18 Weird Family Rituals That People Thought Were Normal
"I thought every family had a puke bowl. Which is not solely designated just for puke."
—sunshine_tequila"You're telling me not every family had one? My family certainly did. It was a yellowish-orangey bowl. I'll never forget it."—sketchybritt
"I grew up with an autistic brother who makes a lot of humming noises to express emotion, and the whole family eventually ended up doing it too (to a lesser extent). Didn't realize it was weird until someone pointed out we never shut up even though we're not actually saying anything."
"I thought every kid only saw their mom half the week. My mom works three 12-hour shifts Sunday-Tuesday, so I hardly saw her those days. It wasn't until I started having a later bedtime that I got to see her when she got off on those days. I remember talking to a friend, and she was talking about doing something with her mom that night, and I went, 'Wow, you get to see your mom on a Monday?'"
"When we went on road trips and crossed a border, say from Nebraska to Kansas, someone in the front seat would put their hand in the front of the dashboard and say, 'First one in Kansas,' and someone in the backseat would put their hand in the back window and say, 'Last one in Nebraska.'"
—emwcee
"I realized fairly early on that I was the odd one out for washing my hands like a medical professional (my mom is a nurse) and that washing my hands and forearms is usually not necessary. I felt really called out five years ago when a friend with benefits who is a doctor gave me a really weird look and then asked me, 'Why the fuck are you washing your hands like you're getting ready for surgery?' after we got done having sexy times. Made me realize I could probably tone it down."
"My mother, for some reason, refused to put little trash bins in the two bathrooms that we had. You'd have to carry your used Q-tips or cotton balls to the garbage can in the kitchen."
"My family has a version of 'Jingle Bell Rock' that we sing during Christmas. I didn't know it wasn't the original lyrics until grade 5 in music class, where we had to split into groups and sing a Christmas carol in front of the class. Someone in my group suggested this song and asked if we all knew the lyrics, and we all said yes. When it was our turn, we all started out singing the same thing..."
"Then suddenly I was singing something different than the others. I was so confused.Went home and told my dad, and he's like 'Oh, yeah, your sister came up with those lyrics when she was younger, 'cuz she didn't know the correct ones.'"—Wickked1
"My father was a driver's ed instructor. Imagine my surprise when I realized that not every car has two sets of pedals on each side."
"We always cut frozen pizzas with scissors. We still do."
"In my family, we don't ever say 'I love you,' we'll say 'hey barf-breath' or something. If we don't insult you, that means we don't love you."
—1DietCokedUpChick
"Calling a bowel movement a 'job.' 'I have to go do a job.' Never heard anyone else ever say that. I often wondered if I should punch a time clock and unionize. Does that come with benefits?"
"Tie the hairbrush to the bathroom faucet. My mom had five daughters and was tired of not being able to fix her hair in the morning because the brush had wandered off under the couch or a bush or something."
"My mom washed the groceries before putting them in the cupboard. Not just the produce, but boxes of cereal and canned goods and everything else. I'm not sure I thought it was something everyone did, but I didn't realize how odd it was until I was older. I didn't see anything like it until COVID hit and people thought it was living on surfaces."
—Cleopatra435
"When we were kids, my mom made us vacuum the dog every Saturday. She was a black lab who didn't shed that much. I thought everyone vacuumed their dogs."
"Every person in my family ate a different meal at dinner time. My mom is a vegetarian, my dad is not, and I don't eat beef or pork. So when I was a kid, I'd usually end up eating some combo of what my parents had. Or my mom would make me something totally different. I'd eat while my mom and dad were in the kitchen making their own, different dinners. Then they'd eat dinner together, but not the same food. Even now, as an adult, if I'm with them, they each are eating something different for dinner, and usually I'm eating some combo. I thought this was so normal."
"We used to put ketchup on popcorn. I genuinely thought that was a normal thing people did at movie nights. First sleepover at a friend's place, I asked for ketchup and everyone looked at me like I was a criminal."
—Familiar-Print7098
"Having a sock basket. I don't know why, but we put all of the clean socks into a basket for everyone to choose from. I didn't think anything of it until I stayed at other people's homes, and they just kept their socks in the sock drawer. I need to ask my mom why the hell we did that."
And finally, "I was in college before I realized there were Nazis in The Sound of Music. My mom turned off the TV when Maria married Captain VonTrapp. We went to bed. I was in college, and someone brought up the Nazis. I laughed because of the ultimate disconnect. But then I had to rent the VHS. Imagine my shock, after I load the second VHS, after the wedding?! Wtf. I lost my mind."
Can you relate? Share your weird family habit in the comments or the anonymous form below:
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Plane Passenger Who Refused to Do This Common Airport Favor Says They Got 'Stink Eye' — But Were They Wrong?
A Reddit user broke down the incident in a viral post and divided the comment section A plane passenger is asking if they were really in the wrong for refusing a favor to a fellow flyer They took to the popular "Am I the A------?" Reddit on July 18 to air their grievances about a fellow traveler who asked what they felt was a 'big favor:" to watch her bags in the boarding area while she used the bathroom. The original poster (OP) claims they were made into the 'bad guy' for saying no to the common request. 'Yesterday I was sitting next to a woman with a young son who needed to go to the bathroom (10 minutes before boarding started),' the OP writes. 'She turned to me and asked… could I watch her bags while she took her son to the bathroom?' The OP replied, 'I'm not really supposed to." The poster claims the mom gave a 'stink eye' before another woman nearby offered to watch the luggage. They explain their technically sound reasoning in the post: 'Not only is this a safety issue (probably not in this case, but in theory), but also I wouldn't have wanted to miss my boarding group." In U.S. airports, TSA announcements regularly warn passengers to keep their belongings with them at all times, not to leave luggage unattended and not to accept any items from strangers. The mother and son returned in time to make it on the plane, but not before boarding started. Part of the reason for their refusal, the OP claims, is that this wasn't the first time they had been asked for the same favor — and had a different outcome. They detailed another experience where they allege they were 'bawled out' by a gate agent when they offered to watch someone's bag. They claim the gate agent overheard and interrupted, saying it wasn't allowed. The situation divided Redditors, who sounded off in the comments. 'If the woman and son were your wife and child, you'd be the [a------],' someone quipped in the comments. 'Otherwise you're good.' Another said: 'I'm more surprised that she trusted a stranger enough to watch her bags.' Others discussed the possible safety concerns. 'You're never supposed to take responsibility for someone else's bags [because] you don't know what could be in them,' someone explained. 'May sound crazy considering it's a lady and a kid but you never know and that's what airports advise.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Though, not everyone was convinced. 'I guess it might be situational but do you really think a woman with a young child has packed contraband and gotten through security? And somehow you'll be blamed for it?' one commenter asked. 'It's not your bag.' They added: 'You can say 'I'll try to stop anyone from taking it,' but what the woman is really asking is 'Would you be okay if I leave my bag so I don't have to deal with that and a fussy toddler in the bathroom?' " Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
She Gave Her Son a Magical Bedroom. Her Stepdaughter Accused Her of 'Playing Favorites'
After pouring time and money into her biological son's nature-themed bedroom, a woman faces emotional fallout when her stepdaughter calls out the difference A woman seeks advice from the Reddit community following tension in her blended family over how she decorated her children's bedrooms. In her post, the 40-year-old mom opens up about feeling torn between honoring family boundaries and showing equal love to her stepdaughter and biological son. 'I had a very specific vision for my son's room that I'd planned well in advance,' she writes. Her 3-year-old son, her only biological child, now enjoys a whimsical, nature-themed room with ombre-painted walls, a sun-shaped ceiling light, and a tree-shaped bookshelf. The space is filled with thoughtful touches, like a grassy rug and a floor bed that looks like a tent, designed in a Montessori style. 'I paid for all of this myself,' she explains, emphasizing how important this project was to her. Her 13-year-old stepdaughter's room tells a different story. Though the woman says she was careful to involve her stepdaughter in the design process, she admits, 'I didn't have much say in that space.' From the start, she says, her husband, who shares his daughter with an ex, was clear about her role. 'He made it very clear that she already had parents and didn't need another one—what she needed was an advocate and mentor,' she recalls. She says she respected those boundaries from the beginning and believes they've built a good relationship. 'She's a great kid,' the woman adds, expressing her admiration for the teen. When it came time to decorate the stepdaughter's room, the woman says they asked what the teen wanted. 'She said she wanted a reading nook, so we created one with a small round mattress, a ton of cushions in her favorite colors, and a mosquito net canopy.' Her stepdaughter also chose her own wall colors, opting for solid block shades. 'We did the room together,' she says, adding, 'We split the cost 50/50.' However, the existing furniture in the teen's room, purchased by the father before the woman entered the picture, was left untouched. 'He doesn't see any point in replacing it since it's still in good condition,' she explains, noting that her involvement was limited by both practicality and family dynamics. Despite her intentions, the woman says her stepdaughter recently got upset after seeing her younger brother's fully finished room. 'She said I clearly put way more effort into his space than hers and accused me of playing favorites because he's 'actually mine.' ' Trying to explain, the woman tells her stepdaughter that she was simply trying to respect her space and not overstep. 'I didn't want to overstep when it came to her room and… she made most of the choices herself.' But her stepdaughter now feels hurt, and the woman admits, 'I do feel guilty because I can see how, from her perspective, it looks unfair.' She adds that her goal was never to create a divide or make anyone feel unloved. Yet she's now grappling with how to fix the situation without crossing any emotional or parental boundaries set years ago. 'I'm not her parent,' she reflects, 'and I didn't want to push decisions onto her room.' The guilt, however, is real, and she's left wondering if she should've done more. 'At the same time, I now wonder if I should have tried harder or been more involved.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Many Reddit users sympathized with both the woman and the teen. One commenter offered a possible explanation for the teen's reaction, writing, 'Also if she's generally polite and not demanding, she may not have asked for things that seemed too difficult or hard to execute (like the ombré).' They also suggested a solution that might ease the tension and restore balance. 'It seems like a simple resolution would be to ask the daughter what she'd like to change and for dad to cover the costs (since mum paid for all of the son's room).' Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Newsweek
Couple Take in Malnourished Dog—X-Ray Reveals Chilling Secret
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A North Carolina man who rescued a starving dog from a thunderstorm has been left devastated after discovering the elderly hound's frail body is riddled with birdshot and tumors likely caused by cancer. Justin, who would prefer to keep his full identity private, told Newsweek that he and his partner, Brianna, found the emaciated dog while driving home one rainy night last month in Jackson County, North Carolina. Now affectionately known as "Good Girl," the dog's condition was dire—unable to stand on her own and dragging her hind legs. Justin shared the details of the rescue in a Reddit post on July 23, under the username u/boombopcamYT. The post has since received more than 2,100 upvotes, and widespread praise from viewers moved by the couple's compassion. Justin wrote: "I found a very malnourished hound girl (pink bandanna) walking on the street during a thunderstorm. Her collar had a rabies tag, but I was not able to find her owner with it. Brought her home and fed her small meals." From left: The dog that Justin and Brianna rescued, now named Good Girl, rests in their home; and a copy of her recent X-ray. From left: The dog that Justin and Brianna rescued, now named Good Girl, rests in their home; and a copy of her recent X-ray. u/boombopcamYT Justin said his plan had been to nurse the dog back to health and find her a new home, as the couple already have three dogs and as many cats. "I started adding more food and cooked beef/turkey/chicken to her meals to help her gain weight," Justin added. When the couple took her to a veterinarian, blood work showed slightly elevated kidney levels, but nothing alarming. The vet said they could plan surgery in a few weeks to remove visible lipomas—benign fatty tumors—from her face. But the follow-up appointment brought grim news. Although the dog appeared stronger—able to stand, wag her tail, and even run a little—she had lost a pound. An X-ray revealed two large masses in her lungs, consistent with cancer, and something far more chilling: her body was peppered with birdshot. "Whoever had her last had shot at her with a shotgun," Justin wrote. The vet suggested euthanasia might be necessary within a week. But Justin said he is not rushing the decision. "As far as my plan with her now, I haven't set a certain date yet for her to be euthanized and will see how her quality of life is as time goes on," he said. "I'll continue to be fighting for her to gain her strength back by providing her nutritious meals and letting her roam the yard with my other dogs." The couple have reached out to the vet for X-ray images and heard from an animal oncologist who encouraged them to evaluate the dog's quality of life before moving forward with euthanasia. In the meantime, Justin is showering Good Girl with love and care. "To me, Good Girl has been gaining strength," he said. "When I first brought her home, she was very weak … Now she's able to get up on her own most of the time, is no longer dragging her legs—I even saw her run a little with my other dog—and is wagging her tail again." Locals told him she might have been an old hunting dog—possibly dumped after aging out of usefulness. One Virginia couple, who saw Justin's earlier post, had offered to adopt her, noting their 5-acre property and elderly hound. But the cancer diagnosis changed that plan. Justin said the dog has been unfailingly gentle despite her past trauma. "She has never shown an ounce of aggression, despite her being shot at," he added. "She's very sweet to my dogs, cats, and anyone else she meets." While grappling with the dog's terminal diagnosis, he finds some solace in the support he has received both on and off the internet. "Many people have said they're thankful and grateful toward me in giving her a home and trying my best efforts to give her a better quality of living in her final period of life," he said. "Which is good knowing I am doing the right thing for her, although, in the end, I just wish I could have taken care of her earlier in her life." Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
