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We associate family life with tradition and routine. From weekday dinners to get-togethers at our grandparents' farmhouse, it's what keeps us grounded even in the most challenging times. However, no matter how well we think we know them, the closest people around us can still find ways to surprise us. Somewhat paradoxically, I think that's mainly because of the same reason—they know us really, really well. Our moral system, the boundaries of our sense of humor, everything. And they can use it to their advantage. So we at Bored Panda put together a list of funny and ridiculous moments when folks realized their family members went completely off-script. Enjoy!

#1

Dominic Really Went Outside And Brought A Deer Back

Dominic Really Went Outside And Brought A Deer Back

Stephanie Orrantia Report

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Stephen Smith
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

NO NO NO the deer brought him back. You can see the look on the deer's face, it's saying this this kid yours?

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David Brown
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Up until a certain age children have a very special way and innocence about them. I wholeheartedly believe they're able to see and do things that adults just aren't able to comprehend. Animals on the other hand are able to see the purity in children and have no problems trusting them.

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Jo L.
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think in this case it's more straightforward than that. Baby animals of many species play together in safe or captive environments. I think it's more like two babies of two different species see each other and recognize "oooh, I wonder if that kid wants to play with me?" That deer appears to be very much a baby.

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Tx jac
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That is so sweet, they look so adorable standing there together ..both are pleased as punch

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Squawkleo
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One of the worst parts of being adult: not going out in wellies and pyjamas.

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Keerthi Vardhan
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ultra cute..The deer looks more human and equally innocent as the child. Love being close and friendly with nature.

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Sheila Stamey
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I may or may not have made several inexplicable grunting noises from the overload of cute before I could say, " oh oh oh aweeeeeee! Yes Dominic you ok may keep it I don't care if Mom says no. I'm a grandma I can overrule that.

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Trisha Howson
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hey got a new cute buddy I hope my kids can do this one day lol jk

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Bored Toadette
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Two adorable kids💖 one human kid and one fur-kid as i like to call animals. Love the pic. Human kid is already showing respect and kindness to animals. He gonna grow up and be a animal-lover❤️ Good job parents, who teach theyre kid to treat animals with love and respect💕

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Sue Phillips
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love the look on the deer's face. "I was promised breakfast. Where is it?"

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Vic D
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Reminds me of my brother when he was young, he would bring all sorts of animals home, even showed up with a chipmunk in his hands, my mom was screaming let it down it's going to bite you....

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Sadie
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Awwww❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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Alexander B
Community Member
1 year ago

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Am I the only one thinking that this is probably a case of rabies and the boy should better not be near that deer?

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madbakes
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The little boy is still in his pajamas, so it's likely early morning, a time normal for deer to still be out.

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#2

Ex Cheated. Called Off Wedding. Day Of “Wedding” I Was Sad. My Family Surprised Me With An Anti-Wedding Party

Ex Cheated. Called Off Wedding. Day Of “Wedding” I Was Sad. My Family Surprised Me With An Anti-Wedding Party

lisainpurgatory Report

Tania Luna, the co-host of the podcast Talk Psych to Me and the author of the book Surprise, describes the phenomenon as an error signal our brains produce when something unexpected or mis-expected happens. Luna believes it was an essential adaptation for our ancestors because it forced them to freeze and focus on threats and opportunities, while those who could not experience surprise could not react or learn quickly enough to survive.

"On a neural level, surprise is a dopamine trigger, producing the neurotransmitter that drives attention and motivation," Luna explained in Psychology Today. "To put it simply, surprise is a big deal to our brains. It makes us stop, notice, and learn." That's why we remember the times someone (or something) got us so vividly.

#3

Had My Leg Amputated And My Brother Shows Up To The Hospital Dressed As A Pirate

Had My Leg Amputated And My Brother Shows Up To The Hospital Dressed As A Pirate

TheGoodTwin94 Report

#4

I Beat Cancer This Year And Lost My Hair In The Process. My 4-Year-Old Son Wanted To Be Darth Vader For Halloween, So I Surprised Him As Darth Mom

I Beat Cancer This Year And Lost My Hair In The Process. My 4-Year-Old Son Wanted To Be Darth Vader For Halloween, So I Surprised Him As Darth Mom

just_amanda Report

#5

I Got My Grandma A New Apron For Her 90th Birthday. This Is The Moment She Realized What Was On It

I Got My Grandma A New Apron For Her 90th Birthday. This Is The Moment She Realized What Was On It

peekab0o14 Report

In his book The Power of Surprise, psychologist Michael Rousell reveals his favorite insight gleaned from decades of his research: surprise is a key ingredient in our formative moments. (Formative events are the experiences that have shaped who we believe we are. They form our sense of self.)

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All of us are influenced by the combination of our past experiences, and the majority of our experiences are part of a slow, gradual evolution in self-perception, except for the formative events that are like a sudden revolution, resulting in a sudden shift in how we perceive ourselves.

#6

Parents Gave Me A Gift For College Today, Which Was All The Money That My Mom Found In My Pockets When Doing My Laundry

Parents Gave Me A Gift For College Today, Which Was All The Money That My Mom Found In My Pockets When Doing My Laundry

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#7

My Kids Came In And Told Me There Was Water Coming From The Laundry Room. They Said It Looked Like It Started At The Washer. I Rushed In To Find This

My Kids Came In And Told Me There Was Water Coming From The Laundry Room. They Said It Looked Like It Started At The Washer. I Rushed In To Find This

Buncha comedians in my house.

narcolepsyinc Report

#8

The Look On My Daughter's Face When I Tell Her She Gets To Adopt A Kitten For A Surprise Birthday Present

The Look On My Daughter's Face When I Tell Her She Gets To Adopt A Kitten For A Surprise Birthday Present

-TuRbRoN- Report

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#9

My Wife Just Graduated From The Police Academy And Her Sister Sent These To Our House

My Wife Just Graduated From The Police Academy And Her Sister Sent These To Our House

Mr_Dislexyc Report

To help understand this concept, Luna suggests this example: it took Hector many years to develop the belief that he lacked leadership potential. And it only took an instant to change his beliefs when a coworker told him, "Most folks on our team just want to hear themselves speak, but you listen and make sure everyone feels heard. You are a great leader, and you inspire me to be better too."

"This simple comment was the surprise spark that transformed Hector's self-image," Luna said. "After hearing that, confirmation bias triggered Hector's search for confirming evidence, causing him to re-label his past experiences from 'people-pleasing' to 'great leader.' The result wasn't just a change in his thinking but also a catalyst for 'self-fulfilling prophecy' actions such as volunteering for more leadership roles."

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#10

My Friend Got A Christmas Card From His Nephew. He Decided To Copy It And Send It Back

My Friend Got A Christmas Card From His Nephew. He Decided To Copy It And Send It Back

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#11

When My Wife Had An Ultrasound For Our First Child I Took A Photo Of The Print Out So She Could Send To Friends And Family. Instead I Sent Her This Xenomorph Image

When My Wife Had An Ultrasound For Our First Child I Took A Photo Of The Print Out So She Could Send To Friends And Family. Instead I Sent Her This Xenomorph Image

And she sent it to everyone before realizing what it was. She was not amused.

WKFClark Report

#12

My Grandfather Always Wears His Favorite 70s Suit To Every Family Event, So As A Surprise For His 80th We All Dressed To Match

My Grandfather Always Wears His Favorite 70s Suit To Every Family Event, So As A Surprise For His 80th We All Dressed To Match

UnicyclePete Report

#13

Shout Out To My Brother For Replacing A Picture Of Jesus At My Parent's House With A Picture Of Obi-Wan Kenobi As Portrayed By Ewan Mcgregor

Shout Out To My Brother For Replacing A Picture Of Jesus At My Parent's House With A Picture Of Obi-Wan Kenobi As Portrayed By Ewan Mcgregor

Three months and counting without them noticing.

A-ladder-named-chaos Report

An example Rousell shares in his book is this: Samantha felt her shyness was a weakness, until her swim coach surprised her by naming her captain. He said, "She may be quiet, but when this girl says something, you're going to want to listen."

The surprise left her feeling quietly powerful, and the change in her beliefs and behaviors was instant and long-lasting.

#14

My Wife And I Like To Surprise Each Other With Unexpected Charlie. Charlie No Longer Finds This Amusing

My Wife And I Like To Surprise Each Other With Unexpected Charlie. Charlie No Longer Finds This Amusing

JGrce Report

#15

2 Steps Into Walking Down The Aisle. He Said "Goddamit Jeri, Did My Pants Just Fall Down?"

2 Steps Into Walking Down The Aisle. He Said "Goddamit Jeri, Did My Pants Just Fall Down?"

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#16

My Parents Are Retiring And Want To Travel Full Time. My Brother Sent Them This Suitcase For Christmas

My Parents Are Retiring And Want To Travel Full Time. My Brother Sent Them This Suitcase For Christmas

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#17

Was Wondering Why My Wife Was Giggling When She Asked Me To Change The Air Filters

Was Wondering Why My Wife Was Giggling When She Asked Me To Change The Air Filters

AelyneMB Report

But not all surprising moments are created equal. If you too want to catch your family member (or anyone else for that matter) off-guard, Rousell thinks there are three research-backed steps to use surprise well.

The first is to identify a perceived weakness: spot a self-criticism you'd like to help someone revise. For example, perhaps your student sees herself as a slow learner, your employee believes he lacks creativity, or your spouse beats themself up for being overly cautious.

#18

My Daughter Asked Her Dad To Be Launched Into My Photo Where She Struck This Pose. Now She Is Convinced She Is A Real Superhero

My Daughter Asked Her Dad To Be Launched Into My Photo Where She Struck This Pose. Now She Is Convinced She Is A Real Superhero

Big-Custard2645 Report

#19

My Mother-In-Law Was Visiting For Three Weeks Leaving My Father-In-Law 2,000 Miles Away To Fend For Himself. He Sent Her These Flowers After A Week

My Mother-In-Law Was Visiting For Three Weeks Leaving My Father-In-Law 2,000 Miles Away To Fend For Himself. He Sent Her These Flowers After A Week

GavinWakeUpCall Report

#20

My Mom Has Been Begging My Dad For A Dog Since Ours Passed Away In May. He Surprised Her Christmas Morning With This Gift. He's A Man Of Few Words

My Mom Has Been Begging My Dad For A Dog Since Ours Passed Away In May. He Surprised Her Christmas Morning With This Gift. He's A Man Of Few Words

klawlz Report

#21

My Brother And I Became Uncles This Week To Twins. First Impressions Are Important, So Naturally, We Shaved And Dressed To Impress

My Brother And I Became Uncles This Week To Twins. First Impressions Are Important, So Naturally, We Shaved And Dressed To Impress

kraziefrazie Report

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Katy McMouse
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The baby on the right is seriously starting to regret that trip through the birth canal.

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Then transform the weakness into a strength. To do so, identify the strength that is the opposite side of the same coin. For instance, maybe the student who thinks she learns slowly is also very thorough. The employee who thinks he lacks creativity is highly logical. And the flipside of your spouse's concern is their attention to detail.

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#22

My Dad Had Eye Surgery And My Mom Asked Where He Wanted To Go For Lunch After, So Here We Are

My Dad Had Eye Surgery And My Mom Asked Where He Wanted To Go For Lunch After, So Here We Are

McWitt Report

#23

We Decided To Embarrass Our Daughter At The Airport After 3 Months Away. (We Don't Normally Dress This Way)

We Decided To Embarrass Our Daughter At The Airport After 3 Months Away. (We Don't Normally Dress This Way)

ron1337 Report

#24

My Son Wanted "Cold Hard Cash" For His Birthday

My Son Wanted "Cold Hard Cash" For His Birthday

reddit.com Report

#25

My Little Sister Knocked On My Door And I Came Out To This

My Little Sister Knocked On My Door And I Came Out To This

RexFry2005 Report

Lastly, deliver the message. Share your sincere perception of the individual's strength. Rousell suggests making your message quick and to the point, as if you're stating an empirical fact. The more you dwell on the topic or dress it up as flowery praise, the less surprising it will be, and the less power it will have to change someone's mind.

#26

Made Masks Of Sister's Fiance's Face For A Bachelorette Party, This Is What She Walked Into

Made Masks Of Sister's Fiance's Face For A Bachelorette Party, This Is What She Walked Into

malsapeach Report

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#27

I Turned A Picture Of My Labrador Pooping Into A Puzzle, Gave It To My Dad For Christmas As A White Elephant Gift

I Turned A Picture Of My Labrador Pooping Into A Puzzle, Gave It To My Dad For Christmas As A White Elephant Gift

He put it together, framed it, and gave it back to me. That’s what Christmas is all about.

RPerkins2 Report

#28

My 11-Year-Old Daughter Has Insisted On Checking The Mail The Last Couple Of Days. Today, I Checked It. This Is What I Found

My 11-Year-Old Daughter Has Insisted On Checking The Mail The Last Couple Of Days. Today, I Checked It. This Is What I Found

BallCoach79 Report

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#29

My Sister And Her Boyfriend Are Heading Up To Our Cabin Tomorrow Night, So I Left Them A Present For When They Turn On The Lights

My Sister And Her Boyfriend Are Heading Up To Our Cabin Tomorrow Night, So I Left Them A Present For When They Turn On The Lights

scroopiedoopie Report

"Surprise has the power to help others change how they see themselves. But, crucially, it also gives us the power to change how we see ourselves," Luna wrote.

Possessing these new skills, you can now act as an agent of surprise—unlocking people's confidence and self-esteem wherever you go.

#30

My Wife Put "We Still Do. 13 Years" On This Letterboard. I Added A Word When She Wasn't Looking

My Wife Put "We Still Do. 13 Years" On This Letterboard. I Added A Word When She Wasn't Looking

She is posting this version to Facebook as I type this without realizing the change. Wish me luck.

PM_ME_WITH_A_SMILE Report

#31

My Mother Sketches While Watching TV. She Turns Her Favorites Into Little Printed Greeting Cards For Family

My Mother Sketches While Watching TV. She Turns Her Favorites Into Little Printed Greeting Cards For Family

Here is what she was using for birthdays a couple years ago.

RCViking44 Report

#33

There Are Some Advantages To Being Married For 15+ Years. Like You Can Scare Your Wife With The Cardboard Figure You Found Buried In The Garage

There Are Some Advantages To Being Married For 15+ Years. Like You Can Scare Your Wife With The Cardboard Figure You Found Buried In The Garage

That she bought you five years ago.

ollieoliverx000 Report

#34

Marilyn Manson's Dad Surprised Him By Dressing Up As Him And Interrupting His Photoshoot

Marilyn Manson's Dad Surprised Him By Dressing Up As Him And Interrupting His Photoshoot

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#35

My Mother-In-Law Made All The Men In Our Family A Pair Of These Sleep Pants For Christmas

My Mother-In-Law Made All The Men In Our Family A Pair Of These Sleep Pants For Christmas

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#36

My Dad Thought He Was Home Alone. I Had To See Why He Was Laughing So Hard

My Dad Thought He Was Home Alone. I Had To See Why He Was Laughing So Hard

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#37

I Bought My Parents A TV For Christmas But They Are Going To Think It’s Something Else At First

I Bought My Parents A TV For Christmas But They Are Going To Think It’s Something Else At First

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#38

My Family Is Pretty Odd. Tonight, My Mom Hired An Elvis Impersonator And Didn't Tell Anyone About It

My Family Is Pretty Odd. Tonight, My Mom Hired An Elvis Impersonator And Didn't Tell Anyone About It

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#39

Just My Mom And Aunt Doing Family Things In Wales

Just My Mom And Aunt Doing Family Things In Wales

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#40

My Brother Gave Me A Framed Photo Of My Most Upvoted Comment Of All Time For Secret Santa This Year

My Brother Gave Me A Framed Photo Of My Most Upvoted Comment Of All Time For Secret Santa This Year

icandoittwice Report

#41

I Haven't Seen My Parents For Over A Year, So I Decided To Surprise Them For Christmas By Dressing Up As Santa And Coming Over

I Haven't Seen My Parents For Over A Year, So I Decided To Surprise Them For Christmas By Dressing Up As Santa And Coming Over

This is my mother's face when she realized that Santa was me.

whateverlollllll Report

#43

I Replaced The Old Family Photo In My Mum's House With This. Still Waiting For Her To Notice

I Replaced The Old Family Photo In My Mum's House With This. Still Waiting For Her To Notice

aidN Report

#44

My Wife Has Had This Photo Frame Hanging On The Wall Without Any Pictures In It. Tonight, After She Went To Sleep, I Decided To Take This Matter Into My Own Hands

My Wife Has Had This Photo Frame Hanging On The Wall Without Any Pictures In It. Tonight, After She Went To Sleep, I Decided To Take This Matter Into My Own Hands

I’ll let you know tomorrow if I’m still married.

baritone39355 Report

#45

My Mom Always Finds A Way To Surprise Me On My Birthday

My Mom Always Finds A Way To Surprise Me On My Birthday

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#46

My Brother Is In For Quite The Surprise Tomorrow Morning

My Brother Is In For Quite The Surprise Tomorrow Morning

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Mark Howell
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For this you are promoted and recieve your own evil genius hide-away, complete with minions ;o)

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#47

Bought My Family Customized T-Shirts With My Face On Them. They Loved It

Bought My Family Customized T-Shirts With My Face On Them. They Loved It

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Claire
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My son gave me one similar. Fortunately, he is my only son lol

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#48

Told My Dad He Was Having A Grandkid Before His Birthday Picture

Told My Dad He Was Having A Grandkid Before His Birthday Picture

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#49

I Mailed My Sister One Square Of Toilet Paper And It Was Delivered

I Mailed My Sister One Square Of Toilet Paper And It Was Delivered

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#50

My Dad Sneaky Sneaks Money Around My House

My Dad Sneaky Sneaks Money Around My House

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