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 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
When I was a preschooler, the top 2 questions that various adults asked me were always “What do you want to become when you grow up?” (well, yes, a 3 Y.O. kid makes some Napoleonic plans...) and “Who do you love more, dad or mom?” (great, then why not ask which lung is more comfortable for me to breathe with?)
Decades have passed - and we, adults, still continue to ask children, our own and others', questions of varying degrees of stupidity and inappropriateness, without even realizing that we're unwittingly traumatizing them. So here are almost three dozen similar stories, collected by Bored Panda from this viral thread in the AskReddit community.
More info: Reddit
This post may include affiliate links.
RELATED:
In fact, the tradition of asking children stupid questions goes back as far as the tradition of lisping and deliberately imitating toddlers' babbling. Well, then somehow it wasn't customary to pay as much attention to mental health as it is today, so a whole set of meaningless and allegedly 'cute' questions was formed that, like myths and legends, are passed down from generation to generation. Up until today, for sure.
#4
Asking a question and rejecting any answer the kid gives unless it's the adults own opinion.
#5
“why can’t you be more like your brother/sister?”
#6
i’m a young teenage girl, and both my step dad and his dad tell me all the time “can I marry you?” “If you don’t find a man soon I guess I’ll have to be the man!” “Have you found a boy yet?” followed up by “If not i’m single!” the worse one was my step dad: “If your mom ever divorces me then can you marry me?”
I don’t know why they say that all the time but God is it annoying.
On the other hand, it seems that we adults sometimes simply don’t have the slightest idea what to talk about with children - especially if we are not their parents, and this is a kind of small talk. True, unlike any small talk between adults, our questions do sometimes look at least strange. To understand this, it’s enough to do one simple thing - just put yourself in the kid’s place and imagine exactly how you will answer this or that question. If you find it difficult to answer, it’s better to avoid asking.
#7
"Why wont you give me a hug?" At a family event where everyone is staring.
TheGoodBoi 1 year ago
In my experience "Because I don't really know you." "You smell funny." "I just want to go play with my cousins.."
#8
"Do you want to burn in/go to Hell?"
#9
When I got my period and they would ask “Don’t you feel like a woman?” or some c**p like that. I was 11 and not amused
UnknownFrost 1 year ago
No, ma. I don't feel like a woman. This is a period, not Shania Twain.
Bonesko 1 year ago
🎶Man, I feel like... 🎶 I'M DYING! This period stuff sucks!
Load More Replies...
Trillian 1 year ago (edited)
Let me see: I feel grumpy, various body parts are aching, I am hugely inconvenienced and people ask me inappropriate questions. Yup, feel like a woman.
Sunny Day 1 year ago
My first period. We went to visit grandparents. My mom walks into the house and f*****g ANNOUNCES it to everybody. I understand it's a milestone, and I could see quietly telling them when I wasn't around, but to announce it to the room so they could all stare? B***h
screaming chicken 1 year ago
When I told my mom I got my first- rather than give me some bs like that, she bought me a heated blanket and some ice cream. W mom move. +5 respect.
Shawna Burt 1 year ago
Ah, yes, Baby's First Gender Dysphoria. I did NOT feel like a woman, I felt like a freak.
BarkingSpider 1 year ago
My parent said, "now we can marry you off!" She was 'kidding', but all I really wanted to know was where the pads were.
Nadine Debard 1 year ago
My mom said something like "can you imagine that in some places you could be married? Sick!"
Load More Replies...
Upstaged75 1 year ago
I was 11 as well and my dad mortified me by saying "you're getting so grown up!". I didn't want to grow up if it meant menstruating before every other girl I knew. It was my dreaded secret for while. :)
Bryoney Blakley 1 year ago
When I was on the Depo shot, I had an older lady ask me if I felt like less of a woman because I no longer had my period. Word for word. I told her, I feel like more of a woman because I'm free to do whatever I want whenever I want without worrying about bleeding everywhere! I feel liberated.
WayoftheStarPrincess 1 year ago
I was also 11 and my mum tried to make it a positive thing and worthy of celebration. All I could think of was that I was still a child. I was an early bloomer overall and it had been hard for me to have old men commenting on my child-breasts since I was 9, getting my period on top of that freaked me out so bad. I haven't had gender dysphoria, but my child mind and "adult" body did give me a lot of trouble mental health wise well into my later teen years.
Jp@nda 1 year ago
I just want to give you a hug. All we can do is protect future girls from this and know that it wasn't our fault
Load More Replies...
Philip Rutter 1 year ago
Hint: to all guys: women's and girls' periods are subjects utterly covered in land mines for ANY male, at any time. Best idea? Keep your mouth shut. :-) I know whereof I speak.
Brent Echols 1 year ago
Nah, same rules as always: if you can't say something nice/supportive, stfu. Easy.
Load More Replies... 
bi mermaid (she/her/hers) 9 months ago
I don't have my period yet (I'm 14) and my mom makes fun, so 🤷🏻♀️
Magenta McDonald 1 year ago
I was 9. They said that and started to sob. It was so bad my first time cause I taught being a woman meant I couldn't be a kid. I legit was having dark toughts at 9 over it
Populus tremuloides(they/them) 1 year ago
I was 14 and I had been hoping it not happening meant I was intersex. I didn't tell anyone for 3 months and I used toilet paper to catch the blood until I could go to the swimming pool where there was a tampon dispenser armed with pockets full of quarters.
Marnie 1 year ago
11?! That is way too young. Holy cow. Yeah, very dumb question (for a teenager, even, but especially for a child).
Stormblessed 1 year ago
I don't think 11 is too young. I know many people who have had their periods at 11 and I had mine 2 months after I turned 12.
Load More Replies...
A separate category of questions comes from adults who are only superficially familiar with, for example, teens, about their emotions, physical health, or imposing their own opinions. Yes, you are an adult, you most likely have more life experience behind you - but this in no way gives you (and me too of course) any right to make value judgments and put it in the form of these 'innocent' questions. Just think back to your teenage years - and I’m almost sure that a couple of similar stories will pop up in your mind.
#10
I had pretty severe eczema as a child. Refused to wear anything but long sleeves and pants even during hot, humid New England summers because every single time I left the house, at least one grown a*s person would ask, “what’s wrong with your skin?”
My mother spent a lot of time correcting grown ups on their behavior. When she got tired of it, she let me do it myself.
#12
Asked by "family" most of the time: Do you really want to eat that (much)? Do you want to make me sad?
Be that as it may, I'm also absolutely sure that the tradition of asking children weird inappropriate questions will outlive us, and for a long time, and the only thing we can do to make kids more comfortable communicating with us is to simply think about whether it’s worth asking this or that question at all? And, of course, re-read the stories listed here again - perhaps this list will really benefit us.
#13
What are you going to be when you grow up? I’m 67, and I still don’t know 🤷♀️
#15
"Do you still believe in Santa?"
All you're doing is making them question Santa.
#16
When I had my second baby, heaps of people asked my eldest (2) "Do you like your new baby brother?"
Apart from everything else, it's irrelevant. Like, we're definitely keeping this baby either way..
TheGoodBoi 1 year ago
Yeah let me just go get a refund on this child if the eldest doesn't like them.
#17
"Can I go to the bathroom please?"
"I don't know, can you?"
TheGoodBoi 1 year ago (edited)
I could hike my leg anywhere I guess, but I'm being polite. The choice is yours, can I go to the bathroom or not?
#18
Do you have a boyfriend?
#19
I saw a reporter ask a 13 year old if he wanted to go to the olympics. He straight up told her that the junior nationals and junior worlds were more realistic goals right now. What a solid head that kid has.
#20
anything that relates to the kid having a child when they grow up.
had this from my family growing up and it’s probably not a huge thing but asking a young girl if she’s going to have babies when she grows up is so (for lack of a better word) jarring. has made me want to practice abstinence 😐
MotherRobinson 1 year ago
Told my daughters it was their choice if they wanted to have kids or not.
#21
Parents that have broken up and use the child as a middleman to pass messages and get sneak peek into what’s going on in their ex life.
I define children as those who are under 12 years old.
Justin Smith 1 year ago
Dislike this one because anyone using their child (no matter the age) as a middle man for their squabble is an a*****e.
#22
Will you take care of us when we get old
#23
“Can you keep a secret?” Doesn’t matter what the secret is, that’s so confusing and puts a ton of pressure on the kid
#24
If there's family dysfunction & a kid is going through a rough emotional period with moments of lashing out: "Do you really want to be like your mom/dad when you're older?"
MADELINE JONES 1 year ago
This is absolutely ridiculous. My friends divorced because they were no longer in love but they are still best friends to this day.
#27
On the rocks or neat?
TheGoodBoi 1 year ago
It's always a struggle to put ice in anything at my establishment. That crunch noise of getting ice out of the ice maker makes GoodBoi and the toddler teleport to the kitchen lol
What do you think ?
Sara Burnett 1 year ago
"do you like movies about gladiators?" Nobody has ever asked that question.
Shi 1 year ago
It's a refrence from the movie Airplane. Super inappropriate in the movie, but, I don't understand why it made this list because in terms in real life you're totally right that no one asked that question and if they have it was likely not inappropriate.
Load More Replies... Alias Fakename 1 year ago
I was homeschooled, I always got asked (or my parents got asked) how "socialization" works. 🤨
WonderWoman 1 year ago
Asking little boys if they are the "man of the house" when the father is out/gone.
Spooky Demon Bat (she/they) 1 year ago
I think it's helpful, so that adults can recognize the things that aren't appropriate to ask kids.
Load More Replies... Sara Burnett 1 year ago
"do you like movies about gladiators?" Nobody has ever asked that question.
Shi 1 year ago
It's a refrence from the movie Airplane. Super inappropriate in the movie, but, I don't understand why it made this list because in terms in real life you're totally right that no one asked that question and if they have it was likely not inappropriate.
Load More Replies... Alias Fakename 1 year ago
I was homeschooled, I always got asked (or my parents got asked) how "socialization" works. 🤨
WonderWoman 1 year ago
Asking little boys if they are the "man of the house" when the father is out/gone.
Spooky Demon Bat (she/they) 1 year ago
I think it's helpful, so that adults can recognize the things that aren't appropriate to ask kids.
Load More Replies...
Related on Bored Panda
