7 Hilariously Silly Things We All Believed as Kids
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Childhood is a time full of discovery, wonder, and, let’s be honest, a few downright silly beliefs. Who didn’t think the moon was following them everywhere they went or that chocolate milk came from brown cows? Our young minds were full of quirky ideas, shaped by curiosity, wild imagination, and our efforts to make sense of the world around us.
Now, as adults, we look back and laugh, but it’s pretty amazing to realize just how many strange beliefs we actually held.
In this article, we explore 7 of the most common and downright hilarious myths we all believed as kids. So, sit back, relax, and join us on a nostalgic journey down memory lane. After all, no one escapes childhood myths unscathed!
The Moon Follows You Everywhere
As children, it wasn’t uncommon to glance out the window and notice the moon seeming to follow us wherever we went. Whether it was walking home from school or driving in the car, that bright, glowing orb would appear to be right there with us.
This belief likely arose from the fact that the moon, being so prominent in the night sky, seems to move in sync with our own movements.
The moon doesn’t follow us, of course. Its orbit around the Earth is constant, but from our perspective on the ground, it may appear to follow our movements because of how we see the world and the moon’s position in the sky. It’s all about perspective—and a little bit of childhood wonder!
Swallowed Watermelon Seeds Grow into a Tree
Ah, the classic warning from well-meaning adults: “Don’t swallow those watermelon seeds, or you’ll grow a watermelon tree in your stomach!” It sounded pretty convincing to a child, right?
This myth likely emerged from the simple fact that watermelon seeds, when planted in soil, do grow into new watermelon plants. So, it wasn’t too far-fetched for kids to assume that swallowing seeds would lead to something similar inside their bodies.
Swallowing watermelon seeds will not cause a tree to grow inside you. While the seeds may pass through your digestive system without being digested, they’re not going to sprout into a plant. The myth likely came from adults trying to dissuade kids from eating too many seeds, as well as the natural fascination with how plants grow.
Chocolate Milk Comes from Brown Cows
It’s a common misconception, especially in rural areas or among kids with little exposure to farming, that chocolate milk comes from brown cows. With milk coming from cows in the first place, it wasn’t such a leap to believe that the brown cows produced the chocolate variety
Kids often make connections based on simple cause and effect. Since we saw cows grazing in fields and milk being sold at the store, it was an easy assumption to make that the color of the cow determined the color of the milk. Chocolate milk in particular, which was often seen as a treat, seemed to come from some special breed of cow.
Chocolate milk is simply regular milk that has been flavored with chocolate syrup or powder. The color of the cow has absolutely nothing to do with the milk’s flavor. While cows come in many colors, milk itself is white, and any flavors are added later.
Monsters Lurk Under the Bed
Every child has experienced that unsettling moment when the lights go off, and the mind starts imagining strange creatures lurking in the dark corners of the room. A common myth was that monsters lived under the bed, just waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.
Children’s imaginations are incredibly vivid, and in the absence of any clear evidence to the contrary, it’s easy to create stories about things that are unseen. The space under the bed, dark and shadowy, was an ideal hiding place for our imaginary monsters.
Fear of the unknown is a natural part of childhood, and monsters under the bed became a convenient way for kids to process that fear.
There are no monsters under the bed—just dust bunnies, forgotten socks, and other harmless items that have rolled under there.
Cracking Your Knuckles Will Give You Arthritis
One of the most persistent myths of childhood is the idea that cracking your knuckles will lead to arthritis later in life. It’s a warning that many adults give to children, perhaps to get them to stop the annoying habit, but it’s not based on medical fact.
This belief likely originated from the sound of knuckles cracking, which many people find unpleasant or alarming. To discourage the behavior, adults created the myth that it could lead to joint problems. Children, trusting authority figures, often took this at face value.
There’s no scientific evidence to support the claim that cracking your knuckles leads to arthritis. The sound of cracking comes from bubbles of gas in the joints being released, not from damage to the bones or cartilage. While excessive cracking could cause some discomfort or mild irritation, it doesn’t cause arthritis.
If You Make a Face, It’ll Get Stuck That Way
This myth, often used to scold children for making funny faces or sticking out their tongues, warns that if you make a face long enough, it will get stuck in that position forever.
This warning likely came from parents trying to discourage unwanted behavior, such as sticking out your tongue or making faces at the table. The idea of a permanent facial expression was an easy way to get children to stop.
Making faces won’t keep your features in that position. Your facial muscles are perfectly capable of returning to their normal state.
The World Was in Black and White Before Color TV
Before the advent of color television, it wasn’t uncommon for kids to believe that the world itself was once black and white. After all, old photos and movies were in black and white, so it wasn’t too far-fetched to think that the entire world must have been that way before color TV arrived.
Kids have an innate tendency to believe what they see, and the historical context of black-and-white media led many children to draw the conclusion that the past was devoid of color.
The world has always been in color—what’s changed is how we capture and display images.
Conclusion
As adults, we look back on these childhood beliefs with a sense of amusement and wonder. They were part of the magical thinking that helped us make sense of the world as children. While many of these myths are far from the truth, they shaped our understanding of the world in unique and often hilarious ways.
And while we may not believe in these myths anymore, there’s something undeniably charming about the innocence of childhood imagination.
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