Siblings are notorious for playing pranks on one another, particularly older brothers and sisters. But after one boy tormented his big brother for years with terrifying jump scares, his sibling waited for the perfect opportunity to enact his revenge.

Below, you’ll find the full story from 11 years ago that the older brother recently shared on the Petty Revenge subreddit, as well as some of the replies amused readers left him.

This man recalls his younger brother tormenting him with countless jump scares when they were kids

Image credits: westend61 (not the actual photo)

So one fateful night when he was a teenager, he found the perfect opportunity to enact revenge

Image credits: Victoria Rain (not the actual photo)

Image credits: BBC (not the actual photo)

Image credits: RadioTimes (not the actual photo)

Image credits: norsewolf98

It’s perfectly normal for siblings to play pranks on one another

If you grew up with brothers and sisters, I’m sure you know that it’s perfectly normal for them to pick on one another from time to time. Looking back on my own childhood, there were countless ways my brothers and I used to get under each others’ skin, but at the end of the day, it was all out of love. We’re great friends now, and we still find ways to pick on each other just to show how much we care. According to Patrick Tadros at the Herald Sun, pranks can even be beneficial for many of us, including our kids. They can help relieve stress when the outcome is laughter for everyone, and they can be a great way to bond with loved ones.

But when it comes to pranking with your kids, it’s important to keep certain dos and don’ts in mind. Best-selling children’s author Matt Stanton recommends allowing your kids to pull pranks on you (even if you can see it coming), embracing your inner child and laughing at stupid things, laughing at yourself, and always checking the toilet seat for cling wrap before using it! And as far as what not to do, Stanton says not to take control of the pranking, don’t try to teach your kids lessons during it, never try to outsmart your little ones, and don’t get offended if they take it too far. They are figuring out their boundaries!    

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And feeling healthy amounts of fear can actually be beneficial for children

We all want to protect our kids from danger, and not everyone enjoys the experience of being scared. But according to experts, it can actually be good for our kids to experience healthy doses of fear every now and then. Sociologist and fear specialist Margee Kerr told National Geographic that being scared, in safe situations, can be a great learning experience for kids. It can help little ones learn how to manage their emotions, build their self-confidence and, of course, have fun. This is why so many kids love haunted houses and scary stories! As long as the children understand that they’re not actually in any danger, a little fear certainly won’t hurt them.

Experiencing some healthy fear might even help kids better handle frightening events in the future, such as performing in front of a huge audience of people or starting at a new school. Pediatric neuropsychologist Sam Goldstein told National Geographic that, “Scary fun allows you to explore activities or experiences that in the real world you might avoid. Most of us can remember our fear of jumping from the high diving board as a child. Some of us never muster the courage to make the jump, but those of us who do—even if we never try again—gain a level of confidence that becomes generalized to trying other challenging or fearful activities.”

Image credits: Ketut Subiyanto (not the actual photo)

As long as they feel safe and understand that they’re not actually in danger, kids can certainly partake in some spooking

When it comes to exactly how much fear we can handle, research has found that we all have a “sweet spot” where we’re not bored or too overwhelmed, and where that sweet spot lies depends on neurochemical differences. Coltan Scrivner, a research scientist at the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University in Denmark, explained to Good Housekeeping that people with a high set-point are “sensation seekers and adrenaline junkies,” while “white knucklers” experience negative emotions during scary experiences but seek them out anyway to experience personal growth and learn about themselves. Then there are “dark copers,” who use horror as a way to cope with life’s challenges.

But regardless of how you feel about horror, Kerr says it’s important for there to be consent for it to be enjoyable. “The moment that our autonomy is taken away, even if we feel it’s taken away, it just changes everything, including how our body continues to respond to the stress,” she told Good Housekeeping. We would love to hear your thoughts on this act of petty revenge in the comments below, pandas. Did you ever scare your siblings in a similar way? Then, if you’re interested in checking out another hilarious story of petty revenge, we recommend reading this one next! 

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Readers applauded the man for his brilliant petty revenge, and he filled in some additional details about the story

Some readers even shared similar, hilarious stories of kids being scared

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