Kids aren't the smartest. Sure, one moment they might drop a philosophical and poetic line that seems to tap into some universal truth and make you wonder about it for the rest of the day, but the next they might be shoving a straw into an orange, trying to have some juice.
So let's take a minute and have a little innocent laugh at them, shall we? I mean, people who witnessed our, let's call them, less fortunate moments have certainly had so it's only fair we enjoy what the younger generation has to offer too, right? We earned it.
That's why we at Bored Panda put together a new list of pictures that capture children at times they seemed to have no idea how the world actually works. Continue scrolling to check out the images and fire up our earlier articles here and here to catch up on the series.
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Kids Will Be Kids
How Do You Expect Kids To Live With Such Narrow Minded Parents?
How much you talk with your child can be really important to their development. In the mid-1990s, an interesting discovery was made about a stark difference in language achievement in children. Researchers Betty Hart and Todd Risley visited families from different socioeconomic groups, spending an hour each month recording them over more than two years.
Going through the data, they found that children from the poorest backgrounds heard one-third as many words per hour as those from higher-income backgrounds. Scaling up, the researchers proposed that by the time the children were four years old, there would be a 30-million word gap between children from poor backgrounds compared to those in wealthier, professional households.
Dropping The Phone Will Hurt Grandma
Ahh Yes, That's Reasonable
My Son Thought This Light Switch Would Control The Lights In The Store
As Melissa Hogenboom pointed out for the BBC, this study was far from ideal. It had a small sample size, and it's not entirely clear if the word gap is as large as the researchers first suggested.
Critics have since shown that low-income children hear many more words than Hart and Risley reported when factoring in language they overhear from conversations both inside and outside the home.
But responding to these critics, another group highlighted that "young children do not profit from overheard speech about topics of interest to adults."
Never Give Up On Your Dreams
Important Questions For The Doctor
I remember when I was a kid, the local mayor came to talk to us and answer some of our questions. My best friend decided to ask him how often he changes his underwear.
Just Lost My Foot After A Motorcycle Accident. This Is The Sticker My Son Chose To Decorate My Brace
However, if this word gap does exist, it is problematic because language is known to be one of the most important predictors of how well you are going to do later in life, from your earliest school years to university and so, might even be an indicator of the success of your future career.
Whether we're learning basic numeracy or articulating memories, we need language.
He Refused To Let Me Help Him Order His Food Because He's A "Big Boy". Now He's Sitting Mad As Hell With His Egg On A Hot Dog Bun With Jalapeños And Black Olives
That Went Downhill Fast
We Found My Wife’s Phone In The Toilet Yesterday. We Weren’t Sure Which Of Our Three Kids Put It There Until My Wife Scrolled Through Her Pictures Today
That kid has the eyes of a master criminal. 'You gonna use the 'no' word on me? Fine. I'm gonna sever your contact with the outside world...'
Scientists are even able to show how the brain responds to early language exposure. One group, led by Rachel Romeo, a neuroscientist and speech language pathologist at Boston Children’s Hospital, showed that conversational interactions can have a visible benefit on brain development.
The team recorded conversations in families’ homes monitoring both the amount of language they were exposed to and the number of conversational turns and discovered that children who had more turn-taking conversations were better at language comprehension tasks.
Well It Was Definitely One Of You
Would Not Stop Crying Until She Got Her Own Cone Of Shame
My Niece Just Made Everyone Friends And Said "No Fighting". I Can't Stop Laughing
Someone should try this on Putin. And if that fails, concrete overcoat.
My Brother And I Met Our Favorite Super Hero (The Hulk) When We Were 4. We Were Frustrated Because Lou Ferrigno Wasn’t Green
Indeed, we have evidence that it is not passive hearing – or even the amount of words a child is exposed to – that matters most. Instead, it is the quality of the conversation that is important. The back and forth turn-taking nature that requires listening and responding.
It’s what Hirsh-Pasek and her long-time collaborator Roberta Golinkoff refer to as a “conversational duet”, as “you can’t sing it alone”. In fact, another study found that if a conversation is interrupted by a phone call, the child does not learn a newly presented word (they will learn it if the conversation is not interrupted).
Oh My
My 10-Year-Old Nephew Told His Mom He Doesn’t Know How His Phone Broke. He Just Woke Up And It Was Like That. A Few Days Later She Finds He Posted This On Youtube
It Makes 1 Hour That They're Looking For Their Car Keys That Their Kid Buried Inside The Sand
Might be gone or they might not. In high school our science class took a trip to Maui. One of the parent chaperones forgot their rental car keys were in a vest pocket they had been wearing while they had been walking around with their legs in the water and it had fallen out. People looked everywhere but didn't find them. An hour or two later one of the kids found them while they were swimming I think they were under the water but maybe they were along the shoreline. Either way it was a super lucky find.
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Omgosh! Yes! He's always their except when you need him!
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and then 125 years later a man with a metal detector uncovers an ancient artifact...
When my daughter was about 3 she took the keyfob for my car immobiliser and zipped it into one of the cushion covers. Took a week to find it
I DID THIS AS A CHILD AND TOLD MY MOM THAT I PUT A PIECE OF SEAWEED OVER IT SO I KNEW WHERE THEY WERE
Now I DONT hit my child, i repeat i DO NOT strike my child, but..........
But what? Maybe be a parent and keep an eye on your kids at the beach.
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They parent different than I parent. My kid has had a random set of keys we found in an old box in storage since he was 4. He thinks they’re our car keys. Which is why he refers to both our cars as “The Pontiac.” Never would I hand him our actual keys. This is still working at 8.
Next time the kid gets the car keys is when he gets his driver's license
Suddenly I feel much better about the time my sister and I buried the all the checkers in the sand at the park--I don't remember why we did it, but we definitely were not expecting that we'd only be able to find about half of them. At least we didn't do it with anything important.
Finally the time when you can take a breath .....maybe I wasn't that bad of a kid........or was I.......🤔😓
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Omg I did this to my mom's keys once too! [They were found, don't worry :)]
I do not understand how stupid it is to give little ones your keys anyway. Bring toys for them, even at the grocery store. Do not always give in to them.
In my childhood that would have been quite a beating! Is that tide going in or out?
This is a parenting fail. Please don't hit children. Can't hit adults either because that's assault.
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Oh my god, I think the real small boy in the middle is actually me, similar thing I did when I was real young, eventually I walked along the beach like an idiot, thinking the keys might have blown away, but that looks like my dad digging up the sand and my sister, not sure where my other one is
It should say takes instead of makes because makes well doesn't make any sense at that point I'd buy a metal detector
My sister was in the large yard of deep snow making snowmen and her car keys fell out of her pocket. She was going through all the drawers in my house looking for her keys. She was so mad at me for refusing to repeatedly search my house for her keys. Two hours later, one of my kids found them in the snow.
My older brother wanted to an archeologist when he was five. Found my dads gemstones and buried in the back yard. He drew my dad a map too! My dad was out there for months! That was 45 years ago. They are probably still there.
Where's the fat guy with the metal detector when you need him ?
There must be at least one person on that beach with a metal detector.
It's really unfortunate that kids love keys so much. My friend's kid was playing with her keys at a restaurant, and dropped them inside the booth. Two servers had to take the bench apart to retrieve them.
To be fair it doesn't say they gave their kid the keys. Kid could easily have taken them out of whatever bag they were stored in.
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Little kids probably hate the hell out of you as well and find you freaking annoying.
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Toddler Got Her Hands On Hair Removal Lotion Instead Of Her Dad’s Hair Gel
Even if Hart and Risley's study wasn’t perfect, the idea that a significant socioeconomic gap exists has been replicated by numerous studies.
In 2008, for instance, Meredith Rowe of Harvard University found that types of conversations do differ significantly between low- and high-income families – in part due to the differing levels of education reached by the parents in these groups.
If You Look Closely, You Can See My Son Hiding From Me
The Neighbourhood Kid Loves My Cat And Insists That My Cat Loves Her Back. This Picture Accurately Shows How Much Kitty Loves Her
My Baby Is Trying To Escape The Car To Play With A Baby In Another Car
Though a word gap can have lasting consequences, the good news is that all parents talk to their children at least sometimes. And if parents would focus more on the quality of interactions rather than quantity, then children could benefit.
The more social experiences they have, whether with their parents or with any other caregivers around them, the more they will learn.
Crying Because She Found Out Her Mum’s Real Name
How dare you, next you're telling me you had a whole life before her!
I Just Have To Post This So I Will Always Have The Memory
Me to my class: "Okay boys and girls, hang up your snacks so we can go into art class!" I laughed so hard! I love kindergarten!
Time To Renew
Playing Hide And Seek With A Toddler Is Always A Thrill
While the stress of day-to-day life can leave less time for talk and play, with a few subtle tweaks in how we speak to children – and how we listen to them – we can literally grow their brains for the better.
My Child Has Tons Of Toys And Is Playing With An Onion
I gave one of my granddaughters a real potato to play with as Mrs. Potatohead. She drew a face with a Sharpie and stuck old costume jewelry on it. Carried it around for days.
Just Found Her Chilling Here For Over An Hour
My Nephew Is Shooting For The Stars
"We'll Split The Loot 50/50"
No Stupid Questions. Just Stupid People
I asked my mom why I wasn't invited to her wedding, that took place two years before I was born
My GF Works At A Daycare
Gonna Save A Bunch Of Money On College
Well at least now you k ow he's capable of following instructions without asking, perfect for middle management lol.
A House Of God
My Little Sister vs. The Roomba
My Son Was 6 When He Was Helping Us Move. Each Year This Memory Pops Up And It’s A Family Favourite
Hide And Seek With My Niece
"Mommy, There's Green Goo Coming Out Of My Waffle!" -My 6-Year-Old Son
My Son Said He Was Hot And Wanted Ice Cream. This Is Not What I Expected
Imaginary Friends Vibes
My 10-Year-Old Brother Is Stupid As Hell
hmm the hint is hard to figure out, anyone know what the password is?
Baby Geniuses 2: Electric Boogaloo
My 4-Year-Old Won't Stop Laughing About This Donut Smiley Face That's Wearing Sunglasses And Has Two Mouths
My Nephew Wanted A Portrait Of George Washington. Thank Goodness He Didn’t Want A Portrait Of Ben Franklin
As someone who has worked as a bank teller, I can confirm that this bill is still acceptable. Someone brought in $200 dollars worth of 20’s that were torn right in half in exchange for new bills. He had thought he removed the cash from the envelope we put the money in. As long as each half of the bills serial number matches the other, and is legible, we just tape it together. If you’re really good, and have a steady hand, it’s almost not even noticeable. If the bill is in really bad shape, it’s sent back to the federal reserve as mutilated.
She Dressed Herself. It's Definitely Backward
girl genius may not be as genius as she thought, still a fine effort though
I Guess I Don’t Have To Worry About College With This One
If you are young enough not to get that concept, you should not always have a phone in your pocket
Me At 3 Years Old, Having A Meltdown, Because My Parents Sold Our Car, Little Blue
It was part of the family! Today you sell Little Blue, who says Little Taylor isn't next?
He Didn't Want His Shoes To Get Wet, So He Put Paper Bags On His Feet And Waded Into The Ocean
I am 20 and today I was this🤏🏻 much away from using hand-wash on tooth brush instead of toothpaste
At Age 8, I Achieved My Lifelong Dream Of Becoming A Piggy Bank. That's A €0.10 Coin On The Way Out
Note: this post originally had 133 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
I remember as a kid, there was this one time where I wanted the heater on, but my parents said no. So being a kid I said, "I'm not cold, the room's cold!"
😂 Won't someone please think of the poor room?
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Yikes, y’all are so judgy. I don’t have kids, never wanted them, I’m just not a kid person. They can be annoying, infuriating and worrisome at times, like a drunk adult. I have always found it hard to talk to them, or hold babies, but also, it’s really hard for me to say “no”. BUT, we have NO idea who these people are, what their situations are, what their relationships are like, etc. so basically we know nothing about them, the parents, or who is even taking the picture. So why oh WHY must we judge the parents, or assume anything?! Geez, simmer down, this is supposed to be a fun post, and surely these people don’t want to be lectured about their parenting based on one photo!
These are not naughty kids. These are either a) normal kids or b) kids whose parents have apparently never learned the basic requirements of child supervision.
Oh, what about me? As a toddler I ate massive chunks of my wood crib.
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Once as a kid I tried to fake being sick to go home early from school. I was caught almost immediately by my mother, not because I was horrible at lying, but because as soon as she left my room when she brought me home I started loudly celebrating and saying "I got home from school early!" She had barely even left my doorway.
Thank you, Bored Panda. Another 133 examples of why I really, really don't want children.
I love how watching kids in action really shows us how much we learn in our early years. They take so much literally and feel so passionately about just about everything. Much of their work in the early years is to explore and figure out how their world works. I find it fascinating.
I laughed so hard at these! I have one very distinct dumb memory from my childhood. I believed in "Mr. Pumpkin". For those of you who don't know, he who was this giant pumpkin that came alive on Halloween and handed out candy to the kids who finished their dinner (and vegetables). He was also letting you know you could start your trick-or-treating. It was literally just one of my parents ringing the doorbell, but since I wasn't allowed to open the door for strangers I never made it in time to see him before he made it back onto the roof! Also yes, it was a giant pumpkin decoration that the neighbors put up every year that my parents used to inspire the Mr. Pumpkin tale.
What makes this dumb... is that I also thought everyone believed in Mr. Pumpkin, almost like Santa Claus.
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When I was around 3 I thought that my dad, who was working for the British embassy in Athens, was going to London to work every day.
My sister was ironing clothes for school and burnt her hand she yelled to our mom, "I burned my hand on the iron!" Mom yelled back, "Put butter on it!" She put butter on the iron.
SO my sister.....when she was a kid loved people. She would hug people she didn't know and one day she went up to a MAN and said ¨I love you can we get married.¨ The guy was standing next to his wife and 3 kids.
Here's a magical shiny gold star for you! Do you want a trophy as well?
Load More Replies... I remember as a kid, there was this one time where I wanted the heater on, but my parents said no. So being a kid I said, "I'm not cold, the room's cold!"
😂 Won't someone please think of the poor room?
Load More Replies... Yikes, y’all are so judgy. I don’t have kids, never wanted them, I’m just not a kid person. They can be annoying, infuriating and worrisome at times, like a drunk adult. I have always found it hard to talk to them, or hold babies, but also, it’s really hard for me to say “no”. BUT, we have NO idea who these people are, what their situations are, what their relationships are like, etc. so basically we know nothing about them, the parents, or who is even taking the picture. So why oh WHY must we judge the parents, or assume anything?! Geez, simmer down, this is supposed to be a fun post, and surely these people don’t want to be lectured about their parenting based on one photo!
These are not naughty kids. These are either a) normal kids or b) kids whose parents have apparently never learned the basic requirements of child supervision.
Oh, what about me? As a toddler I ate massive chunks of my wood crib.
Load More Replies... Once as a kid I tried to fake being sick to go home early from school. I was caught almost immediately by my mother, not because I was horrible at lying, but because as soon as she left my room when she brought me home I started loudly celebrating and saying "I got home from school early!" She had barely even left my doorway.
Thank you, Bored Panda. Another 133 examples of why I really, really don't want children.
I love how watching kids in action really shows us how much we learn in our early years. They take so much literally and feel so passionately about just about everything. Much of their work in the early years is to explore and figure out how their world works. I find it fascinating.
I laughed so hard at these! I have one very distinct dumb memory from my childhood. I believed in "Mr. Pumpkin". For those of you who don't know, he who was this giant pumpkin that came alive on Halloween and handed out candy to the kids who finished their dinner (and vegetables). He was also letting you know you could start your trick-or-treating. It was literally just one of my parents ringing the doorbell, but since I wasn't allowed to open the door for strangers I never made it in time to see him before he made it back onto the roof! Also yes, it was a giant pumpkin decoration that the neighbors put up every year that my parents used to inspire the Mr. Pumpkin tale.
What makes this dumb... is that I also thought everyone believed in Mr. Pumpkin, almost like Santa Claus.
Load More Replies... When I was around 3 I thought that my dad, who was working for the British embassy in Athens, was going to London to work every day.
My sister was ironing clothes for school and burnt her hand she yelled to our mom, "I burned my hand on the iron!" Mom yelled back, "Put butter on it!" She put butter on the iron.
SO my sister.....when she was a kid loved people. She would hug people she didn't know and one day she went up to a MAN and said ¨I love you can we get married.¨ The guy was standing next to his wife and 3 kids.
Here's a magical shiny gold star for you! Do you want a trophy as well?
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