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As kids, we were naturally curious — and extremely impressionable. We absorbed the world like little sponges by observing and mimicking everything our parents did. Unconsciously, most of us also picked up some quirky behaviors along the way that turned out to be... a bit weird.

Believe it or not, we may even glide through life completely unaware of these silly rituals, but hey, it's just a thing we do. Only as we grow older and start to create meaningful relationships with people around us, sharing our childhood memories — which we believed were perfectly and totally normal — inevitably leads to confused looks and a few raised eyebrows.

So without further ado, let's dig into this viral thread from humor writer and editor Kristen Mulrooney that took us on a hilarious rollercoaster where this phenomenon was laid out on the table. Turns out, thousands of friends and spouses privy to their loved ones' presumed ordinary behaviors gathered the courage to tell them that, in fact, they’re anything but. We at Bored Panda have gathered some of the most entertaining responses to share with you all, so continue scrolling! Be sure to upvote your favorite tales, and share your own experiences with us in the comments.

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    Apparently, Kristen’s tweet was inspired by two recent conversations she had with her husband: "When I was in elementary school, one of the best parts of the day was when the whole class walked across the school together for a big group bathroom trip," she said in an interview with BuzzFeed. "And he was like, '...that's not as normal as it sounds like you think it is.'"

    "Then later that day, something came up about school dances, and my husband said, 'I'm not sure if this is normal for public schools, but we always had a random priest show up to chaperone our middle school dances.' I was like, 'I am very sure that is NOT normal.'"

    The responses to Kristen's tweet were filled with similar tales where people gladly exposed their spouses’ quirky behaviors, from peculiar eating habits to outright odd phrases like "don’t forget to chirp the car" — which is a totally normal thing clearly everyone says.

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    #4

    People-Didn't-Realize-Weird-Childhood-Habits

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    Tactical Taco
    Community Member
    2 years ago

    Where my seasoning?

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    #6

    People-Didn't-Realize-Weird-Childhood-Habits

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    Joshua Russell
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I used to love watching the fighter jets blast by over my house, I was sad when they closed the local AFB.

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    Kristen’s viral thread only goes to show how universally relatable this topic is. It looks like virtually everyone has some weird habits from their childhood that just stuck with them for the rest of their lives. On top of that, it proves they inevitably bubble to the surface with adulthood, and often in hilarious ways.

    Unsurprisingly, bizarre behavior patterns especially become visible when we find that special person with whom we can create a long-lasting relationship. Of course, relationships are a beautiful thing that makes you feel loved and adored by someone close to your heart. But they also teach you about the world, life, and, most importantly, yourself.

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    Anyone who’s been with their partner long enough has seen them at their best and their worst and knows the ins and outs of their behaviors. In some cases, however, these little habits seem cute at first but may morph into giant, annoying, frustrating patterns with time. They are hard to break, after all, no matter how pointless or silly they actually are.

    When this seems to be the case, experts suggest taking a step back and thinking about what’s truly important. "The weird things your partner does are a part of who he or she is, and some of the reason why you fell in love," Tina B. Tessina, Ph.D., psychotherapist and author of How to Be Happy Partners: Working It Out Together, told Women’s Health.

    Tessina pointed out that in any healthy relationship, couples learn to accommodate each other's quirks. Sometimes that means secretly finding them endearing, even if they're still slightly irritating, she said.

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    #12

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    Dillon McNichols
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not gonna lie, my favorite is a night time shower with just a candle for light. It helps my eyes get used to the dark and is relaxing before bed

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    But how come so many people move through life completely oblivious to these unbreakable and utterly weird childhood habits? Turns out, many of us realize obvious things only later in life because we’re wired to move common patterns into the background to look out for more novel things.

    "This happens because things that are not obvious, that are not common, that stand out, could pose a threat to our well-being, or could be something really rewarding," Joshua Klapow, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist, performance coach, and creator of Mental Drive, told Bored Panda in a previous interview. He stated that we humans "pay more attention to those actions and interactions that grab our attention. The obvious goes in the background, so we reserve brain bandwidth to notice the novel, standout occurrences in our life."

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    #14

    People-Didn't-Realize-Weird-Childhood-Habits

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    Nathaniel
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In the UK of United Kingdom, the grey squirrel is an invasive species and is driving our native red squirrel to extinction, eating grey squirrels helps eradicate a pest.

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    Ruby Russoniello-Damaskos
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I never thought it was odd that my Native grandmother carried pliers with her to pull quills from dead porcupines on the highway for her beading, or that she wore tall leather work boots to stomp rattlesnakes on our way to the outhouse.

    Ela
    Community Member
    2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I know where I can buy quills, but I never dared to self collect. This is brilliant! And we carried a long forked stick for snake removal as it was considered bad luck to harm them.

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    Arliss Speace
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I went to a seafood restaurant and asked the waitress, "Do you have Frog's Legs?" She said "Yes sir" I said "Well, HOP ON BACK TO THE KITCHEN AND GET ME A CUP OF COFFEE!" (Padump Pisshh)

    Biliegh Berrie
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Deer is gamey, duck is gamey, everything but store bought has a strong game flavour to it. Unless you know how to prepare it properly but even then it has a game taste.

    Brian Droste
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My favorite animal is the squrriel, but if I was starving and it was between me and a squirrel the squirrel would lose.

    Theoretical Empiricist
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I was in a conversation with a couple people when one talked about hunting squirrels and how much she enjoyed squirrel brains. Horrified, the other person asked, "How much brains are there?" I chimed in "About a forkful".

    Totally A Panda
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I remember my dad shot a squirrel once and we roasted it over the fire and it was really good!

    Sue
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My mom would make brains & eggs when I was little & we lived in a small southern town. I just figured that's what they called it. She found some in the big city we moved to when I was older elementary, and that's when I found out it was actually brains!

    badger
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    allegedly sold as "flightless partridge" at a New Forest (UK) restaurant at one time.

    WhatISaidWas
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I once worked with a guy nicknamed "Roadkill" for obvious reasons.....people would call him when they saw something and he'd go pick it up. waste not, want not?

    Anne McKinney
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My dad was a hunter. We ate squirrel, quail, rabbit, deer, duck etc. anything that could be legally hunted. Yummy.

    mamafrog
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Actually it's pretty good if seasoned and cooked properly.

    Craymoss
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sheldon said they don’t taste like rabbits. I believe him…

    Susan Price
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And it takes A LOT of them to make anything - small boney critters :/ - Kentucky BBQ fodder I discovered

    Iris
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    my grandma's family was so poor they went outside and just ate squirrels.

    Magical Carp God
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You gotta smother it in gravy or let it age a few days before you eat it.

    Mrs S
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Wrapped in bacon, cooked on a spit over an open fire out by the lake, followed by chocolate and excellent scotch. Life is so good.

    Marie Larotonda
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My friend grew up in rural Texas eating squirrels and opossums in the 1940s.

    Dave Hinckley
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If you skin a squirrel, they're a rat. Also, squirrel cacciatore is quite tasty.

    Lisa Wittwer
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm not poor any more, but I would still happily chow down on some fried squirrel.

    Shara Kranz
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I ate the entire piece of chicken, bones and all. He offered to buy me another piece.

    Stephanie Chapman
    Community Member
    2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think squirrels are cute and I have no problem with people hunting them for food, but isn't shooting and skinning them just seems like a lot of work for so little meat. They look like there might be about 4 chicken nuggets worth of meat on them. If you eat squirrel, how much meat is on them?

    Bubs623
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They say it tastes like chicken. It doesn't and neither does nutra rat, possum or frog.

    Seabeast
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Older versions of The Joy Of Cooking used to have instructions for skinning and cooking squirrel. I had a 1970s edition that still included it.

    R.A. Haley
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Another Fun Fact: I can personally testify that the distance between power cables on your neighborhood poles is exactly one squirrel-length. Zzzzzzap!

    Ian Conelley
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Fun fact: When squirrels fall from high places, which doesn't happen very often, they do three-point superhero landings.

    Anon822209
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Squirrel is yummy. So's rabbit. Man, I'd give a lot for a plate of my gammy's fried rabbit. No one can make it like she could.

    Desert Rose
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We ate quite a few squirrels in the early part of my marriage to my ex. We needed the protein. Times were rough then. I could make a pretty good meal out of the older squirrels called "smothered squirrel". They were chicken fried and then simmered in gravey. I don't eat them any more. They are too cute

    Katiekat
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Good memories of growing up in Louisiana and having squirrel jambalaya

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

    My grandfather used to talk about "squirrel stew". This was in the early 1900's.

    Sean Cleary
    Community Member
    2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Bopped a squirrel with my car on patrol, took its legs home. She had been eating acorns (nicked large intestine during skinning) and the flavor was so light that the cooking oil overpowered it. Southern California.

    Autistic McWolferson the Forth
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Eating squirrels is like eating puppies. One should not unless they are literally dying of starvation and even then... you're not going to get a whole lot of nutrition from just one...

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    But as we all know, fewer things feel different and unknown to us through the course of our lives. As adults, we can finally look at the seemingly common in a more detailed way. "And when we do, we often discover that that obvious has so much more to it that we missed earlier on," the psychologist added.

    "Another reason we miss the obvious is that we sometimes are not ready psychologically to handle [it]," Klapow said. "A relationship that is toxic, a love interest that is too intense, a realization that we don’t have a skill or strength we believe we have." These things may be crystal clear to the outside observer, but "our own psychological defenses go up and protect us from seeing the obvious. Because to do so might overwhelm us emotionally and psychologically."

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    "This pattern can go on for years, until which time we either have the psychological maturity or our life circumstances change such that we can look at the obvious which once posed a psychological threat in a more mature, less defensive way."

    #18

    People-Didn't-Realize-Weird-Childhood-Habits

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    Donkey boi
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There were whole generations that thought it was normal. I remember the day that the cane/switch/crop/yardstick disappeared from the classrooms. I think it was in November because I remember we were already talking about Christmas but it was still a little ways off. We walked into the classroom in the morning and it was literally the first thing we noticed when we walked in! That little hook on the wall had nothing hanging on it. Was it broken? Was it hidden for a surprise lashing? Someone had to find out! And what with me being the arsehole hero that I am, I decided I would be the one to do it. I can't remember exactly what I said but, as it was about God, I was guaranteed a wallop. Instead, I was sent outside the classroom and told to stand in the corridor! That night my parents confirmed that, although it was already illegal, the teachers themselves were not liable for prosecution... until now!!!!

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    Once we realize we lived our whole lives believing our weird childhood habits are perfectly ordinary, it’s easy to feel a bit uncomfortable and self-conscious. Perhaps that’s why, according to Klapow, we feel embarrassed — "the obvious is often simple and clear to everyone else."

    The creator of Mental Drive explained we feel this way for several reasons. First, we simply overlooked what others saw: "We may have made mistakes, hurt others, missed out on opportunities because we didn't see the obvious. Lastly, we have to acknowledge to others and ourselves that despite how we think of ourselves or how we are seen by others, we have missed something."

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    #19

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    Lesley Relph
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In the UK pigs in blankets are sausages wrapped in bacon. A favourite around Christmas time.

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    #21

    People-Didn't-Realize-Weird-Childhood-Habits

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    ADJ
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My mother often made us a rectangular pizza because that is normal shape of the baking dish, like this: https://www.sweetdecor.pl/blacha-do-ciasta-gladka-nieprzywieralna-czarna-40cm-x-25cm-x-6cm.html BTW typical american pizza is not the same as traditional italian pizza.

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    But if seeing your silly beliefs laid out on the table makes you blush, remember that laughing off the embarrassment will surely help. Moreover, it can help you strengthen the bond you have with your spouse, and even help you grow as a person.

    Whenever you feel flustered about your quirks, turn the internal dialog around and tell yourself: "I now see things differently, more clearly, and that is going to help me from this day moving forward," Klapow suggested. "Then, the initial embarrassment and frustration can transition into gratitude and excitement for arriving at the discovery of the obvious," he concluded.

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    #24

    People-Didn't-Realize-Weird-Childhood-Habits

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    E
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well it was fairly normal (at least here in the UK) that children weren't at the table for dinner with the grown-ups. BUT they would have eaten earlier with Mum in the kitchen or in another room with the nanny if you were really posh. Not defending your grandparents but maybe they sort of remembered the 'no children at dinner' thing but didn't really think it through.

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    #28

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    AndThenICommented
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    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My partner does lemon juice and sugar…there was lots of confusion around this until I realised it was, in fact, a cultural thing.

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    #30

    People-Didn't-Realize-Weird-Childhood-Habits

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    John Carr
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I still do. But then again I use a lot of ketchup in cooking and hate wasting any of it so a bit of water helps get the bottle empty

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    #34

    People-Didn't-Realize-Weird-Childhood-Habits

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    Phendrena
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    As A British person I don't find buttering Sandwiches to be odd at all. It's different if you are using chocolate spread though - that would be odd. I figured it would be the same in most countries - butter the bread and slap in your filling.

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    #35

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    Alexej Dvorak
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I loathe these kind of discussions. Everybody is entitled their own taste and you should always be allowed to say you don't like something. But arguments about the "correct" recipe for a meal are just tiresome.

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    #37

    People-Didn't-Realize-Weird-Childhood-Habits

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    Eunice Probert
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I must be wrong as well then as I keep my vitamins, supplements and medication in the kitchen.

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    #38

    People-Didn't-Realize-Weird-Childhood-Habits

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    Tobias Reaper
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    looking back now makes you realise in my primary school if you forgot your PE kit they made you do it in your pants

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    #39

    People-Didn't-Realize-Weird-Childhood-Habits

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    Karl Baxter
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My wife thinks “heel” is a weird term (common in N.Ireland) for what she calls “the crust” or “end bit”

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    #43

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    Trish Batson
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My mom used to do that, but only when she was disappointed. That was the one thing she could do that actually affected me.

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    #45

    People-Didn't-Realize-Weird-Childhood-Habits

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