Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

The Weirdest House Rules People's Parents Enforced While They Were Growing Up

The Weirdest House Rules People's Parents Enforced While They Were Growing Up
round clear glass-top table and five gray chairs dining se

Certain house rules are commonly found in just about every household all over the world.

Pick up after yourself, no TV until you've finished your homework, and no dessert unless you've eaten your vegetables.

The sort of rules just about every parent enforced to ensure their children were disciplined, and their house remained tidy and orderly.

However, no two families are alike, and thus some of us likely grew up under a stricter set of rules and guidelines.

Rules which we thought might have been commonplace, only to discover our set of household rules were, in fact, unique.


Redditor ctsom was dying to know the most bizarre house rules people's parents enforced when they were growing up, leading them to ask:
"What was a house rule you had as a kid that you thought was completely normal until you grew up and realized not all households followed?"

Who Am I Speaking To?

"I had to answer the phone 'hello this is first-name last-name speaking' whenever I answered the phone."

"This is obv in the 80’s before caller ID on landlines."

"My mom tried to make my childhood friends do it too when they called me to play."

"As in:"

“'Hi can I talk to geeltulpen?'”

“'Who is this?'”

"'It’s friend'.”

“'Well, friend, when you call this house and I answer the phone, you should say hello to me and then tell me that it’s you, your first name and last name, before you ask to talk to geeltulpen'.”

"Boy, was I popular."- geeltulpen

No Secrets In This House!

"My door could only be closed if I was changing clothes."

'If my parents suspected that I was hiding anything, they could, and did, go through anything to make sure."

"Dresser and desk drawers, bags, closet, car, whatever they felt was necessary."

"Even my mail was fair game."

'As a result, I got really good at hiding things."- DonNatalie

Closing Bye Bye GIF by Global EsportsGiphy

Treating Family Like A Business

"We had 'family council' every Sunday night after dinner."

"We would sit and say good things that happened that week, share our grievances if we had any, we always did, make a dinner menu, and assign chores."

"Frankly, it was stellar parenting."

"Though, if I mention it to my mother now, she will brag about it for a solid 20 minutes before we can move on."- Illarie

What A Unique Way/Of Communicating With/The Whole Family

"Haiku night dinners."

"Some nights we spoke in haiku."

"And only haiku."- bronwen-noodle

Hilarious... And Inhumane?

"If you ever ran out of toilet paper whilst on the toilet, you had to sing the 'Stranded' song or else no one else in the house would bring you a roll."- kteabrown

The End Reaction GIF by Robert E BlackmonGiphy

Don't Have A Cow, Man!

"I had SUPER laid back parents but there were a few certain things that they were randomly crazy strict about."

"No gum."

"No play doh."

"No cereal with sugar as one of the top 3 ingredients."

"No Simpsons."

"I had basically no rules growing up, but those four things would make them lose their g*ddamn minds."

"I still get anxious when I’m chewing gum and I’m 35."- SiFiWiRi

Some People Hate Pineapple On Pizza That Much!

"I come from a large family."

"Any time we'd order pizza, we ordered a few different kinds because, obviously, there were different preferences."

"Any left overs were left in their respective boxes and placed in the oven."

"I did that when I lived with a couple of roommates and of course their reaction was: 'I just burned this box. Why was this in the f**king oven?'"-Justgivme1

One And Done!

"If I got hurt doing a certain activity I wasn’t allowed to do that activity again."

"My mother ended that rule though when I broke my wrist snowboarding when I was 16 and didn’t tell her until a month later when I couldn’t move my wrist at all and it required surgery with a bone graft to repair."-_njhiker

Fox Tv GIF by Paradise HotelGiphy

Keep Your Filthy Hands Out Of There!!!

"Not mine but my mother in law and her sister will fuss at you if you wash your hands in the kitchen sink."

"I think that's weird."

"If there's a sink and some hand soap I say wash away."

"My wife isn't like that."- singuslarity

Most rules come from a place of love... or concern.

And in some cases, having proper phone etiquette and weekly open conversations with our families might have had positive effects on our lives.

Although, when visiting the home of your partner's parents and you find yourself in need of toilet paper, better think twice before singing for more.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Bill and Hillary Clinton; James Comer
Justin Williams/Getty Images; Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

The Clintons Scorch GOP Rep. While Refusing To Testify On Epstein In Mic Drop Letter

Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer in a letter explaining why they would not be appearing for their deposition on Tuesday as part of an investigation into the late financier, sex-trafficker and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

President Clinton has not been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein, though he maintained a well-documented friendship with him during the 1990s and early 2000s. Republicans have repeatedly focused on that relationship as part of their broader effort to control the narrative and demands surrounding a comprehensive accounting of Epstein’s crimes.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ilhan Omar; Elon Musk
Kent Nishimura/Getty Images; STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Ilhan Omar Effortlessly Drags Elon Musk After He Parrots Easily-Debunked Conspiracy About Her

Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar called out billionaire Elon Musk after he claimed erroneously that Somalis are being brought illegally to Minnesota to help keep her in office.

Musk amplified a graphic on X that asserted Democrats support illegal immigration as a way to absorb noncitizens into their voting base. Musk accused Omar, who was born in Somalia, of profiting from the purported arrangement.

Keep ReadingShow less
do not cross police barricade tape close-up
David von Diemar on Unsplash

True Crime Lovers Reveal 'Dumb Mistakes' Serial Killers Make That Get Them Caught In The End

True crime has become incredibly popular with the introduction of cable television then streaming services and podcasts.

Once just a section in bookstores, there are entire cable channels dedicated to recapping crime.

Keep ReadingShow less
UFC stars Mackenzie Dern, and Brian Ortega at the 83rd Annual Golden Globes.
Rich Polk/2026GG/Penske Media via Getty Images

'Vanity Fair' Just Explained That Out-Of-Place UFC Moment At The Golden Globes—And Yeesh

At the Golden Globes, there are a few things we all can reliably expect: couture gowns, a headline-making host, unexpected versus disappointing wins, the emotional speeches, and at least one bit that lands… oddly.

This year’s most baffling attempt arrived courtesy of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which briefly hijacked the ceremony with a moment so out of place it felt like the broadcast had accidentally cut to a different network.

Keep ReadingShow less
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

White House Dragged After Bizarrely Claiming That RFK Jr. Is 'Ending The War On Protein'

MAGA Republican President Donald Trump's Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., unveiled the latest dietary guidelines which are released every five years by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and HHS. RFK Jr. is urging Americans to eat more protein while limiting highly processed foods and added sugar.

The new guidelines also suggest three servings of full-fat dairy products a day and loosens restrictions on alcoholic beverages. While some may consider the updated guidance fully voluntary, these guidelines provide the foundation for federal nutrition programs, including school meals and what's served on military bases and on ships at sea.

Keep ReadingShow less