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40 Times Kids Delivered A Story In Their Own Words Which Resulted In Awkward And Hilarious Misunderstandings
Parents will often encourage their kids to express themselves. "Use your words!" is a common phrase you can hear on a playground. But it's not always easy for children. They are still learning.
However, their attempts to articulate their feelings and thoughts can lead to really hilarious misunderstandings.
"The fact that my nephew told his teacher his mom is on parole. She's on patrol, serving in the National Guard," Caila C (@Cai_Lyfe) recently tweeted. "Patrol."
The anecdote quickly went viral and was also reposted on several social media platforms, prompting people to share more situations where kids tried to say something but sent the wrong message. Continue scrolling to check out the best ones we compiled just for you!
Image credits: Cai_Lyfe
This post may include affiliate links.
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Learning language is a natural process babies are born knowing how to do. Interestingly, all children, no matter which language their parents speak, learn it in the same way.
Overall, there are three stages of language development, and they occur in a familiar pattern. So, when children are trying to master their native tongue, they follow an expected series of milestones. However, note that individual children will progress at their own pace along this timeline within an expected range of deviation.
#3
Amy Pattie 3 years ago
I casually mentioned once that my dads been inside every prison in the state. He’s a government building inspector.
The first stage is learning sounds.
When babies are born, they are able to hear and distinguish all the sounds in all the languages in the world. That’s about 150 sounds in about 6500 languages, though no language uses all of those sounds.
(The sounds a language uses are called phonemes and English has about 44.)
In this stage, babies learn which phonemes belong to the language they are learning and which don't. The ability to recognize and produce them is called "phonemic awareness."
The best way to promote language development for babies is simple: just talk to them. Babies learn by experiencing (and listening to) the world around them, so the more they are exposed to it the better.
Additionally, you can put words to their actions. Talk to them as you would in conversation, pausing for them to respond, then you can say back what you think they might say if they could. But keep in mind that simply talking to them attentively is enough for them to pick up the language.
#9
juice 3 years ago
it's a percussion instrument that makes a fun rattling sound! maxresdefault.jpg 
Dennis Stanley 3 years ago
That's what's making that weird noise at the beginning of Ozzy's song "Crazy Train".
Language development stage number two is learning words.
At this stage, children learn how the sounds in a language are put together to make meaning. For example, they realize that the sounds m-ah-m-ee refer to the “being” who cuddles and feeds them.
This is a very significant step because everything we say is really just a stream of sounds. To make sense of those sounds, a child must be able to recognize where one word ends and another one begins. These are called “word boundaries.”
#14
However, children are not learning words, per se. They are actually learning morphemes, which are the smallest chunks words can be broken into. A morpheme may be a word on its own or may be combined with other morphemes to form one. So in “mommy,” there are two morphemes: "ma" and "mee."
You can help your child build their language skills by reading to them often. And of course, by having more child-centric conversations with them. Research shows that babies learn language best within a social context.
Another way to encourage their communication and social skills is to mimic their noises and say them back to them. You can also mirror their facial expressions and describe their actions as well as narrate what is happening around them.
The third language development stage is learning sentences.
That means they start putting words in the correct order. For example, they learn that in English we say "I want a cookie" and "I want a chocolate cookie," not "Want I a cookie" or "I want cookie chocolate."
Children also begin to pick up on the difference between grammatical correctness and meaning. Noam Chomsky highlighted this in the sentence “Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.”
Children will know that although the sentence is grammatically correct, it's nonsense.
#20
Just a ray of f'ing sunshine 3 years ago
As a mandated reporter (and, yes I am. I work with foster youth) it is our responsibility to get the facts before we call cps. It's not only important for the case (if there is one) but also so the authorities don't get called out unnecessarily.
To promote language development during this stage, model good speech habits by speaking clearly, looking at them in the eye, refraining from interrupting, and giving them a chance to talk.
You can also expand on what they say to give them an idea of more complex ways to articulate their ideas and requests. Ask your child lots of questions and encourage their questions too to keep the dialog going.
#24
#25
Paul Scheermeijer 3 years ago
Did he ... or just had to retake class over and over for 28 years.....
#26
General Anaesthesia 3 years ago
The surgeon went in for the lobotomy and came out empty handed.
By the time they're 30 to 36 months old, about 90% of what children say is grammatically correct.
The mistakes they make are usually things like adding -ed to irregular verbs to form the past tense. For instance, they might say "I falled down" instead of "I fell down."
But learning to speak is quite the challenge, so no wonder they make bigger mistakes as well. And if the hiccups turn out to be as amusing as the ones in these pictures, they will probably live within the kid's family lore for a very long time!
#27
#29
Bouche Clay 3 years ago
VPN is vocational practical nurse, with the least amount of schooling. LPN is licensed practical nurse, and RN is registered nurse, with the longest amount of schooling. Then there's a nurse practitioner, who is closer to a doctor and can actually prescribe medication. A nurse can also get a PHD.
#31
Emily 3 years ago
Wouldn't the adults be able to tell that, given that this happened in a grocery store with a seafood department, the child meant crabs as in the food, not the other kind (which the child obviously has no idea what they are or that there is a double meaning to the phrase "I've got crabs" or "my mom has crabs!!")? Context clues presumably dictate that it isn't the other kind of crabs.
#32
SheamusFanFrom1987 3 years ago
Well, technically I drink and drive too. Water, energy drinks, coffee etc XP
#33
kitten levels tokyo 3 years ago
Good for you! “If the police police the people, then who polices the police?”
#35
girlsrock4ever 3 years ago (edited)
I could just be paranoid but what if someone broke out of prison and decided to attack his guard's family? Just sayin'... across the street from a prison is NOT a good house location for a family...
#37
setsuriseikou 3 years ago
Pfff, certainly because taking out brains is obviously the best part of any neurosurgical case!
#38
Headless Roach 3 years ago
One of the kindergartens in my city had a teacher note out some time back: "Don't believe ever word your kid tells you about our kindergarten and we promise we will not believe every word your kid tells us about you"
#39
Emily 3 years ago
Like the daycare wouldn't know that a 3-year-old doesn't have the best listening/comprehension skills and would likely misunderstand the name Indiana? Wouldn't the parents tell the daycare what they do for a living (not that they have to, but to specify what their work hours are) so that the daycare would know why that parent wasn't picking the kid up?
#44
#45
Snorky The Pig 3 years ago
Why would you be worried if a kid wants to be a chameleon? Let them be! People worry too much and stifle kids' imaginations WAY too much these days. He'll learn in time! But for now, LET HIM BE A KID!!!
#47
BasedWang12.3 3 years ago
are you even allowed to take a buncha samples home. I think pops was makin a lil side dough
#48
Via Hawk 3 years ago
I once was with my friends and we were out of clean cups, so I used a nice wine glass to put lemonade into. I offered some to my friends little six year old brother who had been staring at the lemonade for quite a while. The next day my friend informed me that her brother told her parents I "offered him a sip of the beer I was drinking" ... We are 17 to make matters worse
#49
GirlFriday 3 years ago
I love this one. When my niece was four, she told me that aunt Dee shot her in the leg and gave her ice cream to keep her quiet. I was like, "at least you got ice cream." I told Aunt Dee about it (Dee is a doctor - the OBGYN mentioned in another post) and she was working at a vaccine clinic. After the vaccinations, the children got ice pops/popsicles/freezies (whatever you call them in your area).
#54
Well-Dressed Wolf 3 years ago
I admit I didn’t get the connection between UConn and Alaska at first… I had to say “UConn” out loud before I realized… Yukon XD
#57
Lynn Morello 3 years ago
I have been asked several times if I would do the Graveyard shift.. My husband hates me working from 3 - 11pm, he would not consider letting me work 11 - 7am.
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jetzzfan 3 years ago
I don't remember the full context, but when my kindergarten teacher said something like "what do we do with the 11?" and I answered "double down!" I got a letter sent home and my dad got yelled at by my mom. He taught me blackjack when I was 3.
Rose the Cook 3 years ago
While others may take what kids say literally, most teachers would be well aware of mispronunciations and use of incorrect words.
Got Myself 4 Pandas 3 years ago
My oldest boy couldn't pronounce popcorn when he was 3/4 - so instead he would loudly request "c**k porn" - he's 17 next week, still has yet to live it down
Buren 3 years ago
This post has done nothing but to convince me that kids are just tiny people with twisted minds.
Bouche Clay 3 years ago
As a daycare worker, I took a Friday off to give my apartment a good cleaning, as my mom was coming to visit. I told the children (3-5). When Steffi got picked up that evening, she said, "Teacher's not coming to school tomorrow. She has to stay home and clean her room. Her mommy's making her."
BonnyDK 3 years ago
When I was in Elementary there were sounds on a record we were supposed to try to identify. I heard a popping sound and yelled out it was a wine bottle. My parents found out some how and were horrified the teacher would think they were drunks. I had never seen them drink. Ever to that point. They did however watch Gunsmoke every time they could along with other westerns that had cowboy bar scenes. I heard it on TV. My son in elementary came home and poured out a bottle of champagne down the sink without me knowing. My mom had gotten it for me to celebrate my divorce. He poured it out because he learned in school about liquor on Drug Awareness day and he didn't want me "drinking drugs"!
JMil 3 years ago
When my daughter (3 at the time) started preschool she had a questionnaire about herself and included questions about parents. After she was done that day, I see that she answered he's "gone" for my name (bad pronunciation of J's at the time) and my job was "drinking" (I'm an engineer, still haven't figured that one out). Several times when I was watching her we have played with her toy medical kit and she told my wife "we played doctor". Now I'm terrified that someone will discover she has an absent, alcoholic father that likes to play doctor when they are alone. 🤦♂️
Deb Simpson 3 years ago
When my daughter was about 3, she kept jumping on my bed. I told her she better stop before she gets hurt and I'll be mad bc she didn't listen. Lo and behold, she slips between the mattress and footboard, hitting her face off of the wood and leaving a bruise. Gram and pap (IN-LAWS that I didn't get along with) asks her what happened and all she says is 'Mommy was mad' Gah!
Paul Tuttle 3 years ago
When my brothers and I were young, Mom and Dad had to go buy a new mattress because their current one started sagging in the middle (due to us jumping up and down on it every Saturday morning, I'm sure). So what did we tell the mattress salesman? "Mommy and Daddy broke the bed! So we're here to get them a new one."
Tammy Leung 3 years ago
I am Chinese and in my family we all paternal cousins brother/sister. One time I (35 years old) went to pick my paternal cousin (4 years old) up from school. "Oh your mother is here." the teacher said. "She is my sister" my cousin said. Teacher did not know what to reply.
Fricsmom 3 years ago
My son started his first week of pre k then we had a family trip. When he returned to school the teacher asked him what he liked about it. He very enthusiastically said he learned how to make a bomb! His older cousin had shown him how to make an explosion with toilet bowl cleaner ( my son was inside not anywhere close). That was an interesting pick up trying to explain we were not indoctrinating our son for violence.
Seedy Vine 3 years ago (edited)
In my ultra religious grade school, while classmates were regaling the nun/teacher with what brands of cigarettes their fathers smoked, I piped up with "My dad rolls his own!" A few helicopters circled our property after that, looking for a pot farm. Sorry, Dad!
Christine 3 years ago
That's *quite* the leap to take from "rolls his own".
Load More Replies... Mike Crow 3 years ago
When my son was eight I was in film school and I made a short film that had a few of his friends in it as extras. One of them was so proud she was in the film she ran up to the teacher and told her she was in an adult film. Luckily the teacher already knew about the project.
Donna Cheung 3 years ago
My kid told the teacher "we moved and our family no longer lives together", when all we did was move to another flat, then for the first night their dad stayed at the new place to clean up while I was at the old place with the kids, so the next day the kids have a clean place to come home to...
GirlFriday 3 years ago
My nephew told his teacher that his mom cuts up a babies in the middle of the night. His mother is a OBGYN surgeon and he heard Mom telling Dad that she got called in to do an emergency C-Section. When he asked his dad was a C-section was, Dad said that was when they had to cut the baby out of the mommy's tummy to keep them both safe.
Ivana Bašić 3 years ago
But wouldn't it be on the form? My profession is right under our address, they know where we work. The "dealer" misunderstanding would be cleared in 5 minutes.
Sheena Leversedge Wood 1 year ago
this one is very niche, but it came up in a Good Omens (TV show based on a wonderful book) facebook group. the teacher had a word with them, because when rehearsing the school nativity, one child forgot their line, and the teacher prompted "and what does Gabriel say?" and their child shouted out "shut your stupid mouth and die already" (a line from the show) they said they were just relieved he didn't say "I'm the Archangel f***ing Gabriel, Sunshine"
Andrew Hall 1 year ago
When I was teaching we used to use ball bearings to practise skills with the weighing scales. Invariably some ended up on the floor. A little boy called me over to say there was a barbarian under the table.
jetzzfan 3 years ago
I don't remember the full context, but when my kindergarten teacher said something like "what do we do with the 11?" and I answered "double down!" I got a letter sent home and my dad got yelled at by my mom. He taught me blackjack when I was 3.
Rose the Cook 3 years ago
While others may take what kids say literally, most teachers would be well aware of mispronunciations and use of incorrect words.
Got Myself 4 Pandas 3 years ago
My oldest boy couldn't pronounce popcorn when he was 3/4 - so instead he would loudly request "c**k porn" - he's 17 next week, still has yet to live it down
Buren 3 years ago
This post has done nothing but to convince me that kids are just tiny people with twisted minds.
Bouche Clay 3 years ago
As a daycare worker, I took a Friday off to give my apartment a good cleaning, as my mom was coming to visit. I told the children (3-5). When Steffi got picked up that evening, she said, "Teacher's not coming to school tomorrow. She has to stay home and clean her room. Her mommy's making her."
BonnyDK 3 years ago
When I was in Elementary there were sounds on a record we were supposed to try to identify. I heard a popping sound and yelled out it was a wine bottle. My parents found out some how and were horrified the teacher would think they were drunks. I had never seen them drink. Ever to that point. They did however watch Gunsmoke every time they could along with other westerns that had cowboy bar scenes. I heard it on TV. My son in elementary came home and poured out a bottle of champagne down the sink without me knowing. My mom had gotten it for me to celebrate my divorce. He poured it out because he learned in school about liquor on Drug Awareness day and he didn't want me "drinking drugs"!
JMil 3 years ago
When my daughter (3 at the time) started preschool she had a questionnaire about herself and included questions about parents. After she was done that day, I see that she answered he's "gone" for my name (bad pronunciation of J's at the time) and my job was "drinking" (I'm an engineer, still haven't figured that one out). Several times when I was watching her we have played with her toy medical kit and she told my wife "we played doctor". Now I'm terrified that someone will discover she has an absent, alcoholic father that likes to play doctor when they are alone. 🤦♂️
Deb Simpson 3 years ago
When my daughter was about 3, she kept jumping on my bed. I told her she better stop before she gets hurt and I'll be mad bc she didn't listen. Lo and behold, she slips between the mattress and footboard, hitting her face off of the wood and leaving a bruise. Gram and pap (IN-LAWS that I didn't get along with) asks her what happened and all she says is 'Mommy was mad' Gah!
Paul Tuttle 3 years ago
When my brothers and I were young, Mom and Dad had to go buy a new mattress because their current one started sagging in the middle (due to us jumping up and down on it every Saturday morning, I'm sure). So what did we tell the mattress salesman? "Mommy and Daddy broke the bed! So we're here to get them a new one."
Tammy Leung 3 years ago
I am Chinese and in my family we all paternal cousins brother/sister. One time I (35 years old) went to pick my paternal cousin (4 years old) up from school. "Oh your mother is here." the teacher said. "She is my sister" my cousin said. Teacher did not know what to reply.
Fricsmom 3 years ago
My son started his first week of pre k then we had a family trip. When he returned to school the teacher asked him what he liked about it. He very enthusiastically said he learned how to make a bomb! His older cousin had shown him how to make an explosion with toilet bowl cleaner ( my son was inside not anywhere close). That was an interesting pick up trying to explain we were not indoctrinating our son for violence.
Seedy Vine 3 years ago (edited)
In my ultra religious grade school, while classmates were regaling the nun/teacher with what brands of cigarettes their fathers smoked, I piped up with "My dad rolls his own!" A few helicopters circled our property after that, looking for a pot farm. Sorry, Dad!
Christine 3 years ago
That's *quite* the leap to take from "rolls his own".
Load More Replies... Mike Crow 3 years ago
When my son was eight I was in film school and I made a short film that had a few of his friends in it as extras. One of them was so proud she was in the film she ran up to the teacher and told her she was in an adult film. Luckily the teacher already knew about the project.
Donna Cheung 3 years ago
My kid told the teacher "we moved and our family no longer lives together", when all we did was move to another flat, then for the first night their dad stayed at the new place to clean up while I was at the old place with the kids, so the next day the kids have a clean place to come home to...
GirlFriday 3 years ago
My nephew told his teacher that his mom cuts up a babies in the middle of the night. His mother is a OBGYN surgeon and he heard Mom telling Dad that she got called in to do an emergency C-Section. When he asked his dad was a C-section was, Dad said that was when they had to cut the baby out of the mommy's tummy to keep them both safe.
Ivana Bašić 3 years ago
But wouldn't it be on the form? My profession is right under our address, they know where we work. The "dealer" misunderstanding would be cleared in 5 minutes.
Sheena Leversedge Wood 1 year ago
this one is very niche, but it came up in a Good Omens (TV show based on a wonderful book) facebook group. the teacher had a word with them, because when rehearsing the school nativity, one child forgot their line, and the teacher prompted "and what does Gabriel say?" and their child shouted out "shut your stupid mouth and die already" (a line from the show) they said they were just relieved he didn't say "I'm the Archangel f***ing Gabriel, Sunshine"
Andrew Hall 1 year ago
When I was teaching we used to use ball bearings to practise skills with the weighing scales. Invariably some ended up on the floor. A little boy called me over to say there was a barbarian under the table.
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