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 
31 Weird And Silly Rules Parents Had Kids Follow That They Still Don’t Get After Growing Up
Parents set rules for kids so that they know which behaviors are acceptable and which are not. As the CDC writes, children will have to be in public places when they grow up, places that might have certain rules. So they must get used to adhering to rules. But what if those rules don't always make sense?
Like when parents don't let their kids watch TV while lying in bed. Why is there a TV in the bedroom, then?!? It's true: not all the rules we heard from our parents make sense, but some might be extra silly. Like many from this thread, where a person asked: "What's a rule your parents had that you thought was silly at the time and still can't quite understand?"
What are the strangest rules your parents had in your house growing up? Let us know in the comments, and don't forget to upvote your favorite entries!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I wasn't allowed to have any Ken dolls because my dad didn't want me to make my Kens and Barbies kiss. He said if I had one, I would become boy crazy and turn into a wh*re. Jokes on him, I just made my Barbies kiss each other.
Little Wonder 7 months ago
I had gay barbies too, but that was because my mother detested "American" toys and once she'd FINALLY caved in and bought me a couple of Barbie dolls (and a couple of knock off Barbies) she flat refused to buy me a Ken. My Barbies dated a couple of weird knitted dolls I had, or more often each other.
RELATED:
#2
9pm bedtime... Always. Figured out in middle school, it was so they could have 'no kids' time, so as long as I stayed quiet in my room, I didn't have to go to sleep. This is how I acquired a love of reading late into the night.
#3
My father installed a tetherball game in our back yard. We weren't allowed to play it because we would ruin the grass. It hung there for years and we just stared at it from the porch.
#4
My dad wouldn't let me wear studded belts because "that's what strippers wear"
I've never heard of a stripper wearing a belt but whatever.
#5
Not me but my friend’s parents didn’t allow Adidas because they were told it stands for “all day I dream about sex”.
General Anaesthesia 7 months ago
That would be Itdgtvs (Ich träume den ganzen Tag von Séx) because Adidas is German.
#6
Why I couldn't shave or wear deodorant until after I graduated high school. Seriously, wtf?
Yayheterogeneity 7 months ago
That's borderline abuse. What if you sweat after sports. Did they want you to reek? Isolate you from your peers? How cruel...
#7
I wasn't allowed to wear headphones/listen to music in the house.
Edit: my mother's reasoning was that it was a sign of depression and she "didn't want to see it".
MagicAxolotl (she/eve) 7 months ago
Ah yes, keep your child from having depression by making their life depressing. Checks out.
#8
My mom prohibited using the washing machine between Christmas and New Years, she believed it would bring death in the family in the following year. Never made sense in any way, just a superstition. When I finally moved out it was a really big deal for me to finally be able to wash my clothes in that time period. And as expected, my family was fine the year after.
Serena Marley 7 months ago
Maybe Mom had enough work to do over that period without adding to it!
#9
I wasn’t allowed to watch any type of TV. I’m talking no movies even Disney movies, cable, anything etc. I had to secretly watch x files with my dad on the weekend when she didn’t know. Yet my mum let me play video games? I still don’t get that one.
Tiffany Marie 7 months ago (edited)
Was she religious? I wasn't allowed to watch TV the same as you but I could play video games. Church standards. There were many.
#10
Any birthday gifts I received from friends or family needed to be split up evenly between me and my siblings because I was the oldest. While still wrapped my mom would evenly distribute them between the three of us.
#11
My mom regularly shot down my "can I do XYZ with friends" plans because "family time". Like I pretty much NEVER got to hang out with friends after school or on weekends because "family time". Except my parents couldn't stand being in the same room so said "family time" was either me silently watching tv with one parent or just hiding out in my room.
And relatives still ask why I'm so introverted and anti-social.
StumblingThroughLife 7 months ago (edited)
We had our own living room and weren't allowed in the 'front' room. This only started when I was 12, when we moved to a slightly bigger house (similar size but had 2 reception rooms instead of 1). It changed the dynamics of the relationship with our parents. Don't recommend it. I spent most of my time around my friends homes/out & about or in my bedroom. I rarely went in 'our' living room.
#12
I wasn't allowed to shower until my homework was done. But I also wasn't allowed to shower past 7pm. So between getting home from school, homework, eating dinner etc...
#13
"When we have guests over you either sit down quietly or go upstairs. Adults aren't here for you. Don't talk to them."
I still can't comprehend not allowing your children to have a conversation with your friends.
#14
When I was 11 I wasn’t allowed to buy a black bathing suit. No reason given. When I was 12 and bathing suit shopping, Mother suggested this black one. I said I’d try it but asked when the “no black bathing suit” rule changed, and she denied there had ever been such a rule. So I guess she couldn‘t understand the rule either even though it was her rule.
Jill Rhodry 7 months ago
Hmm...maybe it was a particular black bathing suit you weren't allowed and there was some miscommunication or your mum took the easy way out and said it was the colour?
#15
If you asked to do something the answer was always no. if you didnt ask it was 95% of the time allowed with maybe a few questions.
#16
My mom was extremely wary of anything related to magic. She wouldn’t allow us to have cats because she thought they were evil. One time my cousin got me a history of magic book for Christmas-confiscated and never seen again. I tried to sneak and play DnD in high school, she found out and banned me from the after school club. She’s not religious or anything, she just doesn’t think it’s a good idea to mess with magic.
A. HAM 7 months ago
My mom was like this for religious reasons. She once had a bottle of “The Wizard’s Worcestershire Sauce” and took an Exacto knife to remove everywhere the word “wizard” appeared on the bottle. (1. Come on…it’s sauce, not a seance. 2. Why not remove the whole label or pour into another bottle? So many unanswered questions…maybe I’ll buy a bottle, and the wizard can help me contact her in the great beyond.)
#17
My mother arbitrarily declared that I couldn’t wear shorts unless it was 75°F (24C) outside. Still makes me mad when I think about it.
Yayheterogeneity 7 months ago
As a mother I get this. She wanted to make sure you don't get cold. Yes, from a certain age on that should be solely your problem. I hope she she made it your own responsibility at some point.
#18
My grandma didn't like me watching TV while I was on my bed. Why did you put a TV in my bedroom then.
#19
"Yuck" was a bad word. Like, swear word bad, and I wasn't allowed to say it.
Not because it was insulting to say about food someone had worked hard to prepare. No, it was bad because it rhymed with an actual swear word.
#20
When we went away for a week for a holiday my parents used to cover every mirror in the house in case lightening would be attracted to the mirror and come in through the closed window and strike it.
No amount of me telling them this was rubbish would change their minds.
cerinamroth 7 months ago
I mean, mirrors are quite likely to reflect the sun and start a fire, so covering them isn't that ridiculous. But no idea why that would be any different when you were away - except that there wouldn't be anyone around to notice.
#21
My father was a doctor, I had to answer the phone “Doctor XYZ residence u/Jesture4 speaking.” I can’t tell you how many times people would just talking about all their medical problems and I’d have to remind them, “this is his residence”.
Sue Denham 7 months ago
"That's really interesting about how you accidentally sat on that candle, Mr. Burns, but please remember I am a child with no doctor/patient confidentiality boundaries."
#22
I was born in 1993 and my younger brother in 1998. Neither of us were allowed to eat beef when we were growing up, until I’d say 2004/2005? My parents were super strict about this rule too, I live in the UK so most birthday parties around that time were hosted in the party bus at McDonald’s (still miss that bus!), and my parents would always tell the birthday child’s parents that we were not allowed to order a hamburger for our happy meal!
I remember one birthday party at McDonald’s I actually swapped my happy meal with another child who had a burger and on this particular occasion I had to leave early as we had some sort of family event right after it. My parents walked in whilst we were all eating and saw me eating this burger, and boy was I in trouble! I was told if it happened again I’d be banned from going to anymore birthday parties!
What made this rule silly is the fact that both of my parents ate beef!
Johnny McFearless 7 months ago
Maybe because of mad cow disease that was going on in Britain in that period? In Croatia, people are still not allowed to donate blood or organs if they visited Britain in that time frame for longer than a month.
#23
My mom refuses to use the dishwasher or let anyone use it till this day because she believes it uses up significantly more water than traditionally cleaning dishes in the sink. I'm pretty sure she's wrong but she swears by it. She's pretty old school though.
StumblingThroughLife 7 months ago (edited)
With a two-sink, we would fill up one with soapy water, and very hot clean water in the other. The amount of water used was much less than a dishwasher. We didn't have one until the 80s (UK), and after a while, my mom rarely used it, lol. She said it was easier to just wash up saucepans/prep stuff along the way when cooking, and that it was quicker to wash the plates/cutlery afterwards. PS: I add (UK) due to BP being mainly USA-oriented (not complaining, btw), so sorry if it’s annoying)
#24
I wasn't allowed to have a hula hoop. It still baffles me.
#25
I wasn't allowed to take our dog for a walk outside of his scheduled walk time.
Tiffany Marie 7 months ago (edited)
I walked my brother and sister in laws dog once as he's never taken out. He was overweight with hip problems. On top of that he wasn't allowed inside while the other little dogs were. Anyhow, I take him around a few blocks and he loved it. The next time I go to take him out my sister in law hide the dog leashes and that was that.- she's a controlling narcissist.
#26
I never understood why I couldn't say the word " lie" parents are deceased and I still don't get it.
#28
No drinking soda from a can, get a glass and pour it into that. My Mum would mysteriously say it was something "only common people do". Years later I asked her and she just replied "It *is* common". I *think* she is figuring it's like people drinking from beer cans and in her mind that is socially unacceptable.
Tim Callahan 7 months ago (edited)
At least in Latin America, it can be frowned upon because of supposed rat pee contamination on the cans. Maybe true once in a rare while but I doubt very often.
#29
Don't sing at the dinner table. You could sing "Happy Birthday" if it was actually someone's birthday and a cake with lit candles was present. Any other time, NO SINGING AT THE TABLE!
Tim Callahan 7 months ago (edited)
My wife and I actually have that rule for our kids. They both love singing and in general, we love to hear it, but it would be 24/7 singing if we didn’t set some boundaries and dinner time is about the only halfway peaceful time of day. Granted, if one of them is practicing a new song, we might let them belt out a round at the table.
#30
We were allowed to wear shoes in the bathroom but no where else in the house. To get to the bathroom you had to walk in through the front door, through the kitchen, through the living room and then through my bedroom (all of which were off limit areas for shoes, which I do understand and still implement in my house unless you're a guest that's leaving quickly). I can't count the number of times I'd be standing in front of the bathroom mirror getting ready to leave with shoes on and the second I walked into my bedroom, she'd yell at me to take my shoes off. Really f*****g weird and makes her sound crazy lol. I guess she kind of was but normally in a fun way.
#31
Turn the light off. I was grounded several times growing up because I didn't turn the light off because the bill would be sooooo much higher and then I found out how much it cost. 10 cents if I left the bathroom light on. I started leaving dimes next to the lights I left on. F**k you step dad, you worked in the pentagon. You can afford it.
Dan Holden 7 months ago
Wow your parents sound so unreasonable /s. "please don't waste money and energy" "F**k you!"
What do you think ?
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 7 months ago
It's just our soft can-opener, but she thinks we're going to stay off the counters just because she says so! I mean, the audacity! We already let her live in our house. Who is she, to tell us not to be on our own counters?
Lydsylou (she/her) 7 months ago
I don't know why you get downvoted for leaving comments from your cats! This is a completely reasonable complaint for a cat to give I mean how dare you try to control wether or not they can climb on counters
Load More Replies...
Little Wonder 7 months ago
I was not allowed to use sunscreen. To this day, firmly in my middle age, I feel like I'll get in trouble when I put on sunscreen. Your guess as to the reasoning is as good as mine, from what I remember my mother said she got burned as a kid and it toughened her up, so the same could happen to me.
ADZ 7 months ago
As someone who has had 2 possible skin cancers cut out before 35 wear sunscreen. For the love of God.
Load More Replies...
Littlemiss 7 months ago
I wasn't allowed to have any sanitary products visible at any time. They had to be hidden in a cupboard at all times. Used pads had to be hidden, either wrapped up in toilet paper and put in a small container in the cupboard or wrapped and hidden in the rubbish deep down. No one was allowed to know you had a period.
UpupaEpops 7 months ago
I could have easily helped with that as I used to pass out so quite literally everyone knew. 😅
Load More Replies...
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 7 months ago
It's just our soft can-opener, but she thinks we're going to stay off the counters just because she says so! I mean, the audacity! We already let her live in our house. Who is she, to tell us not to be on our own counters?
Lydsylou (she/her) 7 months ago
I don't know why you get downvoted for leaving comments from your cats! This is a completely reasonable complaint for a cat to give I mean how dare you try to control wether or not they can climb on counters
Load More Replies... Little Wonder 7 months ago
I was not allowed to use sunscreen. To this day, firmly in my middle age, I feel like I'll get in trouble when I put on sunscreen. Your guess as to the reasoning is as good as mine, from what I remember my mother said she got burned as a kid and it toughened her up, so the same could happen to me.
ADZ 7 months ago
As someone who has had 2 possible skin cancers cut out before 35 wear sunscreen. For the love of God.
Load More Replies... Littlemiss 7 months ago
I wasn't allowed to have any sanitary products visible at any time. They had to be hidden in a cupboard at all times. Used pads had to be hidden, either wrapped up in toilet paper and put in a small container in the cupboard or wrapped and hidden in the rubbish deep down. No one was allowed to know you had a period.
UpupaEpops 7 months ago
I could have easily helped with that as I used to pass out so quite literally everyone knew. 😅
Load More Replies... You May Like People Share Their Family Secrets That Aren’t For The Faint-Hearted And Here Are 45 Of Them 50 People Share The Coolest Inheritance They’ve Received (New Pics) 68 Scary Stories For Kids That Will Likely Increase Your Electric Bills
Indrė Lukošiūtė
Viktorija Strelciunaite
Aivaras Kaziukonis
Related on Bored Panda
