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Being a kid was not easy. The world was full of threats, and you could take nothing for granted. If you swallowed a seed, the plant would grow in your body. A psycho would hide behind the shower curtain every time you entered the bathroom. And for dessert, you could never skip a square when walking down the sidewalk, ‘cause you'd either get someone close to you in trouble, or (pick one) the plague would start.

Luckily, we are all past this point and as grown adults, most of these irrational fears are far behind us. But that doesn't mean we don’t remember them, since so many people on Twitter feel like it was yesterday. After one woman who goes by the Twitter handle @torY asked “did anyone else go through a phase as a kid where u were genuinely concerned ab the bermuda triangle?” it soon became evident that not only was she not the only one, but that there are many more threats we had to endure as kids.

So let’s see what things used to send chills down our spine right down below, and please remember, even if those fears may look unreasonable today, it doesn’t mean they weren’t real and distressing then.

#1

Things-Terrified-As-Kid

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Johnny
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I remember going to the elementary school library to research how to survive quicksand - I was convinced that I was bound to get stuck in a patch of quicksand on my way to school. Somehow I managed to avoid that hazard all my life despite its prevalence in cartoons and TV.

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Juririn
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I still have chills just thinkig about it and I am fifty :/

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Stephanie Did It
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was 7-9 years old we were stationed in France. We visited Mount St Michel which is on an isthmus (an island connected to mainland by a long narrow land bridge that is underwater at high tide). We were told that when the tide is out, the place is surrounded by quicksand. I got separated from my family and for the couple hours I was lost, all I could think about was that the quicksand was gonna get me. Not starving, not dangerous people--quicksand.

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Leslie Burleson
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I definitely thought there would be more quicksand . I feel a little cheated honestly

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Transat
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes I thought the same, but so far I'm lucky. I was also expecting situations where i would have to swing from liana to liana ...

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CatWoman312
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes I assumed at some point in my life I would be stuck in some, I haven’t even seen it IRL

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Yvonne Blau
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Everyone who watched Lawrence of Arabia as a kid I guess. At least that's what did it for me o_o

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Cheche
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This still bothers me, even when I know it's not going to kill you. I think many movies affected this. Mad max 3 comes to mind as one.

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Leo Domitrix
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Since my sister's favorite sneakers are still somewhere in a patch of quicksand/quickmud? Yes, I did worry about this. But someday, paleontologists will know she wore size 8 Nike!

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Maddz
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I used to think I could find it just walking through a park, or that it had that weird black hole effect were it just sucks up everything within then feet.

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Lola
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is definitely an issue I still deal with in my adult life. That and sinkholes.

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AnimalMetalHeadUK
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, we had kids safety adverts in the 80's and one was about quicksand, it stayed with us all for years.

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Christian Laurendine
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

“I used to sit around and think about what to DO about quicksand. I never thought about how to handle REAL problems. I was never like 'Oh, what's it going to be like when relatives ask to borrow money?' "

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StnFlwr
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was 3 maybe, my foot went into some mud in a creek/stream, and I thought it was quicksand.

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Susan Lighon
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Vampire movies I used to sleep with a towel wrapped around my neck.

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Chuck Freiman
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yep. I liked to watch old Tarzan movies and somebody was always getting caught in quicksand.

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Agnes Jekyll
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This did keep me up at night. My grandmother had quicksand on her property, but she told me only a horse ever got caught in it--my boyfriend also told me, one day while we were walking around his parents', not to go over there (wave hand in vague direction), quicksand! So, it's a thing.

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NWB
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

yes....a lot more!! I was expecting to see it everywhere sand was gunna be!

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Cheryl Fontaine
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was afraid of chickens from about age two on and have never gotten over it... I know what caused it, that knowledge does not help.

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Melissa Hill
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have seen this statement tweeted so many times it has ceased to be funny at this point.

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Diana Cartwright
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm still waiting for it to happen. I can't have been scared so many years in vain!

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#3

Things-Terrified-As-Kid

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Lauren Caswell
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was scared of quicksand, piranhas and accidental body swaps or time travel XD overactive imagination and anxiety, me? Never XD

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To find out more about fears among children, Bored Panda reached out to Dr. Kristin Pleines, a clinical social therapist at Manhattan Play Therapy who specializes in doing trauma work to help young families and children. Kristin explained that irrational fears happen to kids of all ages, and there are very common fears that children in different age groups may experience.

Kristin suggests that parents validate their child’s feelings first. “We want the child to feel validated, supported, and safe.” She gave an example of a seven-year-old afraid of being snuck up on by a snake—a child who has never even encountered a snake.

“You might say something like, ‘I'm sorry you feel scared. We all get scared sometimes, and I know it's not fun. But there aren't any snakes in our house, and we aren't going to keep looking for them, because you're safe here. I think your brain is playing a little trick on you, so let's find a way to distract it!’”

#4

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Remi Flynne
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It’s something which lots of people think is a fact but there’s no law against driving with your interior lights on. But at night it can be distracting or interfere with your vision by reflecting off of the inside of the windscreen. If you’re pulled over and it’s decided that your light was a probable cause in any bad driving, you can expect to get a careless driving charge though.

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#5

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Daria B
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's a very common myth, so don't worry. ^_- Also the one with watermelon growing in your stomach if you swallow the seeds.

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Another way is to get creative. “For example, you might pretend to be snakes and wiggle around, or start to research different kinds of unique snakes together. This is actually a type of exposure, which helps desensitize the child to his or her fear,” Kristin said.

Usually, irrational fears tend to go away on their own as children develop. Only if the fear persists for more than a few months, or if it begins to interfere with the child's daily functioning, Kristin recommends that parents consult a therapist.

“For example, if a child begins avoiding situations that he or she previously enjoyed in an effort to avoid reminders of their fear, this is a sign that the fear might be better addressed with the help of a professional.”

The therapist also explained that irrational fears can be caused by trauma, OCD, and anxiety, and “there is a particular nuance to addressing fears based on their underlying cause.”

#7

Things-Terrified-As-Kid

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Monday
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I used to have this weird fear that if I were swimming I'd kick a dead body at the bottom of the pool...I have no idea why

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#11

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Hubertus Touché
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

With the farts my dad produced spontaneous combustion really didn't seem to be that far off to me...

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#12

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GirlFriday
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

SO MUCH YES!!! I didn't have a car seat as a child, I rode in the back of pick up trucks, I walked the bank of the Mississippi river alone, but GOD FORBID I should swim right after eating.

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#13

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Lucas
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I enjoyed watching it but as kids we knew it was just an illusion. My parents must have been quite upfront and honest about most things.

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#14

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Shelp
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's why you always answer your children's questions

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#15

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WilvanderHeijden
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It isn't poisonous but you can choke on it. https://www.healthline.com/health/digestive-health/what-happens-if-you-eat-silica-gel

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#16

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GirlFriday
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My very first home had a basement and I was so terrified of this that the first thing I did in fixing it up was have a light switch installed at the top of the stairs. That was literally #1 on the fixer-upper list. My father (who was helping with the fixing up) was like, first thing should be get rid of the carpet, and I was like NO, BASEMENT LIGHTS CONTROLLED AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS.

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#17

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Celeste Grant
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had a phase as a child where I thought eating spicy food might cause me to combust in my sleep so would have a long shower before bed... as water would stop any fire that had started inside me... sounds crazy but I guess there is some kid logic in there somewhere.

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#19

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Remi Flynne
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That isn't emphasising a danger, that is exaggerating and unreasonably scaring that poor child. Teaching care is one thing, giving people lifelong phobias isn't good parenting.

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#21

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Octavia Hansen
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In the days of VHS tape, one of my friends pulled the FBI copyright warnings out of all his tapes and spliced them together in an empty cassette. 2 hours of FBI warnings! Very Andy Warhol-ish . . .

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#22

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Queen Mab
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My concern was volcanos. I read a book when I was in grade school about a farmer in Mexico who saw a volcano erupt from his corn field. Mind you, I lived in Florida (before it became awful ) which is comprised mainly of sandstone with no tectonic plate with hundreds of miles. I was suspicious of every hole in the ground. Worried about it for years.

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#23

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troufaki13
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was scared that if I sat on the toilet too long, then a snake-like monster would emerge from the water and bite my ass

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#24

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Bardhi's Dad
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't know if every swimming pool have shark, but some of them certainly do. I'm sure!

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#27

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Perfumista Perfumista
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Our dog got skunked so yes. I was terrified. I am allergic to tomatoes, so bathing in tomato juice would not have been an option for me.

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#29

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WilvanderHeijden
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If people keep destroying the habitat of animals, they must not be surprised when the animals move into the peoples habitat.

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#30

Things-Terrified-As-Kid

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Lauren Caswell
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was 18 when this was released and tbh she creeped me out! I remember thinking that's a bit too much for kids. When her glasses and wig came off was one awful, but her talking to them and her creepy "cat" has to be the worst bit of that scene

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