Raising kids can be a trip. The journey is filled with laughter, tears, and at times, embarrassment. They have no filter. None whatsoever. Little humans will say or do whatever’s on their minds, totally unaware of the impact or consequences. There’s no such thing as a tattered reputation as far as they’re concerned.
Sometimes their thoughts and actions are random, hilarious, or confusing. Other times, they’re just dumb. We forgive them because they’re still developing. But parents don’t always forget. In fact, some make sure their children’s weird antics are forever immortalized, by sharing them online for all the world to see.
People have been sharing the completely clueless things that kids have said or done. And while some are ridiculously cringe, we can’t help but laugh. We has put together a cute list of our favorite ones, for when you need to feel better about your own stupid moments. Don’t forget to upvote the ones that you love. We also had a fun and nostalgic chat with author Jules Torti about her own dumb and questionable childhood memories. Torti has written several insightful and humorous books, including “Been There, Ate That: A Candy-coated Childhood.”
#1 A Solid Career Choice If You Asked Me
Jules Torti is excited when We reaches out to her. The author loves talking and writing about all things nostalgia and growing up. Torti doesn’t hesitate to tell us her childhood revolved around questionable things. Even though, like many of us, she didn’t consider them dumb at the time.
“I thought I was quite clever when I avoided returning overdue library books and instead chose to bury them down by the pond behind our house,” Torti recalls. “And when my brother and I bounced around the pink insulation batts when my parents were renovating the basement, we didn’t realize there was anything dumb about it. When our eyes were pinker than the insulation, and we felt like we’d been rolled around in poison ivy, we were politely informed of our dumbness and didn’t take much interest in playing in fiberglass again!”
“This was a time period where common sense did not prevail,” continues the author. “I mean, we used to throw the biggest rocks we could find onto the pond’s surface to test the ice readiness. If the rock didn’t go through, clearly, it was safe enough for us to play hockey. We would also [pee] inside our snowsuits when tobogganing to avoid having to go back inside the house and unzipping everything. We thought that was a smart alternative until the hot and wet itch set in.”
#2 Duty Is Duty
Torti recalls doing loads of dumb sh*it with her hair as a kid. “My sister and I gave each other several not-so-flattering haircuts all the time,” she tells us. “We lived in the country, so we were responsible for creating our own entertainment, which oddly involved scissors and each other’s bangs (well, when they existed to cut off again).”
“When we had no hair of our own to trim, we turned to the cat,” remembers Torti. “Poor Moker, our grey Persian—she was often whisker-less, and I regret that, but I’m sure my sister deserved the aggressive clippings and bubblegum in her hair. I’m surprised Kiley and I were allowed to have hair at all—the greatest sibling revenge was sticking a wad of Hubba Bubba on the back of her head. Or pine sap in a pinch. We were always halfway up a tree in our yard and if one was annoyed with the other the big brain-like balls of sap on the trunks were the perfect weapon.”
“I’m sure she regrets that I’m a writer and love to tell the story of when she ate all of my grandmother’s ex-lax,” laughed the author. “Oh, and that time she ate Play-Doh. Now, there’s a visual!”
#3 Wholesome Family Time
Regardless of what generation they grow up in, children will probably always continue to do silly things. But as times change, perhaps the definition of “dumb” will, too. Torti says that the kids of today are totally different from when she grew up.
“I think kids nowadays are non-believers in a lot of things beyond Santa—like what their parents say or teachers teach,” Torti tells We. “We only had five TV channels growing up, no computer and one rotary dial phone. We relied on our imaginations and silliness because we didn’t have cell phones, Netflix, Facebook and hovering parents.”
The author adds that nowadays, there’s a big shift in kids modeling their parents anxieties. “Whether it’s politics, the pandemic, weight gain or social media. This kind of stuff never entered our mindset because our parents never discussed such things or their nervousness about anything.”
#4 Lost My Kid In Target. Found Him Here
#5 So You Scheduled That Piper Playdate, Right?
#6 He Should Have Checked Behind The TV Too
As adults, we can learn a lot from children. They’re carefree, they laugh a lot, they’re curious, and they’re resilient. Us grown-ups tend to take life really seriously, and as far as kids are concerned—we should lighten up.
The Western Australian government released a sweet and insightful report in 2022 titled “What can adults learn from children?” The office of the Commissioner for Children and Young People had polled over a thousand young people from age 8 up and received some cute and enlightening responses.
“Many children and young people want adults to listen to what they have to say and express their frustration in not being heard,” said Western Australia Commissioner Jacqueline McGowan-Jones. “A large number also mentioned that adults could learn from children how to be more creative and have fun.”
While there’s no denying kids can say or do some dumb sh*t, they are by no means not smart. In the report, a number of children said that adults underestimate their intelligence. “[We] are not as dumb as they think,” was one boy’s simple answer when asked what adults can learn from children.
In one particularly cute response, another youngster said, “Adults learn stuff from children every day – once when I was 2 years old, my mum thought there were only 10 dinosaurs, but I told her there were more than 400 dinosaurs. She was astonished.”
“Just remember, children are smart, too,” added the little Einstein.
#7 Solid Plan
#8 Close Enough
#9 Yay! Snacks
Many of the children surveyed felt that grown-ups need to loosen up. “Have fun and stop working all day and writing emails,” suggested one child. And I’d have to admit, I’m guilty as charged.
Even experts agree that adults need to take a leaf out of children’s books when it comes to having fun, being silly, and laughing more. “Just because parenting is a serious business is no reason to be serious about it all the time,” said Shannon Bennett, assistant professor of psychology at Weill Cornell Medicine.
“Taking time for a moment of levity with your child during your daily routine means you’re making it a priority. You’re saying, ‘We enjoy you. You’re important. You’re loved.’”
#10 How Could You?
#11 Stupid But Wholesome
#12 The Transformation Is Beginning
Bennett told the Washington Post that kids are drawn to people who can be funny. In order to connect with them, we adults need to lighten up.
“So many of our days as parents can be bogged down with just getting from task A to task B,” she explained. “Laughing can be cathartic and release dopamine and other feel-good chemicals in the brain. The key is the shared experience of joy. Making room for fun can help your children become the people they were meant to be.”
#13 That Was Unexpected
#14 My Young Nieces Refuse To Eat Tomatoes, But Can’t Get Enough Of These “Flower Fruit” (Dark Cherry Tomatoes) That I Grow
#15 Turn Your Back For 30 Seconds
Many of us would be lying if we said we didn’t do at least one dumb thing when we were little. Heck, some of us still haven’t learned and could take part in the “Adults Doing Dumb Sh*t Olympics”. If there ever were to be such a thing. As children, we often knew no better. We were exploring, learning, and feeding our curiosity.
Psychologist, author, and instructor Christopher Thurber once shared a memory that is literally seared into his being. “When I was four, I fell in love with Hot Wheels toy cars. My favorite was a drag racer with its own parachute. The chute clipped to the underside of the car with a pair of wire hooks… It was really cool,” he wrote.
#16 I Think She Hates School
#17 I Hope It Was Elvis
#18 3 Year Old Daughter Said Close Your Eyes I Have A Cool Sticker For You. This Was The Cool Sticker When I Opened My Eyes
“I noticed one day that the wire hooks resembled an electrical plug,” continued Thurber. “And so I did the logical thing for a four-year-old: I inserted those hooks into an outlet.”
I think the majority of us can guess what happened next. Because we are adults, not 4-year-olds, we’ve learned that it’s never a good idea to stick a metal anything into an electrical socket.
#19 Hide And Seek Champ?
#20 Not The Smartest Kid
#21 Glad This Didn’t Exist When I Was A Kid
“Pop! The thin wires vaporized in a flash, turning my fingers black and red,” wrote Thurber. “I must have yelped, but I don’t remember that part. I do remember my mother calling from the kitchen… By the time I heard her footsteps running down the hall, I had already dashed into the bathroom to scrub the discoloration from my wounded extremity. But burns don’t wash off.”
#22 This Photo My Kid’s Daycare Sent Us Of Him Helping Them Bake A Cake
#23 This Is My Son. Hiding. In A Mesh, Very See Through Laundry Hamper. All While Whispering “Hide, Hide, Hide” To Himself
#24 What An Idea To Slow Down Others
In his essay on the American Camp Association site, Thurber says all young kids do stupid things, adding that “doing dumb stuff teaches something”. The expert urges adults to take it easy on children when they make small, stupid mistakes.
“When kids do something asinine, sigh quickly,” he suggests. “Then welcome the lessons attached to that experience. You can express concern, even anger. You can even punish from time to time. But let your dominant approach to young people’s development be to embrace the hidden treasure of dumb stuff.”
#25 My Daughter Got Her Head Stuck In The Door. She Was The One Holding The Door Closed
#26 Literally The Same Version Of Each Other
#27 Please Tell Me You Said, “Yes.”
#28 Meanwhile My Dog Is Actually 14 And Doesn’t Want To Hang Out With Me
#29 My Boyfriend Is A Teacher And Just Sent Me This
#30 At Least He’s Still Getting Use Out Of Them
#31 He Went Outside And Everything To Collect That Damn Leaf For Me. Love The Dedication
#32 My 7 Year Old Son’s Brilliant Way To Never Lose The Only Key He Has For This Lock
#33 That Sounds Paneful
#34 I Didn’t Know People Actually Did This
#35 My Partner Teaches Primary School. She Sent Me This Gem Today
#36 I Forged This Letter To My Mom Pretending To Be My Fourth Grade Teacher, An Absolute Classic
Wonder why it didn’t work, looks legit to me!
#37 My Children Can’t Be Trusted To Lie And I’m Okay With That
#38 You Tell Me Buddy
#39 Main Question Is What Did You Do With The Removed Pieces
#40 Asked My Nephew To Line Up The Shoes While Cleaning Up
Didn’t specify against the wall. Will be giving clearer instructions next time.
#41 Perfect Description
#42 All Fun And Games Until They Actually Bring Out A Cat
#43 Not A Surprise Prank
#44 Cakey Will Always Be A Part Of Him
#45 And This Is Why We Never Use Tin Foil Around Our Food And Put It In The Microwave
#46 He’s Five By The Way
#47 Kids Are Just The Best, Aren’t They?
#48 One Of The Stupidest Things I’ve Ever Seen A Kid Do, And It’s My Kid
#49 My Daughter’s Hide And Seek Spots Are Improving?
#50 This Is How My 2 Year Old Granddaughter Sits Taking Ornaments Off The Tree, Thinking No One Can See Her
#51 My Five Year Old Daughter Cut Holes In Her Socks Just In Case Her Feet Get Hot
#52 Told My Son That He Had To Eat Half Of His Hot Dog Before We Could Watch A Movie
#53 Kids Will Believe Anything They Are Told
#54 My Daughter Trying To Hide When She’s Supposed To Be In Bed
#55 Short Term Memory Problems Lead To Lifetime Of Disappointments
#56 This Is So Sweet And So Stupid
#57 Kids Are Too Funny
#58 Amazon Baby
#59 I Used To Tell My Mom My Entire Kindergarten Class Shared A Single Apple
#60 I’m A Vegetarian
#61 How To Put In AirPods, By My 2 Year Old
#62 Wait It’s Not The Same?
#63 Gamer Rage
#64 He Immediately Regrets Decision
#65 Kid Doesn’t Like Apples But Eats Them If They Are Like McDonald’s Fries
#66 Decided To Try To Fit Between The Sliding Door And The Screen
#67 Kids Are Masters Of Pattern Recognition
#68 Kid Thought The Expiration Date On Milk Was 1573
#69 I Was A Bit Stupid As A Child
#70 Found Out Why My Dog Is Sick
My wife was waiting at the vet to get our dog checked out for stomach problems that started this weekend. As she’s there she gets this note from my 3 year old son’s daycare. Apparently he was feeling guilty.
#71 You Came To The Wrong House, Elf
#72 Only Smart People Wore Glasses
#73 My Little Brother (10) Got Stuck In A Cat Donut
#74 They Didn’t Think That Was An Option
#75 Text From My Sister This Morning About Her 5yo Son
#76 I Love That Your Kids Adore Food
#77 A Driver’s License Is An Acceptable Form Of Payment
#78 They’re Going To Be Besties Before You Know It
#79 My 6 Year Old Begs Me To Play Minecraft With Him And Then Does This The Whole Time To See His Half Of The Screen Better
#80 My Nephew Has A Lot To Learn About How This World Works
#81 Maybe It’s The Y At The End
#82 Very Odd Cookie Recipe
#83 Hide And Seek Queen
#84 For Love
#85 My Daughter Loaded The Dishwasher Today
#86 Grand Daughter Drew Me Some Art Work
#87 Not Even The Combined Mind Of Two 11 Year Olds Could Figure This One Out
#88 My Friends Kid Decided To Make His Own Popsicle
#89 My Niece And Nephew Made Me A Sandwich, Top With Baby Carrots, Panda Chocolate Cookies And Yogurt. They Know Me Well
#90 How Dare You Be Her Child
#91 Text From My Friend Tonight After Trick Or Treating Ended
#92 My Kid Painted A Picture And Wanted To Hang It On The Wall, So She Used Paint To Do That
#93 Don’t Forget To Subscribe
#94 Our Kid Came Out Of His Room And Said The Air Smelled Hot
#95 I Wasn’t The Brightest Kid In Class
#96 That’s You
#97 “Because My Phone Was Too Cold”
That’s why my kid melted his camera on the heater floor vent.
#98 My Daughter Taped This To The Front Door To “Prank” The Neighbors
#99 My Niece, Who I Treated Nicely In The 3 Hours She Stayed, Decided That Doing This To Me Was A Good Idea
#100 Nutter Butter Chomps
3 year old found my stash. Told him to wait a minute while I finished a couple dishes and dried hands and I’d help him open it. I’m pretty sure he ate the plastic. I couldn’t find it anywhere. This isn’t the first time.