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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Apparently I Didn't Know How To Smile In First Grade
I still haven’t figured out how to smile in 50 years. I look unhinged in every photo.
Ha. This is particularly me at the DMV trying not to blink for my driver's license picture.
Load More Replies...I Show My Boyfriend One Picture From My Childhood And Suddenly Reproducing With Me Is Off The Table
With that adorable cute-as-a-button nose and that full head of hair any kid/mom would happy with? He's an idiot. Better he doesn't reproduce!!
My Friend Has The Best Awkward Childhood Photo Ever
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.
With just her face in the header picture, I thought someone had taken their kid to Burning Man and then it rained...
I Was 10 When I Realized People With No Bangs Had Grown Them Out, Not Cut Them Off
Hugo Weaving as a child practicing his role as Elrond, as his dreams had foretold.
I was thinking Dave Hill from Slade, but this works as well.
Load More Replies...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 🤣
I feel this. My mom would always cut my bangs too short.
Load More Replies...Glamour Photo From 1994. I Was 8 Years Old (Going On 45 In This Pic)
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.
Load More Replies...It's giving recent divorcee getting a confidence boost with the portrait vibes.
Glamour Shots. Made every kid look like they were starting an OnlyFans page
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.
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.
Load More Replies...This Is My Wife's Favorite Photo Of Me
I love when kids haven’t grown into their front teeth yet 😂 it’s such a cute and goofy look
Load More Replies...It is a cute pic and yes amazing eyes, would love to see pic of him now.
My Dad Always Thought This Haircut Looked Incredible On Me. My Mom Thought The Shirt Was Incredible. I'm A Female
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.
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.
Load More Replies...Ok, why do people say “I’m a ” to things like hairstyles. Guys, society just chose that girls should be like this, guys should be like this, etc etc. You can look feminine in this style, and masculine too.
You CAN. Doesn't mean you do. 🤷 In any case the hairstyle/shirt combo is androgynous at "best", not particularly feminine, so I think the clarification was justified.
Load More Replies...Childhood Me Thought This Would Look Awesome. I Can't Believe They Let Me Take It
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.
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!
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
I was a librarian. I worked at the BEP and then a corporation's HQ. Dressed nicely.
Load More Replies...This redditor posted 4 days ago she collects her cats whiskers. Yep, thats checks out.
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
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.
Your peers were just sad unimaginative little blobs who had to settle for less
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.
Apparently This Was The Best Photo They Could Get For My First Christmas
I See Your Friend's "Awkward Childhood" Photo, And Raise You Mine. Man, I Was A Looker
When I Met My Childhood Crush, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, My Face Was Painted Like A Clown
Does her button say "Long John Silver's"?? I have so many questions.
Load More Replies...This is the kind of feels you can’t comprehend if you didn’t understand the hype of JTT
That very popular child actor is now a 43yo man... Time does fly and it seems to be speeding up.
You were only a young child, I doubt he lays awake at night thinking about it.
Oh, lawd, this is SO cute: "Here’s the whole story: My grandpa worked for a local TV station in Indiana that hosted a Kids Fair every year with games, vendors, and a celebrity autograph signing. That year’s celebs were JTT and Jodie Sweetin (Stephanie from Full House). I went through the autograph line and got his autograph, then went and played games, apparently got a sticker from Long John Silvers, and got my face painted (why I chose a clown, I don’t know). Then I was back in the green room with my grandpa when he told me and my sister that he had a surprise for us. In walks JTT for a private meet and greet. My grandma had apparently made friends with him throughout the day and nudged him saying, “I didn’t tell you my granddaughter was a clown, did I?” I was mortified. 🤡🤡🤡"
Was OP going for a Raggedy Ann doll look? This picture reminds me of this.
Yes That Is My Real Head, No This Photo Was Not Edited
The hairstyle is not helping me at all.
Looks like you're looking for Pinky so you can take over the world
I Wanted Dreadlocks In Highschool. Mom Gave Me Braids
You sing that like it's a bad thing.... XD
Load More Replies...Honestly, that hair is so straight that even braids were a feat. I have hair that straight.
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 😂
Load More Replies...It's lucky you were really cute to begin with. The braids couldn't ruin your looks totally!
I Blame My Mom For This One. My Sweater Wasn't Stained, The Photo Is Just Old
Minus the braces... But otherwise right on point
Load More Replies...Permission Has Finally Been Granted To Share My Wife's Glorious Childhood Perm/Greatest Soccer Pic Of All Time
Huh... wait. I have a soccer picture of myself, circa 1989, with a remarkably similar hairstyle. Lemme grab it out of the bin... XD
All Decked Out In Eyeliner And Angst, About To Go To The Local Emo Concert (2006)
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.
Naw.... he's dodging the taking of the photo. We old timers did that in our youth!
My 9th Grade "Graduation" In 2002. 3 Months Later I Was In Military School In Texas
I was obsessed with Linkin Park, but yes.
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. 😉
I currently do!! Gorgeous eyes, and I love the style!!
Load More Replies...My son wanted a red mohawk when he was four. I took him to my stylist who didn't hear me ask for TEMPORARY color. The next day my son was crying because people were "staring". Poor kid.
My Childhood Picture
I think I had a similar vest - this would have been in the 70s.
Load More Replies...I Recently Visited My Sister Who Shared Her Favorite Childhood Photo Of Me - The Time I Married My Giant Stuffed Pikachu, Ricky
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...1995-1997 My Dear Grandpa Showed This To My Fiance The Night Before Our Holy Matrimony
I'm wondering what OP did to gramps to warrant this - and what OP's respose was. Shots fired and such 😂
6th Grade Was A Rough Year
OK this one actually made me lol on the bus and now people are looking at me funny
In Honor Of National Emo Day, I Thought I’d Share My Favorite Myspace Looks
Well there's an International Talk Like a Pirate Day (19 September), so I wouldn't be surprised.
Load More Replies...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.
I feel like I've seen that green-background shot before somewhere...
It was definitely the style at the time, I think they’re pretty!
Love the wonderful coloured hair, I did that as a teenager and it was thought to be utterly outrageous.
I absolutely do not understand how these can be construed as "embarrassing". They ROCKED the look!!
My Friend Was 12 Going On 45
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
I think we all looked 30 years older than our younger selves.
Don't let the sweatshirt fool you; no hugs given... don't even THINK about asking for one.
Glad My Wife Changed Hairstyles Since Then
My Boyfriend And His Mom In 1992
Looking Back To My Iconic Fashion Choices
Year of the last warped tour, earlobe blowouts, Myspace, and getting bullied by the older scene kids.
Apparently there are folks getting their stretched earlobes fixed... Not the easiest to correct.
Yeah, it's basically plastic surgery. I've never understood the gauged ear lobe thing, but to each their own.
Load More Replies...reminds me of the time that i tried shaving myself this way i hated it and i became the trend in our school
It's human nature. There's plenty of it on BP.
Load More Replies...Mom Asked Me To Model For A “Moody” Photo Shoot. Peak 7th Grade Me
2004. Trying To Take A Myspace Photo While No One Was At Home
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."
Load More Replies...1994, Age 7, First Grade. My Stepdad Says I Wanted My Hair Cut That Way
He looks like my grandson! And I can imagine he would love his hair this way. Thank goodness his parents are somewhat sensible.
If you're not able to experiment when you're young, you're liable to do things you regret as an adult.
Load More Replies...This Is My Wife Circa 1989, Bless Her Heart
This Is What "Rizz" Looked Like In The 90's
BAHAHAHA! What did u do to píss this Brady fella off so bad anyway??
Load More Replies...I Raise You All, My Sister's And My Most Embarrassing Childhood Photo. I'm The Unfortunate Soul On The Right
Someone tell the poor girl the saying is couch potato, not cr0tch potato.
Describe Your Childhood With A Picture. This Is Not The Worst
Those were hilarious skits, but the character gave me the creeps.
Load More Replies...Minus the teeth, he looks like a young David, the host of My Lottery Dream Home.
Load More Replies...I Went To See The Easter Bunny While Sick With The Flu. Can You Tell Which One I Am?
Poor thing and hopefully no one else got sick, especially the Easter Bunny.
Straight up horror movie contents, the left kid looks possessed by smth lmao
My Sister Asked Me To Post This For Her. She Asked The Babysitter To Make Her Look Like Ernie. She Loved Ernie
This Was Me At 16... I’m A Dude
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.
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
🎶My boyfriend's back and you're gonna be in trouble. Hey la di la, my boyfriend's back.🎶
🎶 My boyfriend's back he's gonna save my reputation 🎶 But there's no salvaging this hair cut.
Load More Replies...I Had Liberal Parents And Tried To Rebel With This Haircut. It Backfired
She looks like the Cynthia doll from Rugrats, that belonged to Angelica. Iykyk.
I rebelled by refusing to dye my hair purple and dressing really normal. Drove my eccentric mom nuts.
Load More Replies...The only way to rebel against liberal parents is to pull an Alex P. Keaton
I (secretly) hoped that would happen with my kid. Nope! They're even further left than I ever knew possible (but they like to enlight me...(´⊙o⊙`))
Load More Replies...And her frieeennnds, they ran so far awaaaay.
Load More Replies...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.
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.
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.
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.
Denim will never die. Bring back double denim. Triple denim.
What do you mean bring BACK? Canadian Tuxedo never goes out of style!
Load More Replies...10th Grade Me. My Fashion Sense Dictated T-Shirts And Flannels With Sleeves Cut Off
I am really trying not to bring out the horselaugh emoji. I really am.
What's the use of a flannel shirt without sleeves when worn over a t-shirt?
Nothing to do with temperature regulation. It's a fashion statement. Some kind of fashion statement. Dunno exactly what though.
Load More Replies...2005, College Freshmen, Full Of Rebellion
I Used To Think It Was "Cute" To Dress Up Like My Doll
“Thriller” Dance Routine My Sister And I Put On For Our Parents, Where Being A Zombie Meant You Had Hairbrushes Stuck In Your Hair
Corduroy Cat Vest, 1994
There is a company who sells Cardigans with that same print.
Load More Replies...Mr Auntriarch had the pig version of that weskit. It was a present. Not from me.
I had that fabric, made a pillow for a cat-owning friend with it. The vest fabric.
2007 Photoshoot In My Grandparents' Bedroom. Not Sure What The Inspo For This Photoshoot Was Or What Emotion I Was Trying To Convey
Favorite Picture Of My Husband
My husband gave me permission to share this gem of a photo of him. He believes he was in 3rd or 4th grade, 1986 or 1987.
My Wife Gave Me Permission To Share This Picture Of Her From The Early 90s
Oh!! That was me, too!!! before braces and in those droopy glasses that do no one's face a favor. The au naturel hair or in my case, a perm meant to look natural.
My Super Fun Aunt Used To Work At A Photography Center At Sears
I Was Blessed With A Mom Who Believed In Creative Freedom For Her Kids
Yeah, I was thinking, "great expression, great features, nice colorization". The hair's a little wild, but not outrageous! Really lovely eyes.
Load More Replies...Me And My Sibling Crossdressing As A "Present" To Our Mom For Mother's Day (2004)
I'm the one on the left. I really couldn't tell you why, but we decided that we could swap wardrobes and present ourselves to our mom as a gift for Mother's Day. Apparently Pringles are for boys. That was intentional. I padded the dress with bars of soap.
Right Before A Brutal Transfer From Homeschool To Public School. Circa 2007
Had no older siblings. Was not plugged into popular culture. Showed up for first day of Junior High (grade 7) in a dress and socks and loafers - specifically bought for the day - in 1974 when everyone else was dressed in jeans and a tee shirt. Did not help my already low self-esteem.
Probably why school uniforms has its benefits. I wasn’t boight jeans until I was 12. Your outfit doesn’t sound bad though but I get where you’re coming from.
Load More Replies...I am a Brit and I like the face that English School children wear a uniform, it makes them look smart and equal.
Great photo Brady you look smart, what happened …
Load More Replies...My Original 3rd Grade School Photo (Left). Mom Demanded A Retake (Right) With The Instructions "Smile! Show Some Teeth!" Note Which One Got Framed
I Present To You This Very Caucasian Girl Who Dressed As A Rapper For Halloween
When I was 12 and decided to go trick-or-treating as "Bob Marley" or whatever this is.
Bringing This One Back. My 9th Grade Picture In 2013. Thanks I Hate It
She has beautiful skin! I was a spotty mess at that age.
My Graduation Outfit Was A Polyester Kimono I Spent All My Travel Money On At Disney World
This was before going off to study Japanese at university. To be fair, though, encountering some of the people in that department was what started bringing me back to reality.
Me, not looking at the kimono, but wondering if the stocking top left is a hand stitched Bucilla one…..
I still have mine! And before she passed, my grandmother made them for each of my kids 💜
Load More Replies...My Boyfriend's Senior Picture
I swear this picture watches me sleep...
Our Most Embarrassing Photo
They are twins and this is the original picture of a recreation photo they posted for their 30th birthdays from when they were 4. I didn't see any other information as to why they were dressed like that. I'll post the link with the recreation photo in a separate reply.
Load More Replies...My Mom Just Sent This To Me, And I Guess Now Everyone Else Has To See It Too
My Entire Life Is A Kesha Phase
One of the best things about being born before the internet is...no internet pics.
I’ve never seen someone with so many open mouth pictures. And it’s intentional.
Me In The 90s, Absolutely Thrilled To Be Wearing This Chipmunk Onesie
My mom made me wear this to meet Chip and Dale in Disneyland Paris, in the sweltering heat. It’s a miracle I survived. Also, I truly miss having a TV so big that it can fit a photo frame, a haunted porcelain doll, and a giant lamp on it. The good old days.
Did you at least get an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle, with that thing that tells time?
My Dad Sent Me This Picture The Other Day. I Was 17
Do you really crave Nate’s approval on your childhood picture this bad…
Load More Replies...My Wife Was Every Generic 90’s Advertisement In Picture
Every generic ’90s advertisement in one picture.
I think that's an insult to this poor kid.
Load More Replies...To be fair, she's cute as a button. A Gap button. No cute as a beanie baby. No wait, Fendi eyeglass frames ...
My Husband At 14 Years Old
Embarrassingly Enough, This Is Not The Only Photo I Have Of Myself With Balloons Stuck Up Under My Shirt
Looks strangely like pics of my girlfriend while young. But she didn't have balloons. (Her signature song is Whole Lotta Rosie by AC/DC)
You can see that she even has placed the balloons in some type of bra or bikini top.
Aparently I Wouldn’t Stop Licking My Lips
Had To Fight The Ladies Off With A Stick In 8th Grade
Everyone, Meet My Alter Ego, Kyle
Reminds me of when my sister and two of her friends dressed up for a 'bogan' themed event
My Parents Made A SpongeBob Costume For Me Out Of An Old CRT TV Box (2001)
This Is How I Smiled Because I Had No Top Teeth
2004 - It Was "Clown Day" At School. I Was The Only One In Costume. Aside From The Clown At The Assembly. Thanks Mom
Everyday is clown day for a certain Captain Wafflestomper.
My Mom Was Going Through Old Photos And Found The Worst Possible Picture Of Me
Me, Age 13, For 8th Grade Valentine’s Dance
Not so bad especially when compared to others on this list.
She looks 30, mother of 3, on her night out with friends ready to have a couple margaritas and questionning her life choices
You're very pretty! It's just the grandma shirt that does you injustice, LOL.
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).
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.
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...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.
I am having more flashbacks of my childhood than every 80's tv character had flashbacks of Vietnam.
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.
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).
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.
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...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.
I am having more flashbacks of my childhood than every 80's tv character had flashbacks of Vietnam.
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.
