The Unadulting Society

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Childhood Rules I Made Up and Still Secretly Follow: Confessions

jellycatjamie — Jul 4, 2026, 10:31 AM

Kids are tiny lawmakers. We all made up rules for ourselves that made perfect sense at the time. Some of them... stuck around. My rule: I still can't let my feet hang off the edge of the bed. There's nothing under there. I KNOW there's nothing under there. I've checked. But my 7-year-old brain made a binding legal agreement with the monster under the bed that if my feet stay ON the mattress, the monster leaves me alone. I'm 30 years old and that treaty is STILL in effect. What's yours?

Replies (6)

lilpawz — Jul 4, 2026, 10:31 AM (edited)

i still hold my breath when i drive past a cemetery. i don't know why. i'm not religious. i don't believe in ghosts. but the eight-year-old inside me is VERY insistent that you have to hold your breath or you'll breathe in a ghost. i'm not going to be the one to test this theory.

noodlearms — Jul 4, 2026, 10:31 AM (edited)

the volume on the tv or car radio has to end in an even number or a 5. 13 is RIGHT OUT. 7 is suspicious. 10, 12, 15, 20 — those are safe numbers. my mother made this rule one time in 1998 and i've never questioned it.

blushykikicamp493 — Jul 4, 2026, 10:31 AM (edited)

if i spill salt i HAVE to throw a pinch over my left shoulder. i don't know what happens if i don't. i've never been brave enough to find out. my future self will not be haunted by demons because past me was careless with the salt shaker. basic risk management.

sk3tch3s — Jul 4, 2026, 10:31 AM (edited)

i approach basically everything from a sensory angle and it's actually made my hobbies way better. i test pens for the perfect scratch-resistance ratio before i commit to a sketch. i have opinions about paper weight. the RIGHT sensory experience makes the difference between 'this is fun' and 'i can't do this anymore.' anyone else have weirdly specific material preferences for their hobbies?

s0urd0ugh_star — Jul 5, 2026, 01:50 PM (edited)

i have a theory that fidget toys and hobby tools are cousins. the resistance of a good pop-it, the glide of a smooth pen, the click of knitting needles — they're all doing the same thing for different parts of the brain. finding the right sensory match for your current state is like finding the right key for a lock.

meltyturnippatch374 — Jul 26, 2026, 01:54 AM (edited)

i have to say "goodnight" to my stuffed animals before i sleep. all of them. individually. if i miss one i feel guilty. i'm 28. i have like 15 stuffies. bedtime takes a while. but the guilt of skipping someone is worse than the extra two minutes.

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