What’s something you thought was normal growing up… until you got older and realized it wasn’t?
What’s something you thought was normal growing up… until you got older and realized it wasn’t?
r/AskMen
What’s something you thought was normal growing up… until you got older and realized it wasn’t?
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People going into debt, the whole YOLO and anti work attitude as if not caring would make the consequences disappear too, the glorification of mental health issues and other dysfunctional behaviors, the political radicalism. Growing up in a big city was not fun all things considered and looking at what happened to the acquaintances I had who did not leave – I am very glad I left when I did.
Being almost aggressively hostile to people you don’t know.
Turns out, that’s just a Philadelphia thing.
Canadian solidarity.
It only exists if you follo2 group think.
Canada has so many rich fucks that losers just promote further poverty openly.
Meanwhile liberals lie about bringing hope as a you child steals from a store with food to survive something you never experienced the person pushing this.
If we work hard in our childhood then we can live happily as we get older
Oh, you mean like thinking that everyone’s family holds full-blown debates over who left the lights on, complete with closing arguments and rebuttals? Yeah, turns out not every household is a courtroom drama waiting to happen. Who knew?
Growing up, I thought it was completely normal that my dad would pull over for every single roadside attraction during family road trips. Small town museums about buttons? We’re stopping. World’s largest ball of twine? Absolutely essential. Some random historical marker about a local milk factory from 1872? Dad would slam on the brakes so hard our luggage would shift.
I assumed everyone’s family vacations were 80% driving and 20% standing in front of bizarre local oddities taking photos. It wasn’t until college when friends would talk about actually reaching their destinations efficiently that I realized our family’s “scenic route philosophy” was definitely not the norm.
Now as an adult, I find myself doing the exact same thing. There’s something magical about those weird, forgotten places that exist just off the highway. And honestly? Those random stops are the parts of childhood trips I remember most vividly.
Dad’s secret time with his violin instructor.
Someone needs to link to the poop knife story…
Having parents beating each other up and constantly drunk. Also being in relationships with someone just to “get by”
Always thought everyone’s mom wrapped their TV remote in plastic wrap to keep it clean. Didn’t realize until I was housesitting for a friend that this wasn’t a universal thing. Still catch myself wanting to do it sometimes though.
Children taking care of themselves
being beaten up as a form of discipline
Pressure to man up or grow up. After my parents divorce I had to be the man of the household.
Every once in a while I will get this stern “talk” from my uncles how I should man up, get my sh.t together and all.
One was particularly mean, after playing outside with my friends I came home to see him as a guest, preaching me how I should help my mom and how at my age he was taking care of his younger siblings and sh.t. Apparently I could not be a kid at 12 and had go get a grip in my life. Meanwhile his fatass of a son was goofing off on his gaming pc all day, now nearly reaching his 40s still lives with his parents, leeching off of them. What happened with the “dad talk” uncle?
Running errands for parents, and caregiving the elders. I’ve been technically working since I was 7 y/o. I’d wake up at 4am, dress grandma and brush her hair, get breakfast ready, and cooked dinner when I came back from school. Imagine a 7 y/o injecting insulin on her grandma. I could’ve killed her at any time had I given her the wrong amount. Or burnt the house down while cooking? I also tended the farm and butchered chickens with her. As for mom I started renewing her nursing license taking the online exams for her starting at 14 y/o, and doing taxes. I also administered the money and paid bills since she apparently couldn’t.
Now at 27, I’m questioned by my family why I went no contact with mom and don’t want to have kids or settle down.
Not me but my BIL thought it was normal to never “waste money” on the cinema or buying/renting films. His parents, who “don’t like films” (how?!), treated it like it was a preposterous extravagance and looked down on people who paid to watch anything.
As a result he’s barely seen any famous films from the 80s, 90s and some of the 00s – only anything that was on terrestrial TV in the UK, which back then meant you saw a selection of “new” films a few years late. He only started going to the cinema in his 20s (the 2000s) but still doesn’t like films very much because of his upbringing.
ETA: I found out about this when a group of us talked about classic films from our childhood and he hadn’t seen any of them.
Bad parents.
Ambition
That you can do anything you put your mind to. Yes success happens, but my dream was to play in the NBA and I’m 5’11. So thanks mom and dad 😎
Paying attention to and listening to your children. Being hardly seen and not heard was tough for me. Then hearing “do as I say not as I do” just didn’t add up.