Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
1.1Mviews
192submissions
Finished
People Are Posting Their Most Embarrassing Childhood Photos, And It’s Impossible Not To Laugh
We all have THAT embarrassing photo from the past that we kept in a locked drawer or a hidden computer folder. As much as our former selves would hate to admit, our moms were right when they said it was just a phase.
Bored Panda has recently asked its users to post their most regretful childhood pictures. Now, we've picked out the funniest ones and combined them with other embarrassing throwback photographs for the ultimate effect. The list features shots of angsty Marilyn Manson fans, color-matching divas, and other hilarious photos. Even if some of these 'phases' might seem distant to you, they're all part of the period we all go through - the search for identity. Scroll down to enjoy the photos, and don't hesitate to submit your own!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Ahh, 1988. The Year My Family Had The Same Haircut
Zenozenobee 7 years ago
Everyone, keep this picture in mine. Now, let's talk about how we will see man bun and tie and die in 30 years.
RELATED:
#2
I Count 6 Bangs
#3
I Thought I Was The Baddest Sh*t
#4
I Begged My Parents For This Picture
#5
I Shaved The Middle Of My Head And Dressed Up Like An Old Man In High School
#6
I Show My Boyfriend One Picture From My Childhood And Suddenly Reproducing With Me Is Off The Table
#7
I Took The Ginger To The Next Level
#8
Blundering Through 2nd Grade
#9
I Was A Vampire. No, It Wasn't Halloween
#10
Business On The Top, Party On The Sides
#11
Found This Picture Of Me 15 Years Ago Hanging Up At My Grandmothers Today At Thanksgiving
#12
When I Was 8 And In A Dance Club
#13
Facebook Friend Posted Her Childhood Glamour Shots
#14
When My Daughter Asks Why She Can't Wear Things She Thinks Are "Cool", I Show Her This Photo From My Freshmen Year In Highschool
#15
My Husband's 2003 Homecoming Photo
#16
Get Off Of Me Dad I'm Trying To Be Miserable
#17
Gr.12, 2003. Yep
Final score:
161points
Miriam Hardy 7 years ago
Don't judge. We went through this terrible fashion in the late 90s/early 00s so people today could be free to have colorful hair and messy buns and man buns without reproach. Salute these martyrs of fashion as the trailblazers they are.
#18
Don't Worry, I Wore The Cat Ears Every Day Of 8th Grade, Not Just On Picture Day
Janice Foster 7 years ago
Love this caption. That reassurance will allow me to sleep well tonight!
#19
I Thought The Hair Made Me Look Cool. I Sometimes Wore It In A Pony Tail. I'm A Guy
#20
I Can't Believe I Used To Rock This Look The Majority Of The Time
#21
I Beaded This "Head Dress" Myself Specifically For This Picture
#22
I Thought I Could Be The Next Shuffling Sensation
#23
When I Was 13 I Went To A Party Where Males Had To Dress As Females And Vice Versa. I'm Embarrassed To Say I May Have Gone Too Far
#24
The Greatest Bowl Cut Of All Time
Miriam Hardy 7 years ago
My ten yr old kid said, "looks like they stuck half a coconut on his head. Why?!"
#25
Matrix Inspired Outfit I Wore To School In 2008
#27
I Should Have Listened To My Shirt
#28
I Used To Wear An Umbrella Hat To School Every Rainy Day In 4th Grade
#29
My Friend Has The Best Awkward Childhood Photo Ever
#31
I Looked Like An Old Jewish Man In 9th Grade
#32
Apparently My Blades Made Me Feel Fabulous
#33
I Recently Visited My Sister Who Shared Her Favorite Childhood Photo Of Me - The Time I Married My Giant Stuffed Pikachu, Ricky
#34
So Dark. So Tortured. This Was Taken At A Mall's Bathroom
#35
I'm The Unfortunate Soul On The Right
#36
I Thought I'd Get All The Ladies
#37
I Made A Lot Of Friends On My First Day Of Highschool
#38
Everything Had To Be Red And Black, My Lunchbox Was Red And Black, My Bike Was Red And Black, My Stashbox Was Red And Black, My Wallet Was Red And Black
#39
My Mom's Boyfriend In Eighth Grade, Sporting A Mullet/Bowl Cut
Sarcasticow 7 years ago
I felt the most thankful to God for my dad, the day I saw a pic of my mom's ex-boyfriend
#40
First Day Of School Junior Year. And Yes, My Boxers Were Also Tie Dye
#41
High School, I Don't Know How To Explain
#42
I Was An 11 Year Old Lesbian Aunt
Andy Atwell 7 years ago
"I Was An 11 Year Old Lesbian Aunt" OK, you just won the InTeRwEbS today with that caption! LOL
#43
I Present To You All: My 2009 Hairstyle
#44
This Is Why I Never Had A Girlfriend In High School. I Looked 35 When I Was 14
#45
My Grandma Sewed Me Some Sequined Socks And A Glove For My 10th Birthday Because I Was A Big Michael Jackson Fan
#46
My Dad Still Has These Photos Of Me Up In His Walls
#47
My Sister And I Looking Hot In The 70's. I'm Headed To Woodstock... She's Off To Oktobetfest!
Final score:
95points
#48
I Actually Went To College Like This
#49
My Mom Made Matching Outfits For Me, My Fourth Grade Teacher, And Her Daughter
#50
This Wasn't For Halloween... I Dressed Up Like This Every Day After I Came Home From School And Danced To The Musical 'Cats' For About A Year
Sia Parker 7 years ago
I bet you can rock 'Memory' I used to come walk home in my mother's fur coat belting "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina," and sang it in front of the whole speech class as part of our mandatory public speaking requirement... still wearing that damn coat.
#51
I Thought I Was Super Hot In This
#52
Do I Win?
#53
Why Didn't My Parents Sit Me Down And Have A Word?
#54
I Used To Walk The Streets Talking About Anarchy... This Is Roughly 2003... I Walked Around Like That
#55
A Decade Later, My Mom Still Tells Me This Is Her Favorite Senior Photo Of Me
#56
I Was Dwight Schrute When I Was 15
#57
In Response To The Friend With The Embarrassing Childhood Photo I Submit My Husband's
#58
Multi Colored Hair, Way Too Tight Girl-Hoody, Gym Pants Under Sagging Baggy Jeans, Necklace Made Of Monster Caps And Bandanas, And That Damn Zune
#59
Mom Jeans And A Tamagotchi Keychain
Anna Barceloca 7 years ago
Yeah, sure, because mom jeans and Tamagotchi are clearly the oddest features in this picture... NOT.
#60
It Was The 80's! All 8 Year Olds Dressed Like Librarians
Final score:
75points
Kirsty Buckland 7 years ago
You look like you should be a receptionist for the Ghostbusters lol. Very cute though.
#61
I Insisted That My Furby Be In My Sixth Grade School Picture With Me
#62
Just One Of My Yearbook Photos
#63
I Still Don't Understand Why Girls Just Wanted To Be Friends In High School (2002)
#64
I'm Reaaaaly Glad My Parents Still Have This On Their Fridge. 1998
#65
My Karate Days. And Yes, I Picked Out The Background Myself
#66
I Was 4 Going On 60
#68
My Boy Greg's 1992 Year Book Photo
#69
Despite My Hair Stylist's Advice Against It I Always Requested This Ziggurat Cut
#70
Wore This Hand Knitted Jumper With Matching Beanie A Lot In High School
#71
15-Year-Old Me... Emo With Propeller Hat On Mackinac Island, MI
#72
Playing Starcraft On 56k, Strategizing With My Buddy Pre-Bluetooth/Skype
Sweep the Leg 7 years ago
I used to do this with those stretchy, wide headbands. I'd secure the phone in the headband, wrapped from top of head to under jaw. Kids these days will never know the struggle.
#73
The 90's Were Not Kind To Me
#74
Everyone Knew Me
JillVille Child Care 7 years ago
Aaaahhh! Headgear flashbacks!! My classmates used to pull my hair out through the bands on the top of my head while sitting behind me. The worst ever. Braces were a cruel and unusual punishment to children too young to respect them.
#75
Grew Up In A Predominately Black Neighborhood, Wanted To Fit In More
#76
I Was So Proud Of My Hair That Day. Scene Boy From First Period, I'm Coming For You
#77
My Hair Was An Actual Triangle In 1987
JillVille Child Care 7 years ago
Oh man, I remember when my aunt permed my hair because it was the thing and mine looked just like this until an hour after the perm was done and I took a brush to it and ruined the whole thing! Still had triangle hair for a long time though, lol I feel ya!
#78
Behold My Senior Photo
#79
8th Grade Winter Formal With My 7th Grade Boyfriend (1998)
#80
My Bangs Look Like A Comb
#81
Worst Picture Of My Siblings And Me, Overall
#82
My Sister Has Been Doing Her Best To Embarrass Me With Photos Of My Teenage Goth Years. I Regret Nothing. I Was So Cool
#83
A Little Known Fact That Prior To Keaton, I Was The Batman
#84
Just Gonna Leave This Here
#85
I Woke Up And Decided My Hair Was Gonna Be Yuuuuuuge
#86
It Took 9 Years, But I Finally Finished That Moustache
#87
"Exploring My Options" My Senior Picture In Class Of 2000
#88
At Age 15 I Thought I Was The Only True Goth In Middle School, And That Everyone Else Were Posers Or Copycats
#89
When I Was Fourteen I Was A Diva Who Had To Harmonise All The Colors
#90
Mom Let Me Do My Own Hair In 4th Grade. September 1994
Final score:
55points
#91
I Went To School Like This More Than Once
#92
High School Was A Strange Time
#93
My Husband's 1999 Senior Photos
#94
2007. It Makes My Face Itchy Just Looking At It
#95
My Husband, On The Left, And His Best Friend, 1999. Aren't They Precious?
#96
Me At 13 With My Jew Fro And Discovering Rocky Horror Picture Show (And Yes, My Mom Took The Picture)
Natalia Sanchez 7 years ago
You did remind me before looking at the caption. You need a pearl necklace tho :P
#97
I'll Never Forget How Much Work Went Into This Myspace Pic
Sweep the Leg 7 years ago
I miss MySpace. The Internet was new-ish, and we were all so innocent.
#99
Styled Like A Soccer Mom At 13
#100
I Couldn't Go To The Beach Without Bringing Along Jeans And A Bad Attitude
Sia Parker 7 years ago
I remember those days of "forced" beach exposure, which required SPF 10,000 and a gothy black parasol.
#101
The Most Embarrassing Photo
#102
Why Yes, That Is A Paper Steering Wheel I've Fashioned
#103
I Took This Picture At A Lady Gaga Concert 6 Years Ago To Check If My Makeup Still Looked Good. The Answer Is Obviously Yes
#104
I Am Not Proud Of My Middle School Attempts At Being Random
#105
Guys This Was Me When I Was 15
#106
(2010) Apparently 12-Year-Old Me Thought Tying A Shoelace To A Cassette Tape And Wearing It Around My Neck Was Fashionable
#107
In Middle School I Decided To Do Theater So I Could Meet Girls. I Recently Found Picture Of Me At The Height Of My Acting Career
#108
Found My Senior Pictures And Came Across This Gem
#109
My Friend When He Was Younger. Unfortunately He's Lost His Sense Of Style Since Then
#110
Parents Told Me Playing Volleyball Would Get Me All The Ladies
#111
I Ain't Even A Woman
#112
Me Going To School After Seeing High School Musical For The First Time (2007 Ish)
#113
8th Grade Year. I Facepalm Everytime
#114
My Brother's Sophomore Portrait Circa 2001. He's Somehow A Navy Officer Now
#115
I Assumed The Male Costume For Mary Poppins Would Be The Chimney Sweep. I Was Wrong
#117
Husband's Senior Picture Via 2002
#118
6th Grade Definition Of Sex Appeal
#119
How Was I Ever Single?
#120
Not Really Sure What My Thought Process Behind This Was
#121
I Was A Fan Of Britney Spears Back Then
Final score:
39points
#123
When I Was 12 Or 13, I Borrowed My Grandma's Fur Coat And Made My Mom Be My Photographer. I Was Obsessed With America's Next Top Model (And Hot Topic)
#124
1977, I Really Wanted A Shirt "Like Those Guys On Soul Train" So I Had My Mom Make Me One. Also Stitches In Upper Lip, And Some Bit Of Food On My Front Tooth. Not My Best Year For School Photos
#125
I Had Many Phases Growing Up, But The Cowboy Phase Was By Far The Worst
#126
Me And My Sister Looking Fab... #80ies
Final score:
36points
#127
1988, No Front Teeth, Mom As A Stylist.
Final score:
36points
#128
Me, 15, In 1987. This Was A Full Page In My 87-88 High School Yearbook. What? I Was A Metalhead!
Final score:
35points
Sia Parker 7 years ago
"..laughs and prepares to do a wheelie across the school lawn." That caption 😂
#129
2003 Was A Rough Year
#130
On My Way To My First Middle School Birthday Party Where Girls Were Also Invited. I Was Really Into Limp Bizkit At The Time. I Never Dressed Like This At School, I Don't Know What I Was Thinking
#131
Admittedly, As An Artist My Style Hasn't Changed All That Much, Maybe Just Tad More Refined
Final score:
34points
#132
The Hover Hand. I Can't Look At This Photo Without Cringing
#133
I Still Don't Know What Made 19-Year-Old Me Think The Mustache Was A Good Idea
#134
In '99, Band Mates Didn't Smile For Album Covers... Or Look In The Same Direction. I'm The Cool Guy In Red
Zenozenobee 7 years ago
This kind of rattan chair just bring the movie "Emmanuelle" in every French adult mind ;p
#135
Captioned On Facebook As "With My Boyfriend <3". Actually Thought This Was Cool. 7th Grade
#136
Our Mom Worked For Hours To Achieve These Bangs
Final score:
32points
#137
I Thought I Looked So Cool With My Taz Shirt And Braids (1994ish)
Final score:
30points
Nickie LaRue 7 years ago
I had a penchant for oversized Looney tunes shirts in 9th grade. With a short, horrible haircut. I have a pic of me in a taz shirt, mugging at the camera with my boyfriend...
#138
Cira 1994 Or So
Final score:
30points
JillVille Child Care 7 years ago
I did that to my walls (the paint in the background) of my bedroom when I was 16/17, my parents were mortified, but couldn't say anything since I bought the paint myself. 20+ years later and the paint job is still up and the room is my Dad's man cave now, hahaha!
#139
My Facebook Profile Picture When I Was 17. Caption: You Wanna Date My Sister? How Cute
#140
My 6th Grade Gangster Phase
#141
My Tear Drop Glasses And Curly Mullet. The Life Of A Young Montanan
#142
I Thought I Looked So Badass For My Senior Prom
#143
Prom 2001 - I Took The Blue Pill
#144
Middle School Was Complicated, But A G Never Quits
#145
I Really Liked SKA
#146
The 90's Were A Strange Time
#147
That Was Too Cute, I Didn't Even Like Horses :)
Final score:
28points
#148
90's Style At His Best
Final score:
27points
cassiushumanmother (Submission author) 7 years ago
i didn't realize but the pic say "HISTORIC", indeed...
#149
That Time In Grade School I Dressed Up As Boy George For "hero Day".
Final score:
27points
#150
Taken In 1980. I'm The One In The Peach Terrycloth Short Set Complete With A Bad Perm And A Plastic Baseball Cap
Final score:
25points
Janet Margaret 7 years ago
love this pic... everyone loved posing like that back then, everyone hugging. This is a typical 70/80s teen pic, no matter where you're from!
#151
My Uncle As A Soviet Teen In The 80's. My Grandmother Sewed Those Shorts For Him At His Request.
Final score:
24points
#152
I Bleached My Hair And Wore A Trench Coat Out In Public For About Two Years. Here's Me At A Family Gathering Looking Like A Terrible Steampunk Cosplayer
#154
My Nephew And Me In The Same Lederhosen Before Going To School. In The United States.
Final score:
22points
#156
...yes I Was A Difficult Child.
Final score:
20points
Sia Parker 7 years ago
You just demanded a popsicle made from the blood of your enemies, didn't you.
#157
The First Day Having My Period. Poised On Womanhood~
Final score:
20points
#159
I Seriously Thought I Looked Like A Movie Star In This Outfit
Final score:
18points
#160
8th Grade. Captioned As "This Is The Path I Chose". My Mom Took This Picture
#161
Me In Japan - 2007
#163
I Was The Cool Kid In School Xd
Final score:
17points
#164
I Wore This Hat To Bed A Lot....
Final score:
17points
#165
14 Year Old Me (2007). Thought I Was The Coolest, Most Misunderstood Goth Girl In Town.. I Cringe When I Look At Those Old Photos
Final score:
17points
#166
Not Exactly Sure As To Why I Wanted To Ruin My Birthday Photo..
Final score:
17points
#167
If You Put Some Spaghetti Over Your Head, It Would Look Like This! (I Don't Regret It... For Some Reason)
Final score:
16points
#168
94' As You Can See, I Was Very Cool.
Final score:
16points
#169
2 Years Of Being A Little Boy
Final score:
15points
#170
My Mom Helped Me Take This For My 7th Grade Profile Picture
#171
Ah, The 80s. Powder Blue Nylon Suit With Disco Collar - Complete With The Gold Razor Necklace.
Final score:
15points
#172
Me (left, 13) And My Sister (right, 10). It Was My Grandmas Idea...
Final score:
14points
#174
Pastel Was In... Along With Giant Framed Glasses. Circa 1986.
Final score:
13points
#175
My Fiance.....he Was So Cool. Look At That Fur Collar. So Fancy.
Final score:
12points
#176
My Sister Was Clearly Offended By My Nudity...
Final score:
12points
#177
The Time I Went To Egypt With A Cleopatra Style Haircut
#178
Obnoxious Sized Hair Scrunchy, Printed Legging Pants And A Doll From Lunette And Molly.
Final score:
11points
#180
This Was Circa 1993-1994, I Believe. I Look Like Some Weird Go-go Dancer.
Final score:
10points
#184
2009 10th Grade, Lets Just Say I Tried To Keep It Long, My Hair Is Thick And Dense Enough To Deflect An Entire Bucket Water. This Is The "better" Picture, Other Times Aptly Look Like A Missing Link. Be Another 3 Years Til I Finally Kept It Shorter
Final score:
7points
#185
The Yellow Thing Is Duct Tape, For Some Reason. And Im Wearing My Pjs, Probably Sick So Friends Came Over After School
Final score:
6points
#186
Post- Birthday Party...
Final score:
5points
#187
1984... Why Wearing Underpants On My Head?! No Idea...maybe Chocolatmilk Was'nt Good Anymore
Final score:
5points
#189
When I Was Younger I Thought I Was Orochimaru From Naruto... I Even Did My Makeup.
Final score:
4points
#190
Grade 9 School Photo.. Circa 2004 When I Wore That Puka Shell Necklace Every. Day.
Final score:
4points
#191
Must Have Been In Late 80s.... School Trip... And Yeah I Know I Have Great Legs :d
Final score:
3points
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Lona Mortimer 7 years ago
I've never posted this, ever. So, there you go...
Load More Replies... Lona Mortimer 7 years ago
I've never posted this, ever. So, there you go...
Load More Replies...
Related on Bored Panda
