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The period is called blunder years, and it hits us either in childhood or adolescence. Basically, it's a time when we think we're cooler than others find us to be. And later, no matter how much we would like to forget our cringey past, there's usually a photo or two to remind us of it. Some are sitting in family albums, some are scattered across our friends' hard drives, and while many try to ignore them, a few decide to spread their embarrassing moments even wider by sharing them on the internet, taking ownership of their previous silly hairstyles and questionable clothing choices.
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#1
Here I Am Winning The “Little Miss Piggy” Award At A Mud Volleyball Tournament In 1998
I was sprayed down with a fire hose afterward and wound up with hypothermia.
Teutonic Disaster 4 hours ago
With just her face in the header picture, I thought someone had taken their kid to Burning Man and then it rained...
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#2
I Was 10 When I Realized People With No Bangs Had Grown Them Out, Not Cut Them Off
George D 21 hours ago
Hugo Weaving as a child practicing his role as Elrond, as his dreams had foretold.
[>.<]/ 12 hours ago
I was thinking Dave Hill from Slade, but this works as well.
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Em Watson 12 hours ago
My dad used to cut my fringe - always in a ruler straight line and FAR too short. I grew it out and have never had a fringe since... some 40 years later 🤣 He also cut my brother's fringe the day before school photo day, and it was so bad that mam had to rush him to the barbers before school the next morning... he ended up with a #1 all over, poor kid. Dad was never allowed to cut hair again after that 🤣
#3
My Friend Has The Best Awkward Childhood Photo Ever
#4
I Show My Boyfriend One Picture From My Childhood And Suddenly Reproducing With Me Is Off The Table
#5
Glamour Photo From 1994. I Was 8 Years Old (Going On 45 In This Pic)
The Other Guest 20 hours ago
It is very much on par for Glamour Shots. They make everyone look like they're 40, whether they're in kindergarten or the old age home.
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Mark Stewart 13 hours ago (edited)
It's giving recent divorcee getting a confidence boost with the portrait vibes.
#6
My Family Dubbed Me "Fivehead"
My friends said, "Can you do a brainblast for us?" and "Looks like you have a lot on your mind" when they first saw it.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 7 hours ago (edited)
I can at least offer my experience....... at 43, I still have my glorious fivehead XD EDIT: I've tried growing my hair out into bangs several times, but honestly I look like shíte with bangs. I have accepted my giant shiny fiveheaded fate.
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#7
Apparently I Didn't Know How To Smile In First Grade
Blue Bunny of Happiness 14 hours ago
I still haven’t figured out how to smile in 50 years. I look unhinged in every photo.
#8
My Dad Always Thought This Haircut Looked Incredible On Me. My Mom Thought The Shirt Was Incredible. I'm A Female
2WheelTravlr 7 hours ago
I've scrolled to the bottom of the list and I'm still giggling at this comment.
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Teutonic Disaster 5 hours ago
It's kinda creepy (among other adjectives) if men refer to women as "a female" or "females" but it's also weird if a woman does it herself.
Roxy222uk 1 hour ago
But the word female covers women and girls, so she doesn’t have to say ‘I was a girl’ (which could be read more than one way) or ‘I am a woman” which isn’t relevant to being a child. 'I am female’ covers both.
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#9
This Is My Wife's Favorite Photo Of Me
Betty Spaghetti 23 hours ago
I love when kids haven’t grown into their front teeth yet 😂 it’s such a cute and goofy look
Load More Replies... Samantha H 14 hours ago
It is a cute pic and yes amazing eyes, would love to see pic of him now.
Kylie 9 hours ago
If only they had a run of these with then and now pics.
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#10
School Photo Looking Like A 60-Year-Old Librarian With My Cardigan, Turtleneck, And Thick Glasses. Date And Age Unknown
Was born in ‘89 if that helps.
Jennik 22 hours ago
My job in 1989 involved a fair amount of contact with librarians, many of them in an older age group, and NONE of them looked as old-fashioned as this!
Sarah 17 hours ago (edited)
I’m A librarian… none of us look like this. I work in law firm so it’s office smart wear. I do like that cardigan, cute buttons
Lady Eowyn 10 hours ago
I was a librarian. I worked at the BEP and then a corporation's HQ. Dressed nicely.
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Yora Belle End 5 hours ago
This redditor posted 4 days ago she collects her cats whiskers. Yep, thats checks out.
#11
Apparently This Was The Best Photo They Could Get For My First Christmas
#12
I Wanted Dreadlocks In Highschool. Mom Gave Me Braids
LakotaWolf (she/her) 7 hours ago
You sing that like it's a bad thing.... XD
Load More Replies... A girl 1 day ago
Honestly, that hair is so straight that even braids were a feat. I have hair that straight.
PeepPeep the duck 4 hours ago (edited)
There was a guy I school in 2001 who wanted dreads so bad he did this and then let them just grow into really tatty unmaintenanced dreads like the kid in boom funk MC film clip but worse 😂
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#13
In 7th Grade, I Didn't Have A Date To The Dance, So I Cut Out A Picture Of Brendan Fraser And Taped It To A Stick And Brought It With Me. For Real
I thought my peers would celebrate my ingenuity and hilarity! They...uh...did not.
Auntriarch 16 hours ago
Your peers were just sad unimaginative little blobs who had to settle for less
Samantha H 14 hours ago
It is a really sweet pic and outfit. Reminds me of when I was near to the 02 music venue (London) there was a K Pop band playing, a young lady of about the same age was holding a stuffed toy that had the Singers face and was kissing it, so perhaps things don't change so much.
#14
Today I Completed My Master's Degree. To Celebrate My Future, I've Decided To Start By Embracing My Past. I Present My Single Most Embarrassing Photo
#15
I See Your Friend's "Awkward Childhood" Photo, And Raise You Mine. Man, I Was A Looker
#16
I Blame My Mom For This One. My Sweater Wasn't Stained, The Photo Is Just Old
#17
Childhood Me Thought This Would Look Awesome. I Can't Believe They Let Me Take It
#18
Yes That Is My Real Head, No This Photo Was Not Edited
The hairstyle is not helping me at all.
UncleJon_TheMadScientist 21 hours ago
Looks like you're looking for Pinky so you can take over the world
#19
When I Met My Childhood Crush, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, My Face Was Painted Like A Clown
Oskar vanZandt 2 hours ago
That very popular child actor is now a 43yo man... Time does fly and it seems to be speeding up.
PeepPeep the duck 4 hours ago
This is the kind of feels you can’t comprehend if you didn’t understand the hype of JTT
Brian Droste 4 hours ago
Was OP going for a Raggedy Ann doll look? This picture reminds me of this.
Samantha H 14 hours ago
You were only a young child, I doubt he lays awake at night thinking about it.
#20
I Recently Visited My Sister Who Shared Her Favorite Childhood Photo Of Me - The Time I Married My Giant Stuffed Pikachu, Ricky
LakotaWolf (she/her) 7 hours ago
Did you ever play pretend or play make-believe when you were a child? In this photo, OP is pretending to get married to her stuffed animal. Someone in the family took a photo of the "ceremony", and apparently that photo is OP's sister's favorite childhood photo of OP.
Load More Replies... #21
Looking Back To My Iconic Fashion Choices
Year of the last warped tour, earlobe blowouts, Myspace, and getting bullied by the older scene kids.
Novacaine kelly 11 hours ago
reminds me of the time that i tried shaving myself this way i hated it and i became the trend in our school
Peripheral Visionary 8 hours ago
It's human nature. There's plenty of it on BP.
Load More Replies... Oskar vanZandt 2 hours ago
Apparently there are folks getting their stretched earlobes fixed... Not the easiest to correct.
#22
In Honor Of National Emo Day, I Thought I’d Share My Favorite Myspace Looks
Auntriarch 15 hours ago (edited)
Well there's an International Talk Like a Pirate Day (19 September), so I wouldn't be surprised.
Load More Replies... The Other Guest 20 hours ago
I feel like I've seen that green-background shot before somewhere...
Samantha H 14 hours ago
Love the wonderful coloured hair, I did that as a teenager and it was thought to be utterly outrageous.
Kid Murray 5 hours ago
In far northwestern Ontario, across the Rainy river from Minnesota there's a tiny town called Emo. I've never been there but I like to think it's nothing but emo kids. No adults, no babies or toddlers, just teenage Emo kids.
Stephanie L Thesing 4 hours ago
It was definitely the style at the time, I think they’re pretty!
#23
All Decked Out In Eyeliner And Angst, About To Go To The Local Emo Concert (2006)
#24
My Boyfriend And His Mom In 1992
#25
My Uncle Being Embarrassed Of Me Trying To Sip Some Soda In Public
This was at a Hardy’s in Michigan right after we finished a 10-mile bike ride.
#26
My 9th Grade "Graduation" In 2002. 3 Months Later I Was In Military School In Texas
I was obsessed with Linkin Park, but yes.
Mel in Georgia 1 day ago
My middle school son wanted his hair tipped. Salon wanted $50 to do it. I said - no way - I'll do it myself. Put him in a store-bought cap, applied the dye ... he ended up with SPOTS on his scalp. Paid more than $50 to have his head shaved and blond dye applied. He brings this up every so often as an example of what a bad mom I was. 😉
#27
Permission Has Finally Been Granted To Share My Wife's Glorious Childhood Perm/Greatest Soccer Pic Of All Time
LakotaWolf (she/her) 7 hours ago
Huh... wait. I have a soccer picture of myself, circa 1989, with a remarkably similar hairstyle. Lemme grab it out of the bin... XD
#28
1995-1997 My Dear Grandpa Showed This To My Fiance The Night Before Our Holy Matrimony
#29
Mom Asked Me To Model For A “Moody” Photo Shoot. Peak 7th Grade Me
#30
2004. Trying To Take A Myspace Photo While No One Was At Home
LakotaWolf (she/her) 7 hours ago
From a comment from OP on Reddit: "Pretty sure I was 16 going on 17. It was my first year in drama class. Drama class became an excuse to wear costumes."
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#31
Glad My Wife Changed Hairstyles Since Then
#32
Describe Your Childhood With A Picture. This Is Not The Worst
Mike F 19 hours ago
Those were hilarious skits, but the character gave me the creeps.
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#33
My Friend Was 12 Going On 45
Teutonic Disaster 4 hours ago (edited)
On the flip side, OP pulled of a mean 'Glenn Close in Hillbilly Elegy' costume decades before the movie was even filmed. btw, JD Vance, go eff yourself with a rusty morning star
Susan Easterly 9 hours ago
Don't let the sweatshirt fool you; no hugs given... don't even THINK about asking for one.
#34
My Childhood Picture
[>.<]/ 11 hours ago
First thing in my mind: I wanna talk to your manager!!
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#35
1994, Age 7, First Grade. My Stepdad Says I Wanted My Hair Cut That Way
#36
I Went To See The Easter Bunny While Sick With The Flu. Can You Tell Which One I Am?
Bi.Felicia 23 hours ago
Poor thing and hopefully no one else got sick, especially the Easter Bunny.
Chonky Panda 10 hours ago (edited)
Straight up horror movie contents, the left kid looks possessed by smth lmao
#37
6th Grade Was A Rough Year
Highwaytozen 12 hours ago
OK this one actually made me lol on the bus and now people are looking at me funny
#38
Didn’t Realize Whole Body Photo
The hair was a result of poor brushing during summer swim team, and I had to cut it off. Remember getting dressed that day thinking it was a top half photo, and I’d take the sweater off after the picture, hence the biker shorts. No idea about the gumball machine.
#39
I Had Liberal Parents And Tried To Rebel With This Haircut. It Backfired
Bi.Felicia 23 hours ago
She looks like the Cynthia doll from Rugrats, that belonged to Angelica. Iykyk.
Kid Murray 4 hours ago (edited)
And her frieeennnds, they ran so far awaaaay.
Load More Replies... Tyranamar Seuss 7 hours ago
I rebelled by refusing to dye my hair purple and dressing really normal. Drove my eccentric mom nuts.
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Laserleader 3 hours ago (edited)
Learned what Liberal meant. If she dressed like a librarian or business pants suit, she would have still made no impact, hahahaha. Love the shirt though.
#40
I Raise You All, My Sister's And My Most Embarrassing Childhood Photo. I'm The Unfortunate Soul On The Right
Brittania Kelli 13 hours ago (edited)
Someone tell the poor girl the saying is couch potato, not cr0tch potato.
#41
It's 2013, 14-Year-Old Me Liked Photoshop, Fedoras, And Space
It was probably the only image of "space fedora" on Google images. I hadn't figured out how to flip images in Photoshop at that point.
#42
This Was Me At 16... I’m A Dude
Laserleader 2 hours ago
You look a lot like my husband at 16. Long straight blond hair, round cheeks, prominent eyebrows, sweet eyes. People kept confusing him for a 30 year old women from behind with "ma'am" and he loved using a deep "I'm a guy" voice just to tease them.
#43
This Is My Wife Circa 1989, Bless Her Heart
#44
My Sister Asked Me To Post This For Her. She Asked The Babysitter To Make Her Look Like Ernie. She Loved Ernie
#45
My Wife And I Apparently Shared A Common Love For Ladders, Denim, And Bangs. Our Senior Years In The Late 90s
We actually met about five years after that. We grew up about an hour apart and she graduated a year before me, proving that this theme was universal.
Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 20 hours ago
Denim will never die. Bring back double denim. Triple denim.
megabeth 8 hours ago
What do you mean bring BACK? Canadian Tuxedo never goes out of style!
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#46
10th Grade Me. My Fashion Sense Dictated T-Shirts And Flannels With Sleeves Cut Off
Lee Gilliland 1 day ago
I am really trying not to bring out the horselaugh emoji. I really am.
Oskar vanZandt 1 hour ago
What's the use of a flannel shirt without sleeves when worn over a t-shirt?
#47
This Is What "Rizz" Looked Like In The 90's
#48
My 9-Year-Old Official Photo For A Tap Dancing Routine Set To "My Boyfriend's Back". Yes, That Is My Real Forehead. Yes, I Have Bangs Now For A Reason
Bi.Felicia 23 hours ago
🎶My boyfriend's back and you're gonna be in trouble. Hey la di la, my boyfriend's back.🎶
#49
2005, College Freshmen, Full Of Rebellion
#50
2007 Photoshoot In My Grandparents' Bedroom. Not Sure What The Inspo For This Photoshoot Was Or What Emotion I Was Trying To Convey
Note: this post originally had 80 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
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What do you think ?
Rob Stevens 1 day ago
pix like these make me happy that a house fire destroyed all the pictures of cringe-y little me (nobody was harmed in the fire and NO I did not light it).
Mel 19 hours ago
When I was 5, I had long hair basically up my b**t back then. A week before Christmas photoshoot when I started school, my grandma said she no longer wants to brush my hair in the morning (I'm no longer sure why she was in charge in the first place) and I got a bowl cut. There's still evidence and sometimes I do wish for a teeny tiny house fire.
Tyranamar Seuss 7 hours ago
My mom chopped off all my hair bc she tired of it looking "stringy." I actually have pretty thick hair. I think she was just jealous. I refuse to have short hair now. It was forced on me so much as a kid. I looked like a boy. And she dressed me in sweater vest and slacks everyday bc I refused to wear dresses. She wouldn't let me wear jeans. Or normal t-shirts.
Load More Replies... Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 20 hours ago
I am having more flashbacks of my childhood than every 80's tv character had flashbacks of Vietnam.
Oskar vanZandt 1 hour ago
Most of these weren't awkward, just st kids being kids... They think they're cringe worthy but not nearly as bad as the posters think.
Kelly Scott 3 hours ago
What do I think? I think I'm just glad I don't have any kids. Imagine being asleep one morning and waking up to one of these standing by your bed.
Rob Stevens 1 day ago
pix like these make me happy that a house fire destroyed all the pictures of cringe-y little me (nobody was harmed in the fire and NO I did not light it).
Mel 19 hours ago
When I was 5, I had long hair basically up my b**t back then. A week before Christmas photoshoot when I started school, my grandma said she no longer wants to brush my hair in the morning (I'm no longer sure why she was in charge in the first place) and I got a bowl cut. There's still evidence and sometimes I do wish for a teeny tiny house fire.
Tyranamar Seuss 7 hours ago
My mom chopped off all my hair bc she tired of it looking "stringy." I actually have pretty thick hair. I think she was just jealous. I refuse to have short hair now. It was forced on me so much as a kid. I looked like a boy. And she dressed me in sweater vest and slacks everyday bc I refused to wear dresses. She wouldn't let me wear jeans. Or normal t-shirts.
Load More Replies... Nathaniel He/Him Cis-Het 20 hours ago
I am having more flashbacks of my childhood than every 80's tv character had flashbacks of Vietnam.
Oskar vanZandt 1 hour ago
Most of these weren't awkward, just st kids being kids... They think they're cringe worthy but not nearly as bad as the posters think.
Kelly Scott 3 hours ago
What do I think? I think I'm just glad I don't have any kids. Imagine being asleep one morning and waking up to one of these standing by your bed.
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