What were your strangest childhood misapprehensions?

Question

For example, I thought (when I was about 5, please bear in mind) that the difference between continents and islands was that islands floated (i.e. on the surface of the sea) and that continents were 'stuck to the bottom' (i.e. to the seabed). I thought that there was some big system of anchors or whatever holding the UK in place.

Anyone else have any similarly strange ideas as a child? What were they?

Answer 1

When I was about 8 I thought inanimate objects were alive and for about a year collected my 'favourite' pieces of rubbish (yoghurt pots, wrappers etc.) and stored them in my bedside cabinet cos I was afraid that if they were chucked away, they would die. Dunno how I managed to change away from that habit but I'm glad/relieved I did!

Answer 2

Well, apart from thinking that Father Christmas was real and it was such a pity my dad had to go to work after Christmas Dinner, I had a theory that babies were made by people putting their navels together (had to be a boy and a girl, though).

I also used to think I could fly by holding onto the baluster rail and just floating downstairs. I nearly did it once and thought it just needed more practice.

Answer 3

You made me laugh. How cute!

This man once told this elephant he was riding, "Steady. Steady!" and I turned to my mom and said, "Wow, that elephants name is Steady." LOL

Also, when I used to look in my mouth I thought our insides were all black because it was so dark.

I used to think that at the bottom of drain holes that something could grab you or see you. I also used to think the deep end at the pool would let out a shark (you know the area where the junk is filtered on the side of a pool).

Answer 4

I thought Wolf brand chili was dog food. On account of the dog(yes I know it's a wolf, but I didn't back then) on the can label.

I also thought the actors in front of the camera could see everybody, including me, watching them, through the lense.

I also thought, if there was a war, we'd all have to gather our pitchforks and go fight.What really worried me about this was that we didn't have a pitchfork.

Answer 5

I thought I could introduce Our literature to all world ,if I study English literature at the best university of our country,it was my dream days and nights. I succeeded in studying there but I considered that one can't do such a thing by studying at university,instead I was able to translate English literature into Persian!!!!!

Answer 6

I was scared that when my mother pulled the plug from the bathtub, and the water went out, that I would be sucked in to the drain pipe. She always had to wait until I got out of the tub, otherwise I would scream and cry in horror.

Answer 7

I remember falling down hard for the first time at age 4 ish.

I really knocked the wind out of myself badly and recall that all too familiar feeling of gasping for air - holding my stomach.

I remember my mother asking my what's wrong - my reply:

"I broke my tummy bone".

Answer 8

My grandad used to ask us to leave the room after we had watched a Western, so he could sweep up the dead cowboys and indians from the back of the telly.

Answer 9

well, i was sort of an 'imaginative' person when i was young, so i guess i had a lot of misapprehensions.
when i was about 7 or so, i thought my stuffed animals could talk, and also if i threw them out, they would put a curse on me so i would be unlucky for the rest of my life.

Answer 10

I used to fly in my dreams and thought i could fly for real so I jumped off a garage roof! (without injury, just bruised pride)