (knee, back, ankle etc) could be diagnosed with an internal exam.
Crystalwitch60 9 months ago
Well we do have smear tests or paps they are called in some countries from age 16 every three years to check for cervical cancer but other than that no that’s not normal
Petra D. 9 months ago (edited)
Only found out that the official orientation is from age 25 every three years for sexually active women in my 30s. Started having paps at 15, every year, usually by very rude gynos (all women)... In my country specifically that might be healthcare insurance issue. They are very interested in pushing all types of exames, so they can charge'em. (Not US, by the way)
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#45
Recently my husband looked at me and said, “Yeah there’s a lot of social things you clearly missed out on in your childhood and it shows.” This was after a family reunion we’d been at and we’d been joking around and he was telling me stories and such about when he was younger. It hit me pretty hard because I have very few memories of my childhood that have adults in them. Most I do are with my Grandma. I spent most my childhood chasing younger siblings making sure they were safe and having fun. But I mean I was six so where the heck were the adults. Then I remembered my first flight I was deemed to fly without a stewardess assist (I’d been flying solo with a helper since age three). I was 9 and my parents said I was good to go by myself. I flew out of Spokane, Wa (Dad dropped me off) had a 45 min layover in St. Paul, flew into Chicago with 2.5 hour layover with a connecting flight to Milwaukee where I met my mom. There is no way any of my own kids at 9 could’ve actually ended up in Milwaukee with two connecting flights. Plus I spent over three hours in HUGE airports by myself, it was terrifying at nine. I think I don’t have memories of adults because they weren’t there. I was just alone, doing my thing, making pb and Js and ramen to survive while my dad was driving semi and my mom was on benders. How freaking depressing is that?
Xenia Harley 9 months ago
How could the airlines even allow this? MANY people being neglectful here!
Christina Born 9 months ago
At 10 and 8, my brother and I flew from Dallas to D.C and back by ourselves. It indeed sucked.
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Melissa Childers 9 months ago
I traveled like this all the time until I was 10, including internationally. I knew where I needed to be and how to get there, and I frequently had a flight attendant accompany me from gate to gate. This was also when your family or whoever was able to meet your flight at the gate. (1985-1986ish)
Anna Drever 9 months ago
Our grandchild visits their other grandparents and goes by plane but they have you checked in and a special lanyard with your details. An employee sees you onto the plane (plus they keep an eye on you during the flight) and at the other end the adults have to prove who they are and then and only then are the children handed over.
Susan 9 months ago
I did this at about 10 flying multiple connecting flights through internationals airports and thought it was so cool that I did that. Now I would never let me kids do that. Also, in JFK airport I remember noticing a weird guy was following me and asked a nearby group that had kids my age in it if I could sit when them till we boarded.
#46
My nursery school teachers would tape our mouths shut if we talked without raising our hands. It was the 70’s. Honestly more funny than f****d up.
Kin ak 9 months ago
I'm more worried about When they removed the tape and if it hurt
Load More Replies... fzc8yxyj75 9 months ago
That happened to a friend of mine - must have been in the 90s. she started crying and thought she was doing to die because she couldn't breathe. Horrible.
StrangeOne 9 months ago
Umm.... no. I've ripped skin off my lips trying to use my teeth to tear off masking tape when I was about 6. Just like how I saw adults do it.
Damned_Cat 9 months ago
We had teachers that would do that in elementary school. A few kids told their moms and every last one of them (including mine) said that's what we got for not listening to the teacher. It was a bizarre time to be a kid.
Michael Largey 9 months ago
This teacher definitely deserved raising a hand to. Or maybe just a finger.
Apatheist Account2 9 months ago
Had one teacher tie the hands of a disruptive child with string, behind his back.
#47
One day when I was maybe 12 years old, I was home alone, and hanging out down in our finished basement, as I often did. Upstairs, I heard the front door open, and was about to call out to say hi when I heard something that gave me pause. It was my father's voice, followed by an unfamiliar woman's voice. I don't know why, but something about it just felt off to me. I decided to just stay quiet downstairs. They eventually left, and when my father later came home alone, I greeted him as if nothing odd had occurred. A year later, I started to become aware of the problems in my family that would ultimately lead to my parents' rather hostile divorce another four years later. I relatively quickly forgot all about that strange occurrence, and I never told anybody about it.
Fast forward to one day when I was 21. I had just gotten into a massive argument with my father. (Now four years later, we still aren't on speaking terms.) He sent me a rambling wall of text messages detailing all the ways he seemed to think my older brother was the reason for the divorce. I showed the text to my mom and asked for her side of things.
She told me that several years before the divorce —and six years before I was even aware of any problems— they started having their issues. Eventually they started seeing a marriage counselor, and with his help, they decided to try an open relationship. They agreed to seven rules regarding that arrangement, and my mom said that my father broke four or those rules within the first month. One of them was that they would never bring their other sexual partners into our home, and she said he broke that one *while I was home.*
As soon as my mom told me that, I was reminded of that unknown voice I'd heard nine years earlier. It's impossible to say, but I just have this terrible gut feeling about how well those pieces fit together.
#48
I wasn't given affection, really. Then as I got older, I would see friends bring out their childhood photos. I'm talking these kids had ALBUMS. Memorialbilia. Baby books, with their hand and footprints on them. The worse my relationship became with my parents, the more I thought about the fact that they didn't take time to do those things that parents seem to do. One day I asked my mother and her not having an answer sent me into some sort of trauma rage.
Susie Elle 9 months ago
I kinda feel this. My mom cared a lot about us, but for some reason, nobody ever told or showed me anything from my childhood. There must be photos and albums, but only my sister has the details about general information from that time. I do not. I never asked but was also never told. It feels like I was never involved in the family for anything, like an afterthought (which I wasn't, but I was alienated by my mom because of her own issues).
Upstaged75 9 months ago
I was born in the 70's (oldest kid) and my mom made 2 baby books for me. By the time my brother was born she was too tired for that. ;)
Susan W. 9 months ago
I am one of 8 kids. None of us had baby albums. I have only 3 pictures of myself. Siblings 7 & 8 have a lot more photos, especially of trips they all took.( I was older and on my own) I believe my Mom was too tired also.
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weatherwitch 8 months ago
I actually have a few different ideas about this. Your own parents may not have been shown or experienced affection. They may have been unable to show it. For myself it makes me feel icky and I can't stand being held or touched. Photo books, memoriable, hand and footprint stuff. You can do a paint print for nothing but the plaster cast ones can be costly. Photos were extremely expensive to print. I myself have none of these, no videos of me either. We didn't have the money. But it sounds like the OP is feeling neglected so more going on here I'd guess. I never had school trips, I've never been abroad. My clothes were from jumble sales. Sometimes circumstances affect these and as children, we're simply not aware of the more adult aspects.
Heather Menard 9 months ago
I don't have any pictures of me when I was little because I was the ghost child
#49
I did martial arts as a kid. There was some dude that also did it that was like, in his 30s or 40s. He was special needs and super sweet. Him and I got a long well because he was basically a giant 10-year old. One time, he put his hand on my thigh briefly. Long enough for me to notice, but not for it to really set off any alarms in my 10 year old head. However, after that, my mom had a talk with me about him and him touching me and the other adults seemed to be more, present, whenever he was hanging around us. To my knowledge, he never did anything bad. I like to think it was innocent and he is doing well because he was a really nice dude.
Bay Bo 9 months ago
Much more innocent than my preschool gymnastics coach...why is he rubbing me in my potty area and laughing 😭
Svenne O'Lotta 9 months ago
You don't think someone should have maybe told him then?
Load More Replies... #50
I never saw my parents kiss or embrace in any way. They were married and loved each other until my mother passed and my dad is broken by it. They were so in love, he is still broken years on. I just never saw any visual or auditory affection. It has shaped the way I show love, which is muted and is a problem. I am not open, I try really hard to say it but I am bad at it. I come off as awkward and “forced”. My wife’s family is/was very open and she just does not get it.
Julian Smith 9 months ago
Same here, but lucky I had a few "practice" relationships before getting married.
The challenges faced by Buzz when trying to get his tattoo resonate with the struggles shared by some Redditors who later realized their childhood experiences were more extraordinary than ordinary skinned knees or temper tantrums. This parallel offers a glimpse into how individuals with different backgrounds often face unique barriers, whether it be in pursuing a dream or recognizing past trauma.
For those interested in how determination can overcome societal barriers, exploring the story of Buzz's meaningful journey might offer insight.
#51
When I was 9 years old, I was hanging out with some friends. It was late and there was a drunk guy walking home. One of my friends said something dumb (I don’t remember what it was). The drunk guy turned around, pulled a gun and pointed it us. He was within 5-10 fret from us. We froze for a second, he put the gun away and walked away. We then laughed about it and continued being kids. This was not in the United States. Now that I think about it, it was incredibly dangerous.
#52
I went into a local bar as an adult for the first time and knew the layout. I remembered it from when I was a kid. Would end up here every day dad picked me up from kindergarten. .
#53
My dad watching p**n in front of me.
I never thought about it too much then one day I was watching something with a bedroom scene and the penny dropped on how weird that was of him.
Feathered Dinosaur 9 months ago
When I was a kid in the 90s I was nosing around and found a stash of pörn magazines and videos my dad had thought well hidden in his closet. I was very curious about s**y stuff back then and of course had to look through them lol. I don't think it harmed me though
#54
I was 7 walking around with an entire football tumor in my abdomen. Check on your kids who don’t like to cuddle or be touched…we might be growing s**t.
Craig S. (EvilSausage) 9 months ago
Another reason why a kid might not want to be touched is because of sexual abuse.
#55
When I was in kindergarten/preschool my babysitter (14+ ish) used to have me stick things in her lady pocket. Vivid memories of it. One of them was a blue plastic thermometer from a literal kids toy doctor kit.
#56
Someone at some point told me worm reproduce by being ripped in half. So I spent a worrying amount of my childhood finding and ripping worms in half, thinking I was helping them.
Adults would ask me why I was ripping them in half, I would tell them, but no one, not a single soul, thought to tell me I was actually k*****g them.
When I grew up and asked why no one stopped me all I got were shrugs.
Huddo's sister 9 months ago
Probably thought it was normal little boy behaviour themselves. Slugs and snails and puppy dog tails, that's what little boys are made of.
#57
Thought my grandma was just eccentric growing up as she taught art for 30 years and loved shopping. Every room in her house was filled to the brim with junk to the point you couldn’t sit down. She was a hoarder. Now my parents’ house is getting messy as furniture “flippers” in their retirement and I’m growing concerned.
#58
I was supposed to be in bed. Parents had friends over. I came quietly halfway down the stairs and could see a lady sticking her nose into a pile of white powder on the dining room table. Went back to bed. .
Kalikima 9 months ago
I once found a mirror and a straw in the living room when I was 8. Didn't know what it was for, showed it to my mom who got pissed for no reason I could understand. Turns out when all us kids went to sleep, the adults (mom, moms bf, uncle, his wife, and friends) would all do coke after the kids went to sleep, and someone forgot to clean up afterwards. I spent most of my childhood thinking weed made you crazy cuz they openly smoked that in front of us, turned out my mom and family were all on coke (it was the 80s) and that's what was making everyone insane. I broke up with a nice bf when I was 17 cuz he smoked and it scared the hẹll outta me that he was going to act like them. It wasn't until I was 20 that a good friend I trusted told me it wasn't anything to fear, and got me to try it.
LinkTheHylian 9 months ago
Weird attempt at a joke, or plot twist and now you're a coke fiend?
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#59
I was 5 years old when a kindergarten teacher (close friend of my mom) kiss me in the mouth and use her tongue to play with mine.
#60
Watched my friends neighbors perform a ritualistic goat sacrifice in their front yard from the back of his dads truck. I will say I thought it was messed up as a kid too but I really think it’s f****d up now seeing as they had their kids with them.
ghost gurl 9 months ago
Satanists dont believe in harming animals. Go read a book.
Load More Replies... #61
Catholic school beatings. Wasn't Catholic so I feel like they laid it on a little thick.
Crystalwitch60 9 months ago
Catholics are the worst for child abuse including pervert priests to n cruel nuns ! all in the name of religion like ok then nope it’s f**k all to do with religion it’s down to inhuman abusers.
Kiss Army 9 months ago (edited)
Just last night, I watched an episode of "Cold Case Files" (The Devil in Disguise, Season 2 Episode 6) about a Catholic priest (John Bernard Feit) who m u r d e r e d 23-year-old teacher Irene Garza on April 16, 1960 and it was covered up by the church and the police. He was arrested in 2016 at the age of 83 and convicted of murder on December 7, 2017. The next day was sentenced to life imprisonment. Feit died in prison in February 2020.
#62
I went to the bathroom on Thanksgiving and saw my uncle in there with his hand in the toilet bowl and a brown stain around his mouth. I laughed at him and thought he was being a goofball like always. It wasn’t until years later that I realized he’d been eating turds someone else in my family had left in there.
Crystalwitch60 9 months ago
🤢🤢🤢🤢freak ! hate that word but sorry it fits perfectly here he so wasn’t right was he
Cammy Mack 9 months ago
Give the guy a break, he was obviously just seeding his digestive system with new gut flora. You know, on second thought, yogurt might have been the way to go...
#63
Getting kidnapped from our front yard by two teens who coaxed me and my older brother with video games and a puppy at their house. Was abandoned in a field a few hours later and found by police when we couldn't keep up with walking. Was four years old at that time.
Crystalwitch60 9 months ago
That happened to 2 yr old James bulger 20 odd yrs ago only he wasn’t so lucky his kidnappers where 10-11 awful awful thing to happen so glad you where found safe n alive x
#64
I was in my early teens, with completely unfettered access to the Wild West that was early '00s internet (think "A/S/L?" chat room days). I got into some SHADY s**t online. I was involved in things I wouldn't do *as an adult* but I was a dumb kid.
Xenia Harley 9 months ago
I was teaching in middle school during the 00's and 2010's. I had to talk to teens all the time about not talking to people on the internet and that they could not trust some "teen" guy wanting to meet them at the mall. Kids are very naive sometimes too!
#65
I thought everyone did d***s with the adults in their families.
#66
Ate glue, thought it was frosting.
#67
My gran undermined my mum constantly by giving me snacks and food when I shouldn’t have had them, and asking me not to tell her. Guess who got diagnosed with an eating disorder in their early twenties?
What do you think ?
Gavin Johnson 9 months ago
Some of these are so far out of my frame of reference that I almost can’t comprehend how messed up they are. I can’t begin to imagine how much they must have damaged the individuals involved or how evil the adults must be.
Crystalwitch60 9 months ago
Or me they are all bloody awful n just NO , n I thought my childhood was messed up seems I got away lightly with my father killing my mum when I was 8 mths old n blaming me all my life till I was 46 n found out the truth always hated him just never knew why till then but wow these are messed up big time
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liam newton-harding 9 months ago
@BP, you might might want to reach out to Big Bear Buchko, that little boy is lashing out, and externalizing a lot of deep seated self-hatred, and fear, especially in an article devoted to childhood trauma. Really, you should extend a hand, and tell the lil’fella it’s gonna be all bright, and he can talk to the police, no matter what his abusive daddy tells him. Seriously, BP, help the scared lil’guy.
Little Bit 9 months ago
I was 11 when my uncle started SA me. He would invite me to sit on his knee and he would touch me in intimate places. When I asked him to stop tickling me he would say, "I'm not tickling you." I had been brought up to basically do as I was told so I knew I would be punished if I didn't do as he asked. He was a well known, well loved and well respected member of the community and although I knew it was wrong I didn't dare speak up for fear of not being believed. To this day none of my family know about this. When I was 16 I got a weekend job in a launderette. One day the boss took me into the back and S assaulted me. I remember it like it was yesterday and it made me feel so filthy and dirty. Again I didn't speak up for fear of not being believed. I have never told anybody about this. When I was 17 I met a guy who treated me like a princess at first, then abused me, beat me, r***d me. Because of what had happened to me in the past I just thought that all men must be like this and it
Little Bit 9 months ago
must be normal so for years I shut up and put up. I was in my mid 20s before I finally met someone who treated me like a human being and not a s*x object.
Load More Replies... Shane S 9 months ago
Church Camp took us to a YMCA-type activity center. The showers were round and a long line of kids filed out though the locker rooms. One man stood full frontal and made eye contact with us as we passed. Thought it was normal as a kid and he was just showering. Looking back, most people probably would have turned their back, ended their shower, or at the very least not make eye contact. Maybe in other places it would not be so awkward but in the Bible Belt of the US, any n*dity is highly s*xualized. I’m convinced he knew what he was doing and it wasn’t innocent.
Julia H 9 months ago
When i was growing up our main meals were boxed mac n cheese or bisquick pancakes...for dinner, because the food was cheap. While it might sound like a treat, it was almost nightly. My mother would always cook herself a steak, because she needed it. She also bought herself summer fruits that we couldn't touch. At the times when we got meat, she got the best part of the chuck steak. While I got the part with bone chips which were not cleaned off. I thought it was normal until adulthood. Kids should always come first. If there's special food, they should get the nutrition.
Ellinor 9 months ago
When I was going on vacations at my father's house (I was about 6/8 years old), I would spend most of the time alone in his apartment while he was working. But hey it was nice, I could eat all the cakes and nutella I wanted and never eat any vegetables, drink only soda, watch TV all day, never bathe or brush my teeth, I had no bedtime and could stay awake all night and play with his Ipad until 2 in the morning... I thought at that time that my father was the coolest and my mother was the worst. And now that I am an adult, I realise that he neglected me and that my mother was the one parenting.
Quarkbeast 9 months ago
I honestly could not follow all of these stories due to the censoring of certain words. Seriously BP, this is making the stories unintelligible and really getting on my nerves.
Gavin Johnson 9 months ago
Some of these are so far out of my frame of reference that I almost can’t comprehend how messed up they are. I can’t begin to imagine how much they must have damaged the individuals involved or how evil the adults must be.
Crystalwitch60 9 months ago
Or me they are all bloody awful n just NO , n I thought my childhood was messed up seems I got away lightly with my father killing my mum when I was 8 mths old n blaming me all my life till I was 46 n found out the truth always hated him just never knew why till then but wow these are messed up big time
Load More Replies... liam newton-harding 9 months ago
@BP, you might might want to reach out to Big Bear Buchko, that little boy is lashing out, and externalizing a lot of deep seated self-hatred, and fear, especially in an article devoted to childhood trauma. Really, you should extend a hand, and tell the lil’fella it’s gonna be all bright, and he can talk to the police, no matter what his abusive daddy tells him. Seriously, BP, help the scared lil’guy.
Little Bit 9 months ago
I was 11 when my uncle started SA me. He would invite me to sit on his knee and he would touch me in intimate places. When I asked him to stop tickling me he would say, "I'm not tickling you." I had been brought up to basically do as I was told so I knew I would be punished if I didn't do as he asked. He was a well known, well loved and well respected member of the community and although I knew it was wrong I didn't dare speak up for fear of not being believed. To this day none of my family know about this. When I was 16 I got a weekend job in a launderette. One day the boss took me into the back and S assaulted me. I remember it like it was yesterday and it made me feel so filthy and dirty. Again I didn't speak up for fear of not being believed. I have never told anybody about this. When I was 17 I met a guy who treated me like a princess at first, then abused me, beat me, r***d me. Because of what had happened to me in the past I just thought that all men must be like this and it
Little Bit 9 months ago
must be normal so for years I shut up and put up. I was in my mid 20s before I finally met someone who treated me like a human being and not a s*x object.
Load More Replies... Shane S 9 months ago
Church Camp took us to a YMCA-type activity center. The showers were round and a long line of kids filed out though the locker rooms. One man stood full frontal and made eye contact with us as we passed. Thought it was normal as a kid and he was just showering. Looking back, most people probably would have turned their back, ended their shower, or at the very least not make eye contact. Maybe in other places it would not be so awkward but in the Bible Belt of the US, any n*dity is highly s*xualized. I’m convinced he knew what he was doing and it wasn’t innocent.
Julia H 9 months ago
When i was growing up our main meals were boxed mac n cheese or bisquick pancakes...for dinner, because the food was cheap. While it might sound like a treat, it was almost nightly. My mother would always cook herself a steak, because she needed it. She also bought herself summer fruits that we couldn't touch. At the times when we got meat, she got the best part of the chuck steak. While I got the part with bone chips which were not cleaned off. I thought it was normal until adulthood. Kids should always come first. If there's special food, they should get the nutrition.
Ellinor 9 months ago
When I was going on vacations at my father's house (I was about 6/8 years old), I would spend most of the time alone in his apartment while he was working. But hey it was nice, I could eat all the cakes and nutella I wanted and never eat any vegetables, drink only soda, watch TV all day, never bathe or brush my teeth, I had no bedtime and could stay awake all night and play with his Ipad until 2 in the morning... I thought at that time that my father was the coolest and my mother was the worst. And now that I am an adult, I realise that he neglected me and that my mother was the one parenting.
Quarkbeast 9 months ago
I honestly could not follow all of these stories due to the censoring of certain words. Seriously BP, this is making the stories unintelligible and really getting on my nerves.
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