I Just Learned About "Third Man Syndrome" And Can't Stop Thinking About It, So Here Are 23 Stories From People Who Experienced It Themselves
Essentially, third man syndrome (also called third man factor) is a phenomenon that occurs in times of distress and crisis. It's the feeling that there's another person or entity there alongside you, even though you're all alone. People report feeling, hearing, or even seeing this "third man" who acts as a voice of comfort and support in an otherwise horrifying time...or literally saves their life.
The term "Third Man Syndrome" comes from the T.S. Elliot poem, The Waste Land. The poem was inspired by the real-life experience of Ernest Shackleton — an Irish explorer who went on a near-death expedition in Antarctica in 1916. After their ship got trapped in ice, he and two other members of his crew made a 36-hour long trek across the Arctic, over mountains and glaciers, to a whaling station. During that time, several members of his three-man team — Ernest included — kept feeling like there was a fourth man alongside them. T.S. Elliot wrote this stanza inspired by that phenomenon:
poetryfoundation.org
Thinking back, I've heard tons of stories in my lifetime that fit the bill here, but I never knew there was a term for it. Like with any paranormal phenomenon, there are tons of hypotheses for what exactly third man syndrome is, ranging from guardian angels and long-deceased ancestors to our brains psychologically protecting us in moments of extreme stress. Whatever the answer is, it seems to be a more common experience than you might think. Recently, I asked BuzzFeed readers if they'd ever experienced third man syndrome, and I received far more submissions than I'd ever expected. So, without further ado, here are 23 of the best, creepiest stories people shared:
1. "When I was young, around 9 years old, I had to have pretty major surgeries for a birth defect. I was feeling sick, in pain, and frustrated about not being able to sleep or get out of bed. When I rang the bell for the night nurses to help me to the toilet, a smiling man dressed all in white would come straight away and help me. He was so happy and peaceful, with the biggest smile and a bright aura to him. He always came straight to me as soon as the bell rang. The next day (after the second night of his help), I asked another nurse if he would be on duty that night. The staff were very confused, even after my description of him. She told me there weren't any male staffers on duty those past two nights and that none of the porters or other staff wore all white or would have been answering bells on the ward."
—Anonymous
2. "I once fell about 10 feet from a ledge overlooking a lake. The ledge was above large rocks and, as I fell, I was sure I was about to be gravely hurt. Suddenly, I felt a large hand on my back that caught me and pushed me against the wall. Surprised, I turned around to thank my savior...and no one was there. I was dangling over the rocks, feeling the hand as it pushed me straight against the wall until both my feet where secured. I cannot explain what happened that day, but I know there was someone/something there that saved me."
—Anonymous
3. "Twice, in my twenties, I fell asleep while driving on a highway. Just in the nick of time, a voice from the back seat said my name in a very commanding tone, waking me up so I could hit the brakes. I'm still very much alive (76 years old), and I figure someone up there likes me."
4. "I am disabled and I survived the attacks on the twin towers. I was buried under the debris for about 15 hours, but I was never alone. I kept hearing from a voice that said his name was Michael. When I was weakest, he would just keep me talking to him. When I was rescued, I found out that there was never a man named Michael anywhere in the area. I still wonder the voice was that saved me from becoming another death of that terrible day."
—Anonymous
5. "When my husband was in his 20s, he fell asleep while driving and crashed into a telephone pole. He was hurt and remembered a teenage kid knocking on his window and telling him he called the police and not to get out of the car because there were live wires everywhere. When my husband was finally rescued, there was no sign of the kid. The police said that no one had called them — they just came because the power was out. Not only that, but they said there was no way anyone could have gotten close to the car on account of the wires, and if my husband had tried to get out of the car, they probably would have probably killed him. My husband so vividly remembers the kid, he believes he was real, but his mom believes it was his guardian angel."
—Anonymous
6. "A few years ago, we were on a family vacation in Virginia Beach. The water was pretty choppy and the waves kept knocking me down before I could even get properly in, so — as I was pregnant — I decided to relax on the sand instead. My husband and my three siblings went out swimming and, without realizing it, my husband and one of my sisters got pulled out pretty far. They were far from everyone else swimming, and a lifeguard was blowing the whistle that they need to come back in. The water was so rough, they were having a hard time getting any closer to shore and genuinely thought they might drown."
"My sister is pretty petite, so my husband ended up carrying her piggy-back style back to shore. They were both pretty scared and tired. My husband told me that something or someone helped them make it back — it felt like someone gave him a push. The next day, there was a perfect handprint on his back, on the right side by his shoulder blade. It looked like a reverse sunburn, in the perfect shape of a hand. Someone was definitely looking out for then that day."
—Emilie, Ohio, USA
7. "I was dancing with my friend at a foam party, which is where they hang a machine from the ceiling that dumps TONS of bubbles onto the dance floor. The foam was super deep under the machine and the floor was super slippery because of the soapy bubbles. My friend slipped into the foam and I fell down to the floor, under the bubbles with her. When I tried to breathe, it was like I was drowning — the foam filled my lungs like water. I couldn't open my eyes, my feet and hands kept slipping so I couldn't stand up, and no one could hear us choking and screaming over the music. I was slipping all over on the floor holding onto my friend's shirt. Just as I thought we were going to drown in the bubbles, someone pulled us up. It was as though we'd been lifted or pushed, because there was no way anyone could have grabbed me by the arm. I was way too slippery — Heather and I couldn't even hold hands, our skin was so slick. I was lucky just to hang onto her shirt."
"We came out of the bubbles, choking and gasping, covered in soap, clinging on to each other. When I wiped my eyes clear, there was no one there except the other people dancing around us. They were all oblivious to us, though — they didn't even know we had fallen and no one had seen anyone pull us out nor did anyone ask us if we were OK! Needless to say, I never went to a foam party again."
—Anonymous
8. "I was driving north from Portland to Seattle for a last-minute appointment. I was very tired and the rainy weather wasn't helping at all. I was using my phone as a GPS and it fell off the mounter dashboard holder and onto the footwell below. I was on a major freeway, and — in my tired state — started to scramble to find the phone. I know it's dumb, but I didn't know where I was going. At this point I could barely see the road as I was looking down for the device, and all of a sudden I felt my steering wheel jerk to the left and then to the right again. I popped back up to see what was going on. I narrowly missed hitting a road worker by maybe a foot by swerving out and back in the lane again. I had not moved the wheel…."
"Grandma used to say, 'Don't drive faster than your angels can fly,' and I could feel her in that moment."
— pollenandsalt
9. "I was driving back to college my freshman year and got totally lost in a heavily wooded area. This was before GPS and cell phones, so I was just stuck on these roads alone. I couldn't find my way to the highway I was looking for and as the sun set, a huge storm broke out and it started pouring rain. The rain was so heavy I could barely see the road. Suddenly, a house with all the lights on appeared. It was the only house I had seen for miles, so (against my better judgment) I parked the car and went running for the door. The house had a fence but no gate to open so I hopped the fence and started banging on the door asking for help."
"A woman opened the door and invited me inside. The house was empty except for a big bean bag chair in the kitchen. She said they had just moved in and her husband had left to get something, so it was just us. I was soaking wet, so she offered me a change of clothes and poured me a cup of tea. She let me use her phone to call my parents, but they didn't answer, so I left her number on the machine so they could call her back and thank her. She said I was really close to the highway but understood I had already had a rough night, so she offered to drive and guide me to the highway so that I wouldn't get lost again. Turns out, if I had just kept driving another minute up the road, I would have hit the highway. My mom called the number I gave the next day, but we got a error saying the number did not exist. Despite having driven that road many times later in my college career, I never saw that house again."
—Johanna, Georgia, USA
10. "Years ago, I was heading back by train from my parents's house to university. It was late, and I had my head resting on the window with my eyes closed. Suddenly, a voice started telling me to move. It got louder and more urgent, but when I opened my eyes, there was no one yelling at me on the train. The other few passengers were all minding their business. The voice in my head got louder and louder, more and more urgent. I felt silly moving, but I finally couldn't ignore the voice any longer, so I scooted a seat over and sat upright. Just then, a bullet came through the train window, right where my head had been. I'd have been done for had I stayed where I was."
—Anonymous
11. "My father in law told me that my husband, who was a premature baby, was very fragile. As they were coming home from the hospital, he was coming down a very icy, slippery set of stairs with my husband in his arms when all of a sudden, he tripped and he almost fell. Someone caught him literally mid air. He turned around and no one was there. He told me it wasn't humanly possible for him to have done this alone, ashe was pretty much on the ground when he was held up by his arms. He is sure someone saved his baby that day for some reason."
— agatatakmeneva
12. "I was a teenager in the '80s and was driving alone at night in a rainstorm. I hate driving at night, especially in rain. Anyway, I ended up hitting a pothole and my tire popped. I was kind of in the middle of nowhere, but I somehow made it to a parking lot. It was empty from what I could tell. This was obviously before cell phones or anything, so I was going to try and change my tire myself when I realized I didn't have a spare. I sat back in my seat, trying to think of what to do when I heard a tap on my passenger window. There was a man's voice saying, 'You need a hand, miss?' I felt my car being jacked up and heard the sound of someone messing with my tire. I remember clutching a tire iron in my hand as I got out of the car to try and get a better look at the guy and see what the hell was going on. As suddenly as he appeared, he was gone."
"I sat in my car again, still thinking. A few minutes later, the rain cleared up a bit and I made my way to the store who's parking lot I ended up in to try and use their phone to call my dad. My dad showed up with a spare tire only to tell me all my tires were totally fine. So now, I always wonder if any of it was real at all."
—Anonymous
13. "It was the summer of 1986 and I was about 5 when this happened. My father was a marine and the marines brought their families together for a day of hot dogs, baseball, and fun. The park we were at had a paved walking trail that was basically just a really big circle around the park. Little 5-year-old me had my hot dog and went for a walk on the trail. At the furthest(ish) point on the trail from where everyone else was, I began to choke. I took a bite of hot dog that was to big and was having difficulty chewing it, which led to me accidentally swallowing before it was ready to be swallowed. I knew I was done for. I stood there, looking at the ground, hot dog in left hand, and right hand where I felt the stuck dog right below my voice box. I was trying my hardest to push or vomit it out. I began to think, 'I'm gonna die.' That very second, I felt the urge to look up. To my left not three feet away was a tiny little old lady."
"She was the straight up stereotypical image of a sweet little old lady sitting on a bench, smiling at me. I quickly motioned to her that I was choking and needed help. In her soft sweet smiling old lady voice, she said, 'Oh I know, I know. You need to just relax, everything is going to be fine.' Seeing her happy calmness made her instruction to just relax seem like a good idea, so I did. The moment I began to relax was the moment I felt the hotdog moving back up my throat and back into my mouth, then onto the ground at my feet. I was in shock seeing a literal half of a hot dog on the ground and couldn't believe I took that big of a bite.
I'm not sure how long I was staring at that hot dog, but it couldn't have been more than a second or two. When I looked up again, there was no bench and there was no old lady. I just lost it crying, standing there until one of the other marines noticed me and came to check on me. When he asked what was wrong, I blubberingly mumbled out through tears what happened. He stood up quick as spit sizzles, looking around for the old lady, then walked me back to the rest of the families."
—Anonymous
14. "I was driving on a somewhat rural road on a very windy winter's day. The snow was being whipped across the road and a sudden gust of wind hit the back end of my car. This caused me to fishtail and I lost control. I shot across oncoming traffic, off an embankment, and rolled the car into a field. As I was airborne, I felt someone sitting next to me in the passenger's seat. After the car flipped 360° and slammed back down on the tires, I heard a voice in my head tell me I was unharmed and felt a gentle caress across my forehead. Once I had determined my neck wasn't broken and I could move, I saw that I was covered in windshield glass. It was everywhere...except for the passenger's seat. There was only glass bits around the edges of the seat, like someone had been sitting there."
"I didn't have a scratch or a bruise on me. The police officers and the tow truck driver couldn't believe I was uninjured, given the state of my car. Since then, I have tried extra hard to be a better human to repay who/whatever saved me that day."
—Anonymous
15. "I'm nearly 75 years of age, and haven't thought of this incident for years. I was raised in North Alabama, the youngest of three brothers. Our family would often vacation on the panhandle of the Florida Gulf Coast near Destin and Panama City. On one occasion (I was maybe 6 or 7 years old), we stopped for a picnic at a public park near a backwater estuary. I was wading and stepped off into water deeper than I realized. I turned toward the shore and tried to clamber back, but knew I was literally over my head in water. Suddenly, I felt hands under my armpits lifting me into the shallow water, until my feet touched the bottom. I immediately turned to see who was there, thinking it was one of my brothers, but there was no one else in the water. I didn't say anything to anyone at the time, not knowing what to say. To this day, I can't quite grasp what really happened."
—Anonymous
16. "When I was about 18, I was in a terrible car accident. While waiting for emergency services to arrive, there was an old man wearing shorts and a t-shirt, standing nearby. The car was a wreck and my legs where trapped. The old man directed me on how to get out of the car and told me to get my phone and call 911. After emergency services arrived, I was told that the car was so wrecked, they where waiting for the jaws of live to free me, and no one could figure out how I managed to get myself out. I was also declared deceased by the first emergency vehicle that stopped. I told them about the old man, but no one in the car with me or on the accident scene remembers him. I was the only one to see the old man. I am still grateful to whoever he was for helping me get out of that car."
—Anonymous
17. "It was 1 in the morning. I was only a day away from my due date with my first pregnancy. My husband and I were sleeping, anticipating the many sleepless nights that would soon become the new normal. I felt a sweet kiss on my cheek, and a comforting, warm feeling. As I woke up from the kiss, I rolled over to find my husband still snoring, and facing the opposite direction. The second I realized he couldn't have kissed my cheek, I felt a pop and my water broke."
"I've always believed that it was my much-beloved grandmother who gave me the kiss, blessing me as I began the journey to bring my daughter into the world. We're both named after her."
— elizabethl4ec8eca0e
18. "Years ago, I was stopped at a toll booth where I had to grab an exit ticket. To reach the ticket, I had to unbuckle my seat belt. There was a line of cars behind me, so I was going to just go through and put my seat belt on later. I heard a male voice say, 'Put your seat belt on.' My female friend in the car was asleep. I ignored the voice, then heard, 'Put your seat belt on NOW!' I did, then seconds later I was clipped by a tractor trailer and flew over the median, into the path of an oncoming car. The car was totaled, but my friend and I survived. I had bruises where the seat belt kept me in the car and saved my life. If it weren't for the seat belt, I would have gone through the windshield."
—Nikki, Pennsylvania, USA
19. "My mother was going through cancer treatment and wasn't feeling great after her most recent one that afternoon. She went to bed early and I stayed up playing video games on the other side of the house. Around midnight, I felt a hand touch my shoulder and a really strong feeling that I should check up on mom hit me. I found her passed out on the floor and took her to the hospital where she received an emergency blood transfusion. She's now 10 years cancer free and thriving, but that night it was like someone else was there, watching out for her."
—Anonymous
20. "I was driving on a stretch of freeway that turns into highway with three stoplights before turning into freeway again. I was waiting at a red light when someone slammed into me at full speed from behind, not realizing the light hadn't changed to green yet. My car skidded 20 feet from the sheer force of the massive truck hitting my sad little 1996 Escort. The seat I was in broke. I was immediately crying in shock and confusion. A woman appeared at my window and patted me on the shoulder, telling me it was going to be okay."
"I got out and spoke to the other driver who was all apologies, explaining he had been watching an erratic driver behind him when the accident occurred. It all seemed normal...until I realized that my window was still rolled up, unbroken, and there was no way that anyone could have reached in and touched my shoulder. The woman that came to comfort me was nowhere to be found. I was uninjured other than a little whiplash, and other than losing my vehicle that day, I was more upset I had just filled up my gas tank."
—Anonymous
21.
"I was in the Uyuni Desert in Bolivia, doing a four-day tour in the salty desert. My mom, my uncle, three of my friends, a guide, and I were in a Jeep, heading up to the geysers at a 5000+ meter altitude. My body didn't handle the altitude and lack of oxygen well, and I started vomiting and fainting so much, we had to stop the car. Being in this situation for too long can kill you due to the lack of oxygen in your brain and lungs, so we were stressed. Out of nowhere, a couple appeared on a tandem bike. They were French (like me) and were crossing the desert like that. Long story short, they just so happened to have the exact right pill to help me with my sickness. They gave me a pill, I got in the car, and when we turned back to wave at them...they were nowhere to be found. Everyone saw them, but they were completely gone in an instant. My mom believes they were sent by my guardian angel."
22. "I was alone downstairs watching TV, and my son was asleep upstairs in his crib. I heard a male voice very close by say two words, 'Go now!' Startled, I jumped up and took the stairs two at a time to my son's room, where I found he'd somehow moved his entire crib. He moved it enough that he could reach his silver metal airplane mobile, put the weighted ball into his mouth, and was silently choking on it. I flipped him over my arm and did the maneuver to expel it, and we both sat on the floor crying in relief. No sound came from the monitor we had. If not for that clear warning, he wouldn't be 37 years old now!"
—Anonymous
23. And finally, "In 2010, my husband and I were barreling down the highway at unsafe speeds in the pouring rain. We were really young and arguing over how much he spent on a TV. Suddenly we began hydroplaning — the car went sideways on the highway and then straightened back out. There was a semi coming out of a subdivision and we barely missed hitting it. We started heading straight for a small group of trees. I reached back and grabbed the front of our very young son's car seat, thinking somehow I was protecting him. I looked at my husband and he said, 'I love you,' and it was like everything suddenly slowed down for a moment. I remember hearing this voice that sounded urgent saying, 'You have to pick up your legs! You have to pick up your legs now!' I immediately pulled them into the front of my seat. I looked forward and time was no longer slowed down. I watched in horror as we headed straight for the trees and slammed into them."
"The next thing I remember is this wave of pain shooting up my spine. I threw my head back and screamed. I also quickly realized my foot was hurting, but was stuck. The floorboard had pushed upwards, meeting the dashboard, and the dashboard was pushed forward and had met my seat. My right foot had slipped out of the seat and was stuck between the dashboard and my seat. I eventually managed to dislodge it. It was broken in three places and my back was broken in five. I have been permanently disabled ever since. My husband also broke his right femur in half. Luckily, our young son was unharmed.
We believe we hit the trees at 80mph, at least. If I hadn't picked up my legs when I did, then they would have been completely crushed. I may live a life of constant pain and may be slowly losing my ability to walk from a disease I developed from the accident, but it is not a life that I take for granted. Everyone that has seen pictures of the car says how lucky we are to be alive. They really have no idea how right they are."
—Anonymous
Thank you to everyone kind enough to share their stories! Have you ever had a "third man syndrome" experience like these? If so, I'd love if you'd tell us your story in the comments below or via this completely anonymous form.
Note: Submissions are edited for length and/or clarity.
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A positively ingenious set of Infantino wrist rattles that'll save you from picking up that rattle yet again for your baby who hasn't *grasped* grasping yet. Just attach the rattles around the wrist or the ankles like a bracelet and let your baby discover the magic of their rattling hands and feet while you take that well-earned deep breath. Promising review: "Super cute multi-functional baby toy with soft colors and teething accessories." —Brittany bPrice: $8.49 for two rattles And a pair of Munchkin faucet extenders to help your toddler feel a taste of independence and help save your hands from quadrupling the washing. These sink extenders help your little one easily reach the water without needing to be hoisted up like a sack of potatoes. BuzzFeed editor and mom-of-two Heather Braga has this for her 3-year-old. She said, "We're working on potty training my toddler, which comes with the added routine of constant handwashing. He's itching to be independent in all ways (yay) so I knew it was time to add these to my cart. They slip over the two very different faucets in my bathrooms and have truly made it easier than ever for my son to wash his hands."Promising review: "I have two toddlers who are potty training. This has been a wonderful addition to our sinks! Don't have to juggle between carrying your little one and washing their hands at the same time!" —K1525Price: $10.99 for a two-pack A compact, portable Jool Baby travel potty seat that can make an adult seat the perfect size for little potty trainers. Save your back from holding them up onto the seat in public restrooms so they don't fall in because the bare minimum here means no peeing toddler clinging to you and bringing your face inches from a public toilet. This amazing potty seat comes with a travel bag and can be quickly and easily wiped clean with an antibacterial wipe. It suctions onto the toilet, keeping your kid both physically and mentally secure. Promising review: "This product has been a game changer for getting my toddler to use the potty in public. He is smaller, so normal potties are intimidating to him. I highly recommend this seat for any little kids!!! So easy to attach and fold up. Each to clean after, too. Such a brilliant product." —KatePrice: $14.99 (available in three colors) A bottle of detangling spray for turning morning cryfests into a quick and easy process. This leave-in conditioner is hypoallergenic, all-natural, and gentle — plus it smells amazing. I recently switched my fine-haired daughter over to this leave-in conditioner, and we both love it! The citrus vanilla scent is SO good, and it actually works. I can spray this on wet hair after a shower or on a knot in dry hair, and it's equally great. Promising review: "This stuff smells fantastic and works like magic! My kids have long, wavy hair, and this has become a part of their hair care routine because it's so amazing. It detangles, and the good smell lasts in their hair." —Mama KesPrice: $7.79 A formula-mixing pitcher, aka an absolute game changer for avoiding gas and getting formula ready, like, ~yesterday.~ Not having premade formula while you have a hangry baby should be low on your list of effort you want to use. And there's nothing like making an entire batch before bed and easily pouring a bottle when you're still half asleep. The formula comes out clump-free, can be made up to 24 hours in advance, and has no bubbles, which can lead to gas. If you're a nursing mama, it can also re-mix breast milk. Promising review: "I love this pitcher; it is the perfect size. Easy to use so that you can store formula for the whole day, and it removes air bubbles in the milk. If you have a baby registry, make sure to add this gift." —RhondaPrice: $9.99 (available in three colors) A cool mist humidifier that'll help soothe when your kiddo comes down with a cold and hopefully get them back up and running sooner. I don't know about you, but I have precisely zero minutes to waste on yet another virus my kids bring home. So many people swear by humidifiers, but I had never used one before having a baby. If you're a skeptic like I was, I can verify that getting a humidifier has been so helpful, especially now that my kids are a bit older. Whenever I see the first sign of a sniffle, I pull the humidifier out and see dramatic improvement when I try to grit my teeth and hold on until it passes. Promising review: "This humidifier has been a blessing! Our other one got wet so we ordered this. I was skeptical because of the size, but it actually works great!! I love the different selections you get for what type of speed you want for your humidity and light." —JayPrice: $39.99 (available in two colors) A super convenient Ubbi grape cutter to take all of the work out of minimizing choking hazards. Quickly insert the grape or tomato and slice it into a safer size — especially when you have several young kids or are prepping for a party or play date. One less thing to worry about! Price: $9.99 A snack storage solution so they can quickly grab their treats with zero fuss and zero wasted time. Promising review: "I have type 1 diabetes, and I use this as my snack tray when my blood sugar drops. So now I can easily see what I have, and my family can get something quickly for me. This could be used for so many different things. Great product!" —mzmullisPrice: $19.99 And a set of clear fridge organizers that'll make preparing meals and snacks easy and efficient rather than chaotic and frustrating. Keep your essentials at the ready and just watch how easy you'll make it look. Promising review: "Great addition to our fridge! Helps keep our fridge more organized and makes it look better, too! Great thick material. Very easy to clean, too!" —SamyasPrice: $25 for a four-piece set A touchscreen toaster so they can ~independently~ figure out exactly how they want their toast without figuring out what the number dial actually means (I mean — do any of us REALLY?). Just touch the image of what you're toasting, touch the image of how dark you want it, and enjoy the benefits of a morning that doesn't include scraping char off of toast. Promising review: "This toaster is amazing. The countdown clock and toast color options are so handy. Makes perfect toast every time!" —Oswald LuciusPrice: $54.99 (originally $299.99) A Shark handheld vacuum to quickly pick up crumbs under the table or high chair without getting on your hands and knees with the dustbin. Save yourself time, energy, and effort by quickly sucking up crumbs and enjoying the feeling of walking near the table without Cheerios sticking to your feet. For the longest time, I used a dustpan and broom to get my kids' crumbs after meals. It wasn't that big of a deal, but it was annoying. I finally decided to treat myself to a handheld vacuum, and I do not regret anything except for waiting so long to get one. It's one of those really small things that really did make one part of parenting so much less work. Now that my baby is a big kid, she happily vacuums up after meals that are still messy years later. Promising review: "I absolutely LOVE this little vacuum! It's so easy to use — my 2-year-old, who likes to help, can even use this vacuum. It's powerful and the attachments are easy to exchange. It is bagless and easy to empty; you can charge it easily from any outlet. I have a long-haired cat who sheds a lot and this vacuum works well for pet hair." —StruPrice: $99.99 A fan-favorite Skylight calendar for keeping all of your family appointments in plain sight. Not only does it automatically sync to your calendars, you can set up chore charts for your family members and keep lists all in one place. This calendar does use a subscription for a wider range of functions, but the calendar, chore chart, and lists (aka the most important) don't require anything extra. That being said, it's a huge time saver since it connects to Google Calendar, iCloud Calendar, and Outlook Calendar to keep everyone's schedule in one place. Promising review: "This literally does it all! There is also an app that goes along with it so you can see your calendar on the go & it can be separately accessed by your spouse or kids as well! The chore charts and reward stars are great for kids. The meal planning calendar is such a great tool. Being able to have everyone's schedule all in one place is just great. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️" —ADPrice: $319.99 A shoe organizer to keep footwear front and center rather than *maybe-possibly-under-the-bed-will-you-just-find-it??*. This low-profile storage solution can keep things organized and out of the way and shave off precious minutes from getting out of the house. Promising review: "No more messy entryway whenever we have guests. This is a very nice piece. Sturdy and easy to assemble. Happy with this purchase." —ken210Price: $102.99 A document holder AND backpack station that can hold documents, backpacks, and a sweater without completely gunking up your entryway. Each kid can have a station because you do NOT need to search for the backpack and homework folder as you're trying to get everyone out for school. Each organizer can hold up to 25 pounds, so if you have middle or high-school-aged kids, it might not work if they keep heavy textbooks in their backpacks. Try something more heavy-duty to clean up the entryway and keep things organized. Promising review: "This was perfect for our preschool homework station! Kept homework in the pocket and hung backpacks on the hooks! So functional yet still very modern and sleek." —JosiPrice: $25 An easy-to-use toy storage solution if the very idea of packing up a vast array of toys is exhausting in and of itself. Simply pile toys into the mat, gather them, and collect up to nine pounds in one beautiful scoop. Even the youngest toddlers can scoop and dump — because you have no time to waste picking up hundreds of tiny toys. Price: $53.99 (originally $76.99) A Bissell vacuum/mop combo that'll make your old bucket and mop system completely obsolete. This machine will vacuum and mop at the same time, keeping your floors squeaky clean and allowing you to forget there was ever a time when you would wipe the crumbs off your feet on your pant leg. Promising review: "It is a great product, especially for people who don't have time to waste. The product is easy to use, it cleans and mops simultaneously, you don't have to switch from vacuum to mop, and it sanitizes. The first time I used it, I could see the difference on my floors." —SashaPrice: $179 (originally $229.99) A gentle alarm clock for your older kids that doubles as a night-light and an OK-to-wake clock for your youngins'. The light gradually gets brighter to help wake them up more peacefully than you in a "GET UP OR WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE" panic. Promising review: "I use this as my alarm clock. The light feature that turns on 15 minutes prior to my set alarm time is wonderful! It slowly gets brighter, and I am always awake before the alarm sounds. It's nice to not wake up the whole house. The night-light feature options are very pretty and nice to have just before going to sleep." —JBPrice: $21 A magnetic responsibility chart so the ~responsibility~ of getting ready in the morning doesn't land fully on your busy shoulders. This chart comes with 92 magnets for personal, communal, and social skills and a dry-erase marker for any goal that might not be included in the provided magnets. If you have a non-reader, check out this simplified version for the morning and evening routines!Promising review: "A probably one of my favorite purchases from target. Really helps my toddler to understand responsibilities and keeps us on track for the day!" —JessicadrakePrice: $18.79 An electric toothbrush because absolutely no one has any time for cavities. This toothbrush comes with an app to help ensure your kids are brushing those mouthbones rather than taking a swipe and calling it a day. Promising review: "Daughter loved that she could choose the design on her toothbrush. Cleans teeth very well. The app helps her stay constant with brushing for the full length of time. Really happy with the product. Works better than other electric toothbrushes we have tried in the past." —TargetMomPrice: $34.99 (available in pink and blue) A car seat buckle release tool that'll protect your nails *and* your patience from how surprisingly difficult unbuckling is. Plus — when they're older — they can learn to unbuckle themselves, ensuring that you are not burying your face in the drop-off line as you get out of the car to unbuckle your kid. The car seat buckle desperately needs to be one less thing you fight with. Promising review: "Liked the colors. Bought one for each car. My daughter can now unbuckle herself with this which helps speed up the drop off line at school." —EricaPrice: $28.99 for a two-pack (available in two color combos) A backseat storage bag to store toys, snacks, or whatever else they need as you're chauffeuring them to all of their practices. If you're on the go often, having some snacks always at the ready is going to save a lot of energy. If you're keeping this in your car full-time, only pack snacks that won't melt. Promising review: "Love how this can fit on the seat of my car or on the floor. Love the pockets on the sides that allow me to put items that I need but don't want my twins getting into. Fits so much stuff and perfect for a road trip." —TwinmamaPrice: $16 And a portable trash bin that'll help keep tissues, snack wrappers, and other garbage from filling up the backseat. Just stash the trash, empty it, and enjoy the freedom of not having to chase down snack wrappers that fall out when you open the car door. I keep a small trash can with me, and I am always surprised at how quickly it fills up. Luckily, the trash can fills up instead of my backseat. It's so easy to empty while I'm at a gas station or quickly before I head out with the kids, and it's saved so much mess. Promising review: "I love this trash can for my car. I have one in each vehicle. Its small and can easily be squished out of the way if needed. This is the first trash can my kids use in the car." —ChrisPrice: $11 A visual timer to help make transitions easier for everyone. Since kids can't tell time, "five more minutes" doesn't mean much. With this handy timer, they can watch the colored portion get smaller and be less shocked when time is up. If you have a kid who struggles with transitions (like mine!) or doesn't understand any time but NOW, this timer is for you because no one has time for a meltdown. Price: $35.04 And a foot massager because at the end of the day, you deserve a little relaxation too, darn it. You might as well give those dogs a little rest — because tomorrow's busy day is already calling. Price: $100.99
Buzz Feed
4 days ago
- Buzz Feed
33 Nightmare House Guests You'll Never Invite Back
We covered a Reddit thread by u/Jentenny99 where they asked people to reveal the weirdest thing a guest has ever done in their home. That post seemed to resonate with BuzzFeed Community members because they began sharing their own nightmare guest stories. Here's what they revealed: "My brother-in-law and his wife had a huge, totally untrained German Shepherd. We had a 2-year-old who was terrified of dogs and had asked that they not bring it when they came to visit. They agreed but showed up with the dog anyway. We had a storage building, and said they could put the dog in the storage building. It was Thanksgiving in Indiana — chilly but not freezing — and we thought the storage building was a good solution. They brought the dog into the house during the night. It got into the trash, dragged it all over the house, and ate some used disposable diapers, which it then vomited back up all over the house. We awoke to a mess and a screaming child. They and my husband's parent thought we were being unreasonable for being unhappy that they ignored our request." "Once, two former, very religious friends dropped by my place unexpectedly. We were chatting in the kitchen when the wife wandered into the adjacent dining area and began reading a letter I had left open on the table. This letter was from a high school friend who had recently gotten married (she's a lesbian) and had sent some wedding pictures. The wife saw the pictures and began screaming, which made her husband rush over. They immediately began mocking my high school friend. I got angry and told them they had no right to read my mail or judge my friend. They quieted down and apologized, but then the husband asked, 'So, which one is the man?' and they both began to laugh uncontrollably. At that point, I was so furious that all I could do was point to the door." "My mother-in-law lived with us after she had lost her job and sold her house immediately at a loss. She repotted all my plants and stuffed them into pots to 'save space.' She cut up our good laundry towels because she needed rags for her art (even though we had a bag full of rags in the garage). She gave me $100 every two months to cover her expenses (her portion of electricity, rent, food, etc.). She used my measuring cups to mix her glue for her art. Finally, she complained to her son about how I didn't keep the house very clean, even though I was working full time plus overtime and taking night classes while she and her son worked part-time and did nothing else." "My brother and his wife came down on July 3 to spend two nights for a family 4th of July party. I fixed a nice dinner and homemade dessert that night, and they stayed in our very nice guest room. I fixed a good breakfast in the morning, and we were preparing for the family event. My brother was trying to use my quirky little electric can opener and couldn't get it to work, and was complaining about it not working. He is extremely narcissistic and insisted he was using it right, but that it was broken. When I told him it worked fine and that I would show him how it worked, he exploded into a rage, spouting extremely obnoxious curse words, screaming at me and my fiancé, with whom I lived, and said he was leaving." "A friend was visiting us, and we watched a movie in the living room. The friend disappeared, and when we finally looked for him, we found him removing food from our fridge and putting it into his bag. When asked why he would do such a thing, his response was, 'I was there when you bought it.'" "We hosted a wedding at our lakehouse home. While waiting for the ceremony to start, the groomsmen drank all of my husband's beer from our bar fridge and sat ON our kitchen counters. They tossed beer caps into our sink, so I had to fish them out of the drain so they wouldn't break the disposal. There's a trash can IN the kitchen; it's not hidden. There are plenty of chairs at the table to sit in. These were GROWN men." "A high school friend of my husband's had asked if she and her family (boyfriend and 5-year-old daughter) could stay at our house for a couple of days while they were in town. I didn't know them, but I was okay with it. They showed up with a car full of stuff; it looked as if they had been living out of their car. Of course, a couple of days quickly turned into a week, with no end in sight. I quietly gritted my teeth when I saw them sitting in my guest bed, eating nachos while their daughter ran wild and making big messes for me to clean up. Then, one day, they had a big argument, and the boyfriend took off with their daughter, leaving behind the girlfriend/mother without her wallet (deliberately). She had no money, ID, or car, and apparently nobody was willing to take her off our hands." "My brother-in-law was visiting friends in Florida. He always wore a thong but took it to a new level when he decided to grab a morning coffee in the kitchen, Winnie the Pooh-style (no pants, T-shirt). Our friend's wife entered the kitchen and was shocked to see him standing there, calmly drinking coffee. Also, he sunbathed nude in the backyard and sunned himself on the floaty in the pool. Their neighbors complained. I hope they burned all the furniture in the backyard." "An old friend, whom I had not seen in years, visited me for about a week. About two-thirds of the way through her visit, the pipe in our only bathroom burst, and the plumbers told us to use buckets of water to flush the toilet. When I told my guest, my guest said, 'Oh, that's okay. I just peed in your mug and dumped it down the sink.' I asked her not to do that again and to use the bucket instead and fill it with water to flush. She then said to me, 'But urine is sterile. I've drunk my own urine before. Monks do it all the time.' Needless to say, I was speechless." "A fairly new friend I'd been hanging out with frequently was letting a friend of his from out of town have his one-room downtown apartment for a handful of days. My roommate had recently moved out, so I invited my friend to stay at my place in the burbs. I gave him my room and slept on the couch. I knew he had a drinking problem, and some red flags were building up, but he was polite during his stay, and we got along well. He apologized for running out of time to wash the bedding when he left. I said no problem, but when I went to wash the sheets, I found he had been humping my pillows, a lot by the looks of them! I washed everything twice, threw out my crusty pillows, and ended the friendship. Dude, I put my face on those things. How would washing my pillowcases make that okay?" "A friend's son, wife, and 16-month-old child came to escape the heat. He told us his wife would be working and needed a quiet space every day. We gave her an extra bedroom. We gave her an extra bedroom. That lasted a few hours. She used every room, ignored the child all day, took tables, lamps, and even drawers from a desk in one of the rooms, and piled everything on top of each other in the closet. She did not put the room back together. Every morning, they would go out and come back with coffee, and she would eat something hidden in a little bag. They never asked us if we wanted anything or offered to take us out for a meal or contribute a single thing. To top it all off, she hid my dog's favorite toy in a Halloween decorations box in a closet. I discovered it last Halloween! It was so easy saying no to their request to come back for a few days this month, now with a 3-year-old and a 5-month-old. They are extremely wealthy but clueless." "Around 20 years ago, my (now ex) husband's brother was moving from California to New York and asked if he could stay with us for three days between when he gave up his apartment until he was scheduled to leave. No problem. He didn't mention he'd be bringing his cat. I was highly allergic to cat dander. Tears would stream down my face from the time I got home at night until I left for work again in the morning. I bought some Benadryl and decided to tough it out because it was only for three days. Six months later, he was still there. He made a mess, was disrespectful of our need for sleep, and never cleaned or contributed in any way, even though we both worked full time while trying to get our own business off the ground." "One of my son's friends' girlfriend came over to my house for a few drinks. When I left to use the bathroom, I came back to the kitchen to find her with her pants down and peeing in the sink! WTH?!" "I gave a young friend a wedding shower. I'm a pretty good cook/hostess, so I went all out on the food and drinks. I set up a buffet with many choices and a drink station (no alcohol). My friend's future aunt was in front of me at the buffet. She ate a chocolate-covered strawberry and put the stem on the buffet. I didn't say anything until she tasted a dip and then put the spoon back in the dip. I was furious. I told her to pick up the stem and put it on her plate, and if she wanted to know how something tasted, she should put some on her plate and use her own spoon to taste it from there. Of course, I removed the dip." "In my early 20s, after college, a few friends and I had an apartment in Boston. One of our other close friends lived at home after college but would come and stay with us during the weekend and stay over after hitting the bars/nightclubs with us. He was usually a good guest. However, after a while, he got too comfy at our place. One weekend, he got sick from drinking too much, puked on our wood floors, and cleaned it by wiping it up with old newspaper. No soap or cleansers! Another weekend, he held a party at our place for some of his other friends without asking for our blessing or inviting us! He just had guests come over for a party he threw at our house!" "Some family came for Thanksgiving for the first time. They brought their dog (without we have cats) and lots of drugs. The entire five days were a drunken drug fest with their dog lying all over our furniture and in our bed and chasing our pets. They were drunk and stoned the entire time while fighting and giving each other the silent treatment. Happy Thanksgiving. Never again!" "My partner's daughter came from out of town and stayed with us. She is over 40 and rudely bossed her father around every day. She stayed in our guest bedroom, which had been my deceased daughter's bedroom. I kept many of her things in the dresser and closet. One morning, she came downstairs and informed me she was bored the previous evening and went through all my daughter's belongings. She had the nerve to ask for a Gucci handbag that she had taken down from the top shelf in the closet. I was speechless and asked for an apology. Didn't happen." "Friends of my ex-husband stayed with us between moving houses. I came home earlier than expected and found the wife leaving with a cooler of meat from my freezer. Her sister was 'facing hard times' and needed it. They could have actually stayed with her because she had room, but our place was 'nicer.'" "My ex-roommate invited a friend to sleep on our couch for a few weeks…without asking me first. I went along with it despite the rough start. The guest decided to help herself to our food and constantly left the front door unlocked, so I counted the days until she was gone. One Saturday morning, I was rudely awakened by the sound of a vacuum running before 6:00 a.m. However, my vacuum was still broken from the last bad roommate! I walked into the common area to see the house guest blowing up my air mattress with a strange guy. They popped my air mattress before 6:00 a.m. on a Saturday!" "A relative of my foster mother's would come over whenever she liked and tie up the phone for hours. Even if no one were home, she'd let herself in (doors were never locked) and go straight to the phone! If we were home, no one was allowed to do anything other than sit still and be quiet until she finished. Bathroom trips were the only escape allowed. It was considered impolite to leave while she was on the phone!" "My best friend from high school and her husband asked if they could stay with us on their way from Florida to northern Michigan. It was no problem until I came home from work to find she had gone through all my drawers and jewelry and set aside pieces she wanted me to give her! Her husband warned her I wouldn't like it, but she assured him we shared everything. I was mortified at the invasion of my privacy and snatched my things up. She kept bugging me to give her a certain pin. I was really mad. That was the last time I left her alone in my home." "We met a seemingly nice couple while traveling in Turks and Caicos. We dined and visited a few places on the island since we had a rental car. The other couple was staying a day longer and wondered if we wanted to leave the car with them. Uh, no. We needed it to get to the airport. The next thing we knew, they said they would be traveling through our town and suggested they visit us. We accommodated them, and even though they knew we had a 14-year-old son at home, the wife traveled back and forth from their guest room to the bath next to my son's room in a bra and underwear. Not appropriate!" "My husband's cousin and his wife stayed with us for nearly a week. They had bottles of cheap wine in their suitcases and drank continually. We bought and prepared all the meals and would open a bottle of wine, but we were lucky to get one glass before they finished it off. Everywhere we went, they would stand back from the cashier, even when visiting a museum that they requested to visit, and would wait for us to open our wallets. They insisted on dropping into Trader Joe's before they left to buy as many bottles of cheap wine as they could fit into their suitcase. We did speak to them about their drinking, but they shrugged it off. I don't know which was more annoying, their unwillingness to offer to pay for anything or their unwillingness to open a bottle of wine and share with us. We stayed with them previously and paid for everything, by the way." "We lived in the country and had a beautiful view. One of my husband's work colleagues asked if she could have her 'very tiny' wedding at our house because it was her dream setting. She promised it was just a couple of immediate family members. Turns out there were over 100 people. We came home to patio furniture in the pool, not one sheet remaining of our toilet paper or paper towels, ruined bath towels, a backed-up septic system, mud all over the kitchen countertops, and a garage filled with trash. I wouldn't treat a cheap motel that badly!" "When I was a kid, whenever we went on holiday, my grandma would pop in to feed the cat, water plants, etc. We'd return every time to find she had rearranged the living room furniture! The first few times, my mum was furious. After that, it became a running joke. She would move stuff around, but only little things, to see if we'd notice. It's still a bit annoying, but much less so than having to re-rearrange the living room when you've got a bunch of holiday laundry to deal with!" "Against my better judgment (and the advice of my own mother), I let my sister, her husband, and her young son stay with us when they lost their apartment. They had lost multiple apartments because they would stay without paying rent until the landlord figured out a way to kick them out. But she was family, and I couldn't turn her away. While there, they would hide their own food in their room, but eat all our food. At the time, we were installing wood flooring in the living room, so the rule was that there would be no eating or drinking in the living room. I would get up in the morning (because I had to go to work early, so they were still up when I went to bed), and there would be the wrappers from Icy Pops in the living room, so obviously, that rule was ignored." "My husband's aunt and teenage cousin asked to stay with us for two nights (Sunday to Tuesday). I wanted to make them feel welcome, so I made a big dinner both nights, complete with homemade apple pie and crumb cake (my specialty). I also made breakfast and lunch for them, and rescheduled my 2-year-old daughter's gym classes so I could spend time with them. Things were okay, but my husband and I were slightly disappointed because they were sloppy, ate all our food, etc., and never offered to contribute anything. The cousin actually drank an entire gallon of milk and ate all of the homemade chocolate chip cookies I had made. When I asked the aunt to watch my daughter while I ran out to buy more milk, she said no!" "My mom used to have a bestie from school days. At some point, her friend and her adult friend's son stayed with us because he had to apply for a military school in our city. Long story short, they stayed the entire summer, they wrecked our phone bill, they had the AC on 24/7 ( of course, never did they pay for anything ), and when they finally left, her husband suggested that my mom and I stay in one of their summer houses (they were extremely wealthy) during our hollidays. We accepted it, but her son decided to let his pit bull attack my dog during our stay. I rescued my dog at the last minute, and I told him that he was mean by nature and a douchbag. We stopped talking with them until my mom died. Her friend came to the ceremony, where she decided to tell me that my dead dad wasn't my real dad and that my dead mom should have told me years ago. By the way, my face is identical to my father's." "I don't know if this counts as a house guest because it was someone I met at a bar, took home, and haven't seen since that night. I don't even remember his name or if I ever knew it. Lucky for him, because he somehow ordered hundreds of dollars worth of porn on my cable TV account at some point?! I guess he did it while I was using the bathroom because nothing else about that night was good enough to hold my attention long enough for him to do that unnoticed. Lucky for ME, Comcast gave me the benefit of the doubt and refunded the charges because I had never ordered anything like that before." "When my husband and I moved into our new house, my brother-in-law asked if his family (his girlfriend, their kid, and their dog) could rent out the basement until they had saved up to get an apartment. We said okay. At first, it was okay. Then, their dog got pregnant because they hadn't spayed her. She gave birth, and they didn't lift a finger to help with seven pups. My husband and I paid for all the food and vet bills. We raised, cleaned, socialized, and found homes for them. That's only the start. We asked them to use the shed outside to smoke weed and not smoke in the house. They didn't care. They not only smoked inside, but the girlfriend smoked 24/7 until she made herself physically ill from so much weed and vomited all over our floor. They both refused to clean the puke and let it sit for days until my husband cleaned it. This happened multiple times." "My wife's sister, who lives 11 hours away, likes to travel. She has money and occasionally talks about how much she has in the bank. Travel is a fun pastime, but instead of hotels, she regularly finds distant relatives, friends, etc., to stay with. Last summer, she rented her house for a week, so she had no place to stay, and then asked if she could stay with us for a few days. We said no problem. After the first three days, she asked if she could stay longer and if her son could come too and sleep on the couch for a few days. Once again, we said okay. She then added that her son's new girlfriend would also be staying. The short stay turned into a week. Despite having money for dinners, drinks, etc., they never contributed to any food. My wife accepted this behavior since her sister has always been like this." "My live-in boyfriend at the time invited his friend and his friend's family of four (plus two dogs) to stay at my two-bedroom apartment for a weekend. Mind you, he did not pay rent or share any household expenses. I politely reminded him of my apartment complex's no-dog rule and expected him to tell his friends to stay elsewhere. I came home from work to find them, their dogs, and their luggage in my living room. I reluctantly set up the air bed and kicked my kid out of her bedroom so they could stay in it." And: "We met a middle-aged, single, Australian man while on a trip to Britain. Two years later, he called to say he was coming for a visit to Canada. We told him clearly that I, now working full time, was also dealing with both my mother and father in the hospital, who were dying. We had no idea that he intended to crash with us for free for three weeks, and he expected his meals on time, his laundry done, and free transportation everywhere, to whatever he wanted to see. He was also continually rude and abusive to my husband, who was only attempting to get him to pitch in for costs and allow me precious time with my parents. Our future travels have not included sharing addresses or phone numbers with others we meet." Have you ever had a horrible house guest? What did they do? Tell us in the comments or share anonymously using this form. Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
