2w ago

Kids have no filter

Back when I was like 9, on my birthday, I went and knocked on a neighbor's door. Told her it's my birthday and left. This was someone I'd never spoken to before.

Later that night she shows up at our house with a stuffed bunny. Turns out she interpreted "It's my birthday!" as "We're having a party and you're invited!" not "I just wanted everyone to know!" like I meant it.

My mom made some emergency tea and received her in our messy living room. They ended up becoming friends after that.

I couldn't imagine doing anything like that as an adult. Just knock on a stranger's door to announce it's my birthday and walk away lol.

12 comments

Haha! Congratulations on making a new friend for your mom. Sounds like just the excuse she needed to actually get to know your neighbour.
In this case not really a lack of filter on what is said (which kids do also lack) but a lack of social understanding on when and with whom we even start a conversation at all.
As adults we have all these unspoken rules before we decide to talk to someone. Do I know them? Do I have business with them? Does it look as if they want conversation or not? Am I going to be inconveniencing them?
Kids on the other hand will jump right in without a second thought, and that's kinda great. We should probably all be a bit more kidlike sometimes!
This made me smile, thank you for sharing :)
I try to summon my inner kid every now and then. Like when I see an interesting bug on the street - at first I don’t stop to look because it feels weird and I think people will judge me. But then I think, fuck them, and I stop and look anyway. I admire kids in the sense that they can just be themselves like that without feeling any shame about it.
- You get that back when you hit middle age. :)
And the gaslighting…
My kid chomping candy…”Son where did you get that from?”, “I found it”, “where?”, “duh in my mouth?”. Little fokker.
You can tell a random stranger it's your bday next time, keep the tradition alive. 😅
I'd tell people they were very tall as a kid often. To be fair I only got to 5'4" so I still think everyone is fucking tall.
- When I was a kid my oldest brother was a giant, and he's still super tall in my mind. So imagine my shock when I found out I was now taller than him. I still can't believe it.
We were at a party and my youngest, who was around 3 years old at the time, came running up to me, all excited, to yell "her look like a PIG! Like a PIG, mommy!" very loudly while jumping up and down and pointing at a girl, who, to be fair, did have a turned up nose that looked distinctly porcine. My kid did not mean this as any sort of insult at all, she was delighted by finding a girl who looked like a pig. Oh no.
Break that filter every now and again.
- Yes, way more of us should have a bit more of the childlike curiosity and whimsy :)
For better or worse, kids will let you know what you're thinking. I do appreciate the honesty though, you get a genunine connection with then.

12 comments