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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.

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

utaheconomist Report

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Tactical Taco
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2 years ago

Where my seasoning?

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#6

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

mamustacci Report

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

TiaraMainHell Report

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Dillon McNichols
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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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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

popsplanett Report

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Donkey boi
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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

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

ElleLynn18 Report

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Lesley Relph
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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.

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

Yep, and i think we'd know the OPs pigs in blankets as a sausage roll.

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BasedWang12.5
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

i thought pigs in a blanket was common for sausage wrapped in some kinda dough. pastry or pancake... TIL

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

For me, it was a full sized hot dog split almost in two length wise stuffed with a slice of cheddar cheese and wrapped in a Pillsbury croissant.

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

Pigs in blankets are mini sausages wrapped in bacon. Anything else is a poor substitute

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

I googled it and in Poland it's called gołąbki. It literally means little/baby pidgeons 😂 So delicious, especially the bacon-tomato sauce.

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

In Russia it's "голубцы", golubtsy. Minced meat with rice wrapped in cabbage leaves. Really delicious!

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

I always understood it to be either cut up hot dogs or cocktail wieners wrapped in Pillsbury crust with a slice of cheddar or American cheese popped in the oven. Today I understand that it means different things based on where you live 🤣

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

New England its scallops wrapped in bacon. sausage wrapped in bacon, sounds good too

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

I grew up eating Halupki and never heard it called that by my Ukrainian grandparents.

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

My dad was from the Pennsylvania Dutch area and loved his Halupkies but I never heard them referred to as pigs in a blanket there either.

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

In my dutch american community of origin, we called those worstenbroodjes

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

And where I come from it's either "a pig in a blanket" or "pigs in blankets", not "pigs in a blanket".

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

i never knew how to spell halupki and thought my Irish mother had botched the correct Polish (?) word for it.

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

Ooh, out of all my Ukrainian family's dishes, halupchi is my least favorite. And we weren't allowed to call any of the dishes by a nickname or the English word or heaven forbid, the Polish word

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

in the u.s., some breakfast places also call a link sausages wrapped in pancakes pigs-in-a-blanket

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

Here in Germany we have something similar called "Würstchen im Schlafrock" - sausage in nightgown, that's wieners in puff pastry.

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

Mini hotdogs in pastry? Sausages wrapped in bacon is "pigs in blankets", sausagemeat (seasoned) wrapped in pastry is sausage rolls...

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

I'm confused at how pigs in a blanket got confused with halupki, they are nothing alike.

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

A hot dog wrapped in a croissant maybe with cheese on it and then baked in the oven until the pastry is done.

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

I grew up with them being breakfast sausage wrapped in a pancake.

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#21

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

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ADJ
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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
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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

KatenCheyenne Report

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John Carr
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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

RASnyder7 Report

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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

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

fake_nic Report

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Alexej Dvorak
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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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Note: this post originally had 45 images. It’s been shortened to the top 35 images based on user votes.