Technically Correct
Young kids can’t always explain what their parents do for a living with efficiency unless it’s a popular job title like a firefighter or nurse.
Since these parents worked in IT, we’re guessing their job was a little complex for a young child to wrap their head around. Plus, it seems like they took the question that people were asking rather literally. Either way, they were technically correct in their answer.
Calling for Help
There are some things that are inherently scary no matter how old you are. However, they can be especially daunting when you’re just a kid. These two siblings jumped into action when their mom was having a health problem.
It seems that they knew exactly what to do when someone was hurt, too! Naturally, you’d assume anyone involved was worried, so this kid called back to let them know how she was doing, likely letting another operator know.
Here to Support
When you watch an old sitcom, you usually hear canned laughter. There were some shows, though, that relied on a live studio audience for these reactions.
This kid didn’t quite understand that a live studio audience meant an audience that was in the studio. Since they misunderstood the concept in the way that they did, they at least wanted to support the shows that they liked. It’s kind of cute honestly!
Dad, No!
When you look at your driver’s license, there’s some basic information about you that’s standard to find there. For instance, your birthday is there to note your age.
Of course, when you’re a kid, you don’t have to worry about passing a driver’s test. As for this little one, though, a little explanation goes a long way. Do you know what else has dates on it? Food that’s going to go bad. That led to a tragic misunderstanding.
Maybe Not Now
When you see your parents doing something out of the ordinary, it might seem really silly to a kid. As such, you might have misunderstood a situation or two like this kid did.
Seeing their mom crawling on the floor and making weird noises, this kid just thought she was trying out a new game. However, the reality was probably a bit less enjoyable under these conditions. Most people aren’t looking to give kids horse rides while they’re in active labor.
Rat + Babies = Rat Babies
When you’re in school, you learn a lot of new vocabulary words. However, you learn a lot of words when you’re a kid and they don’t always come with a definition.
When a classmate used the word “rabies,” this kid was only left with context clues to figure out what they meant. Given what they said, we can see how this kid came to the conclusion they did but the way they misunderstood is almost as horrific as the real thing.
A Direct Threat
There are some things that all kids have to do when they’re growing up if their parents want them to stay happy and healthy. That doesn’t mean they always enjoy it.
As a matter of fact, getting a shot is something that many adults don’t look forward to either! Yet, the short-term discomfort is worth it, even if a little kid can’t understand at the time. This kid misunderstood the situation in an even more nerve-wracking way.
You Don’t Even Listen
Children’s programming is often meant to engage the audience in a different way than most adult programming. After all, you have to keep a young child’s attention!
Since most kids often try to interact rather than just follow along with the plot, it’s clear to see that the way to keep their attention is to provide that interaction. Well, it isn’t a perfect system. As such, this person thought Dora was pretty rude.
How Could You?
As a kid, you often look forward to big family events. After all, meeting up for the holidays often means that you get gifts from relatives. On top of that, kids just usually don’t want to feel left out.
However, there are some things that they simply can’t attend. While plenty of kids attend their parents’ weddings, the difference is that those kids were already born when their parents tied the knot. It’s not that this kid wasn’t invited!
Taking a While
There are some things that you hear as a child from someone you trust that you simply don’t question. Why shouldn’t you take it at face value?
Given that we’re not all making our own cheese, we can see how this person might not have brushed up on the process of cheese-making. However, we can also see how hearing this may have made it hard for their friends to keep a straight face.
Shooting to Stardom
A lot of kids love to listen to music. Yet, they might not understand everything about it. We all have songs we didn’t realize the meaning of until we were older!
This person misunderstood the fact that other people could sing songs they’d heard, not just the ones that they wrote. This misunderstanding led to them thinking that their cousin made it big overnight rather than recognizing that their cousin was simply singing along to a popular song. We’re glad the OP was supportive, though.
We Have to Help Him!
There are a lot of turns of phrases and idioms that make their way into your daily vocabulary that you might not think about as you pick them up.
The problem is that when you’re talking to kids, you can really confuse them with these phrases because they’ll take them quite literally. In this instance, this person was very concerned about exactly why their dad was late getting home from work. Why wasn’t anyone else worried?!
On That Note
A new member joining the family is always a bit of excitement for everyone involved. Yet, sometimes first-time siblings might have some hesitation about sharing their parents with a sibling. That was clearly not this kid’s concern.
They were actually very excited about their sister’s arrival but do you remember what we said about kids taking things literally? Given this misunderstanding, this kid couldn’t believe her mom had done such a thing.
Where Are You Going?
When you’re really young, you probably spend a lot of your time at home. Before you start school, you might spend a night or two with a relative or friend but it’s probably someone you know well. Not to mention, it’s a familiar environment.
Being dropped off by a bunch of strangers and seeing your mom leave without understanding what’s happening does sound pretty scary! Luckily, this child was just being dropped off at daycare for a few hours.
A Lesson in Homynyms
There are some words that are pronounced the same but they don’t have the same meaning. This news wasn’t written down, so we can see how it was misunderstood.
Most people would be really excited about the chance to become an aunt! On the other hand, not many people would like to have the life of an ant. As such, this kid was so concerned by what seemed like a threat from their sister on top of the big news.
The Toy Story Way
There are certain things that you grow to have over time. You probably know that young children have to develop their object permanence. That understanding might not come all at once.
This kid had a bit of a Toy Story approach to how the world worked out of their view. Their family and friends weren’t having their own lives when this kid left the room — they were just frozen in time, waiting for this kid to come and activate them.
Yeah, Sure
There’s one question that all children ask eventually that a lot of parents dread having to explain. It can be a really awkward conversation!
When this kid was young, she came to her mom and asked the very question. Her mom did her best to give her a PG version that could be expanded on when she was older. The blanks she filled in, for now, are frankly rather hilarious and a kind of terrifying prospect.
Questions on Adoption
If you’re the parent of an adopted child, you probably have to be prepared to answer some questions that a parent of a child who isn’t adopted might not have.
There are some you can anticipate and prepare for but others will really catch you off-guard. After a terrifying nightmare, this kid just couldn’t shake it. They were so suspicious they decided to go ahead and ask her. Even then, they weren’t convinced right away.
A Strange Fine
Speaking of adoption, this kid clearly had a few misunderstandings about it when they were younger. This isn’t how it goes, it’s just a kind of kidnapping.
When you get into an accident, there might be some consequences and you might even owe a fine. However, it’s important to clarify that this fine is monetary. You usually don’t hand over your child to the person as payment for the damage and most accidents aren’t going to send your dad to jail.
Heading to the Hairdresser
There are certain features that you are born with. For example, maybe you have naturally brown hair or you have freckles across your face. There are also some features that you can acquire.
For instance, you can cut and dye your hair any way that you please. While some parents might not want their young kids to dye their hair, getting bangs is usually possible. We hope this kid eventually found that out.
Method Acting
There are some actors that take the roles that they get very seriously. Some have even sparked a discussion of what’s too far when it comes to putting yourself fully into a role like this.
While there are disagreements in this debate, we’re sure that we can all agree that this would take this way too far. As for this kid, they just couldn’t wrap their head around why an actor would sign on for this. Also, this would make certain movies a lot more troubling.
Watching Reruns
When you turn on a show you like, you might not have the luxury of a new episode every single time you turn the TV on. It’s simply not possible.
If you catch a rerun on TV, it just means that the channel is playing a recording of an old episode. Again, though, kids don’t always know the ins and outs of movie magic. This kid just thought that Rowan Atkinson was on call. Those marathons must have really tired him out!
What Do You Want to Be?
Growing up, you hear a lot that you can be whatever you want. You probably regularly get asked what you want to be when you grow up.
Of course, when adults are talking to a child, they usually don’t take the time to argue with them about how realistic their career choice is. The whole class can be the next president of the United States! This kid had a particularly unrealistic life plan.
Please, No!
A parent losing a job can be a really stressful thing. Even if they don’t show it in front of you, you might notice some changes or just some stress from your parent.
This kid was concerned for a different reason than most people are when someone in the family is fired. Instead, they were concerned that their mom was about to have a painful and possibly fatal experience. The latter is a much grimmer fate for a child to wrap their head around.
Survival of the Fittest
You can’t always tell how strong someone is by how they look. Yet, there are some features that we associate with strength, like definite muscle tone.
If you see someone stronger than the strongest person you know, it can be really surprising as a kid — sometimes even impressive. On the contrary, this kid was worried that this meant that everyone was going to have to prove their strength and that their mom didn’t stand a chance!
Okay, Not Quite
When you’re young, you pick up on things that your parents might not directly talk to you about. For instance, how much money it takes to support a family comfortably.
Yet, this child knew that it did take money to cover your basic needs. When they thought their mom was about to go broke and they couldn’t even afford a penny, things must have been looking pretty dire. In reality, their mom just didn’t have any loose change on her.
Thanks for Sharing
There are some things that you tell your family that you might not tell the general public. However, kids are notoriously bad at keeping secrets. Usually, this is a great thing!
This wasn’t a secret either, so much as a family matter. They probably didn’t even catch their child’s misunderstanding until they’d already shared it with the class. In their defense, their announcement came with a sense of pride — no matter what “being laid off” really meant.
Mom, It’s Okay
There are plenty of kids that are prepared for the basics of what to do in an emergency. At the very least, they know an emergency number to call, even if that’s 911 directly. On the other hand, it’s not always easy to tell when an emergency is.
When you’re young, you might have moments where your emotions get the better of you. This kid just thought their mom was having one of those moments. The reality was that she was experiencing contractions.
Well, Now I’m Not Ready
There are some things that are real treats when you get to do them. Heading to the store that carried some of this kid’s favorite snacks seemed like a treat to this parent.
The only problem was that the kid in question really misunderstood the name of Trader Joe’s. While it might be in the name, you don’t actually trade for the groceries you buy at this popular chain. Still, this kid was a little upset they weren’t given any notice to prepare.
What’s a Baby Shower?
When someone is expecting a baby, there’s a lot they do to celebrate and prepare. A lot of parents throw a baby shower before the big birthday.
Despite the name, this doesn’t include a shower in the traditional sense. We don’t call many other parties showers, either. So, we can see why this kid was a little confused as to why everyone was so excited to join in the baby’s first shower.
Basic Botany
When you learn about plants, one of the most basic facts you pick up is that they start as seeds. With some water, sunlight, and a place to grow, they can find life. In addition, you usually don’t eat the seeds in fruit like watermelon.
So, this child was naturally concerned about what would happen when they swallowed a few of the seeds. We hope that their grandmother didn’t let them sweat this fate for too long.
A Little Guidance
There are a few things that kids believe that really entertain their parents. It can be so endearing that you don’t have the heart to correct them.
This kid kept their incorrect observation around until they were nearly a teenager. Given how popular GPS is, we can see how this kid might have come to this conclusion. Once they learned how a car really worked, they were completely blown away.
The Opposite Effect
Kids are still developing the part of their brain that helps them make good, thought-through decisions. So, they often run into some unintended consequences. This is definitely a misunderstanding with a consequence.
While kids sometimes have seemingly silly beliefs like this, the reality is that you can really strain your eyes by trying to read with inadequate lighting. All it did for this kid was fast-track a trip to the optometrist.
We Can Get a New One
Losing your debit card is always a hassle. If it gets eaten by the machine while you’re just trying to use your bank’s ATM, it might be extra frustrating. The solution is a hassle but rather simple.
You have to go to the bank and get a new card to replace it. The status of your card, in this case, has nothing to do with the money in the account. Left only with things to infer, this kid wasn’t ready for the imagined consequences here.
Eaten Alive
Adults and children alike often speak with exaggeration and hyperbole. For example, you might say that you’re so hungry, you could eat a horse!
Once again, though, kids tend to take things literally and that means that things are easily misunderstood sometimes. When this kid heard that their dad was “eaten alive” by mosquitoes, they really couldn’t wrap their head around why their mom was so casual about it.
Growing Up
When a human is small, you might call them a baby, and then a toddler, and then a kid. They’re all words to describe a stage of life in our species.
We’ve also come up with words to describe similar stages in other animals. For example, you might adopt a puppy who grows up to be a dog and, in the wild, a bear cub grows into a full bear. So, we can see where this misconception came from.
The Solution Is Right There
There are a few things that you hear as a child that you just believe. A common one is that there’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
As a matter of fact, this kid believed it so much that they thought that the adults around them were missing something obvious. Why ever deal with financial problems when you can just hop in the car and follow your nearest rainbow?
Taking a Shower
There are some things that parents tell their children to get them to do things. This mother told her child that if they didn’t clean well in the shower, they’d grow potatoes on their ears! To most kids, this is far from ideal.
Not many kids want to become a garden! Yet, this little one saw some merits to the situation. After all, it’s a good thing to grow your own veggies, right? They were just trying to take advantage of the situation.
Like a Beast
There are some phrases we use every day that we all understand. Well, not everyone you meet will be familiar with that particular turn of phrase.
Kids are a demographic that is likely to misunderstand things like this. This person really thought that the term “like a beast” wasn’t just an impressive metaphor but a direct warning to be careful around the new car!
Written by Anonymous
There are plenty of things that you see credited to “anonymous.” Maybe you read a story in school by an anonymous author or even just a bit of a quote.
Usually, the word anonymous is signed where the author’s name would go. So, it’s easy to see how this kid made the leap to thinking that “anonymous” was actually an author. If so, he’s been really busy for a really long time!
Trying to Follow the Rules
Kids get in trouble from time to time and it happens for a variety of reasons. They don’t always mean to do it!
When you’re still learning the rules, you’re bound to make a mistake and misunderstand them from time to time. This kid had the right intentions even if he had the wrong idea. To be fair, he did pay the penalty that was set out for him without question.
Rewriting the Lyrics
Kids love music just as much as adults do. When some songs come on, they can’t help but just sing along just like you might do while you’re making your way home from work.
This kid had their own favorite song, too. However, not knowing all the words, they were left to give it their best shot out of the vocabulary they had. We have to admit, this is an interesting version, to say the least.
In the Movies
Watching movies when you’re a kid can have a certain level of mystery and magic to it. After all, you don’t know all about special effects at this point.
In fact, you might have misunderstood a simple effect like this one when you were a kid. Since Jumanji shows Robin Williams’ character both young and as an adult, this kid was left to believe that they started the movie when the actor was really young and came back years later to finish it up.
That’s How it Works, Right?
There are some animals that you call by different names whether they’re a boy or a girl in their species. Take cows and bulls or hens and roosters, for instance.
The same isn’t true for all animals, though. There are some animals you just call by the same name. That includes cats and dogs which are two completely different species, in case anyone else was wondering.
Learning About Aliens
There are plenty of words that mean two things in the English language. That’s why it can make it hard to learn the language whether it’s your first or your fourth!
When most kids hear the word “alien” for the first time, it’s probably more in the science fiction sense. This mom clearly didn’t mean that she was Martian but it still led to a misunderstanding that was way more confusing to this person as a kid.
When you’re growing up, you have a lot to learn. At some point, you heard about everything you know for the very first time! Once you’re an adult, though, these concepts are mastered as children and you think of them as simple concepts. You’d be surprised how many kids misunderstood things the first time they heard them. You probably have some stories of your own in your family, too!