People Online Share The Silly Lies They Believed As Kids

Ever had an embarrassing childhood memory pop back up and make you cringe? You’re definitely not alone. From believing in Santa Claus to falling for the Easter Bunny’s tricks, most kids are gullible to just about anything.

A recent Reddit thread asking people to share the wildest lies they bought as kids has gone viral—and after reading through these hilarious stories, your own awkward moments might suddenly feel a lot less embarrassing!

The Reddit Post

When Reddit user AfterIsIsIsIsIsWas asked, “What were the dumbest lies you believed as a kid?” the thread quickly went viral.

In this article, we’ll highlight some of the funniest and most relatable responses that had everyone cringing—and laughing along.

Seeds Of Life

Kids might not inherit green thumbs like their parents or grandparents, but knowing the truth behind this classic childhood myth could have spared many of us a lot of worry.

“If you swallowed the black watermelon seeds, a watermelon would start growing in your belly.” — Kitchen-Commission47 / Reddit

The Secrets Of Stonehenge

Most kids begin learning history in middle or high school, but one Reddit user’s sister gave her an early—and unforgettable—lesson.

“My sister told me that if you count all the stones at Stonehenge, you’d die. To this day, I still don’t know how many stones there actually are. EDIT: I just told my sister this… and she laughed for about two minutes straight.” — Sardonnicus / Reddit

Time To Eject

Nowadays, people often argue about whether reclining your airplane seat is rude. Maybe this childhood myth could’ve saved some of those debates.

“My parents told me the button on the airplane armrest was the eject button. It took me way too long to realize it actually just reclines the seat—pretty embarrassing.” — Nrd4Life / Reddit

An Ivy League Man

Most students spend years working hard for scholarships and Ivy League acceptance. But for this Reddit user, the secret to scoring free money was surprisingly simple—just act clueless.

“I once believed academic scholarships were only for dumb students so some could still afford college. I even told my older brother he was so stupid he had to get scholarships to go. He ended up at an Ivy League school.” — mywifemademegetthis / Reddit

A Harsh Lesson In Finances

Learning how to handle money is a rite of passage, but not everyone gets off to a smooth start. Some thought ATMs were magic money machines, while others had some…creative ideas about credit.

“I wanted a credit card so I wouldn’t have to pay for anything.“ —TiredOfDebates Reddit

The Truth Serum

While some parents have built-in lie detectors, others have to get sneaky.

“My sister was about 5 years old at the time, and my mom convinced her that Benadryl was ‘truth serum’. My mom would threaten to give it to my sister if she knew she was lying. It was so hilarious, but my sister seriously believed it and would get upset.” —badgalbb22 / Reddit

Shawshank Redemption Meets Saving Private Ryan

One user spent years believing a wildly inaccurate explanation for how war movies looked so realistic. At just seven years old, he asked his brother about it—and bought the story until he was ten.

“They empty out nearby state prisons where the movie is being filmed, give the inmates guns and costumes, and tell them if they survive the shoot, they get released from jail.” —DocBak1/ Reddit

Dance Like No One’s Watching

“I had watched a kids’ TV show (I think it was The Electric Company) that featured a guest star who was a tap dancer.”

“My brother convinced me that tap dancers made their tapping sounds—not with their feet—but with their mouths. I spent the next several weeks trying to tap dance with my mouth noises before my mom made me quit.” —Hysterical_Realist / Reddit

Blood In The Water

It’s no surprise that when it comes to women’s menstrual cycles, men…are overdue for an education. This user probably should have paid more attention in health class, and we’ll hazard a guess and say they’re also a big fan of Jaws.

“That women’s periods stop in water to avoid sharks smelling it.” —Hullaba-Loo/ Reddit

Somebody’s Watching Me

Some kids grew up genuinely thinking their parents had magical powers—or at least some kind of supernatural surveillance.

“My mom had us convinced she had eyes in the back of her head. She always knew what we were up to in the living room, even while she was cooking with her back turned… It took me years to realize she could see everything perfectly reflected in the kitchen window.” —Dr_Dabbles Reddit

Story Time

Parents, if you’re stressing over your kids not reading enough, you might want to borrow a trick from this dad’s playbook.

“When I was a kid I asked my dad if reading enough books really could give you Telekinesis (Matilda). He said yes. I spent many years after that thinking I just wasn’t doing enough.” —seeyouinthesun / Reddit

Don’t Change The Radio

ChatGPT said:

Have you ever noticed how dads can be oddly territorial about the car radio? Well, this dad took it to a whole new level—he was even more protective than most.

“When I was a kid my dad told me it cost 25 cents to change the radio station to keep me from [messing] with the radio in his car. I believed that until I was 14.” —loipoikoi / Reddit

Walt Disney

Our parents and grandparents remember a world where TV and movies were in black and white, but for one user, they held Walt Disney on a very high pedestal.

“Watching a black and white show I thought everyone from the ’50s and lower had lived in black and white. I asked my father ‘who invented color?’ Dad looked at me dead serious and said ‘Walt Disney.’ I believed it [for] far too long.” —FlickerOfBoogers / Reddit

Beloved Stuffed Animals

One user says they lost their stuffed animal (a white dog) at Miami’s airport when they were five. Weeks later, their mom presented them with a new one that was identical, except for the color.

“She said the workers at the airport had found it and mailed it to us, but he got a tan because he was in Florida.” —thallomys / Reddit

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

One user explains that as a child, a button popped off their shirt. Their mom told them that if they placed the button under a rock in the yard the “button fairy” would give them a quarter.

“I believed it, and to my mother’s dismay, she discovered I had pulled the buttons off of every shirt in my closet. To this day, 40 years later, shirt buttons can still be found under random rocks in my parents’ backyard.” —denrad / Reddit

Now Eat Your Broccoli

It’s no surprise that kids would rather eat cookies instead of carrots. But if you’re this mom, sometimes you have to get creative.

“My mom used to tell me birds have wings and can fly because they eat a lot of fruits and veggies. I wanted to fly, instead just ended up with healthy eating habits. She Pavloved me real good.” —dreamweavur / Reddit

Bath Time

“That the draining sound of the water in the bathtub was a monster that would suck you in as well. A lie made to get me out of the bath.” —Roefl / Reddit

“I stuck my finger down the plughole thinking the swirling vortex it made would spin me around like some miniature tornado. The firemen who cut me out of the bath didn’t laugh either.” —Jam-Pot / Reddit