Page 27 | Tell us something awful you did as a kid.

Friedchickenrocks · 2024-02-26T20:59:59+00:00

Aged about 8 our grandad was staying with us and I hid his glasses. Nobody thought it was me but he knew. He was literally almost blind for a week and even went poking with his walking stick down the loo. "I know it's her. I just know it, little bitch" Eventually they magically re-appeared on the sideboard. I never did own up and my mum never thought it could possibly be her blue eyed girl.

StarlightLime · 29/02/2024 18:51

Silvers11 · 29/02/2024 18:43

I was aged about 9 and I very nearly caused another child ( same age) to drown.

School swimming lessons in an outside pool belonging to the local Grammar School. We got sorted into groups according to swimming ability. The non-swimmers were down at the shallow end and the rest of us were in different areas of the pool. I was a good swimmer.

Cue a small break in the 'lessons' near the end of our time there. I went up to one of the higher diving boards and another girl was standing on the edge of the board looking down. She kept saying she couldn't decide whether to jump in or not. She was faffing around and I got really impatient in the end and pushed her in - and jumped in after her.

The whistle went as I hit the water, so I swam over to the side and got out. Standing on the side while our teacher gave us a talk, I turned around and this girl was still in the water and her face was turning black. I didn't know what to do, but fortunately someone else noticed, dived in and rescued her.

Turned out she COULDN'T swim, was in the non-swimmers group and what on earth she was doing on the high diving board and saying she was trying to decide whether to jump in I still do not know.

I have never forgotten that and often think about what could have happened. That was a lesson to me not to take anything anyone says at face value, without considering things. It was a terrible thing to have nearly happened, even if the blame wasn't all entirely mine. I still get hot and cold when I think about it

The blame pretty much was all yours. Why do you think it wasn't?
You shoved her in, and then said nothing when you noticed she was drowning 🤦‍♀️

OneStripeySockAndOneSpottySock · 29/02/2024 18:56

Silvers11 · 29/02/2024 18:43

I was aged about 9 and I very nearly caused another child ( same age) to drown.

School swimming lessons in an outside pool belonging to the local Grammar School. We got sorted into groups according to swimming ability. The non-swimmers were down at the shallow end and the rest of us were in different areas of the pool. I was a good swimmer.

Cue a small break in the 'lessons' near the end of our time there. I went up to one of the higher diving boards and another girl was standing on the edge of the board looking down. She kept saying she couldn't decide whether to jump in or not. She was faffing around and I got really impatient in the end and pushed her in - and jumped in after her.

The whistle went as I hit the water, so I swam over to the side and got out. Standing on the side while our teacher gave us a talk, I turned around and this girl was still in the water and her face was turning black. I didn't know what to do, but fortunately someone else noticed, dived in and rescued her.

Turned out she COULDN'T swim, was in the non-swimmers group and what on earth she was doing on the high diving board and saying she was trying to decide whether to jump in I still do not know.

I have never forgotten that and often think about what could have happened. That was a lesson to me not to take anything anyone says at face value, without considering things. It was a terrible thing to have nearly happened, even if the blame wasn't all entirely mine. I still get hot and cold when I think about it

Who else pushed her and didn't raise the alarm when she was on the verge of drowning then?
Oh that'd be no one...

Silvers11 · 29/02/2024 18:57

StarlightLime · 29/02/2024 18:51

The blame pretty much was all yours. Why do you think it wasn't?
You shoved her in, and then said nothing when you noticed she was drowning 🤦‍♀️

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Yes I agree it was mostly mine and I wasn't saying otherwise. Not very clever of the girl to be talking about jumping in at the deep end when she couldn't swim. If she hadn't I would never have pushed her in, but that was a lesson to me, as I said. And I would have said something, but while I was trying to process what I was seeing, someone else noticed. A matter of 2 or 3 seconds only

It was a terrible thing to do but I was only 8 or 9 - not sure which.

StarlightLime · 29/02/2024 19:00

Silvers11 · 29/02/2024 18:57

Yes I agree it was mostly mine and I wasn't saying otherwise. Not very clever of the girl to be talking about jumping in at the deep end when she couldn't swim. If she hadn't I would never have pushed her in, but that was a lesson to me, as I said. And I would have said something, but while I was trying to process what I was seeing, someone else noticed. A matter of 2 or 3 seconds only

It was a terrible thing to do but I was only 8 or 9 - not sure which.

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Except you actually did say otherwise.

Silvers11 · 29/02/2024 19:08

StarlightLime · 29/02/2024 19:00

Except you actually did say otherwise.

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No actually - I said the blame wasn't entirely mine! I do accept it was mostly mine. The teachers who were there banned me from the swimming for 2 weeks, for pushing someone in, but they did say that it wasn't entirely my fault given the way the other girl had been very foolish in behaving the way she did and I wasn't to know.

I didn't immediately realise she was drowning

I know it was a terrible thing to do - but that is in retrospect

Letmehaveabloodyusernameplease · 29/02/2024 19:18

@StarlightLime I think @Silvers11 has probably carried the guilt of this for years and punished herself enough, leave her be, you've jumped on a few posts on this thread I've noticed.

Holycows · 29/02/2024 19:25

A few, difficult child 😁....
About 5 when I cut a load of my hair off, went to school wearing a bleeding head scarf.
Ate a tube of toothpaste while hiding under the table.
Pulled the legs off daddy long legs was intrigued.
Me and a friend pushed my cousin in a swimming pool while on holiday, thing is he was wearing his best holiday clothes,shoes and new watch...we legged it and had to hide from his dad(my uncle) those were the days...

Silvers11 · 29/02/2024 19:42

Letmehaveabloodyusernameplease · 29/02/2024 19:18

@StarlightLime I think @Silvers11 has probably carried the guilt of this for years and punished herself enough, leave her be, you've jumped on a few posts on this thread I've noticed.

Thank you so much. It was a terrible thing to do and I have never forgiven myself, but piling on the guilt by others doesn't help!

UnctuousUnicorns · 29/02/2024 19:42

I used to be terrified of moths and daddy long legs, the way they flitted about, and used to squash any one I could. This was a long time ago now, I've learnt not to since.

Lifetooshort23 · 29/02/2024 19:46

StarlightLime · 26/02/2024 21:32

Jesus, some of these...

I’m with you here.. my wonderful brain has a knack for remembering everything awful I’ve ever done or has happened to me etc.. but I genuinely can’t think of anything like any of these!! 😵‍💫

PawsisShady · 29/02/2024 19:55

I was really excited I could draw stairs, and wanted to how my dad
So I got a stone and drew them on the car door

Elecrricmaracas · 29/02/2024 19:55

So many of these are literal crimes

mandlerparr · 29/02/2024 21:12

Silvers11 · 29/02/2024 19:08

No actually - I said the blame wasn't entirely mine! I do accept it was mostly mine. The teachers who were there banned me from the swimming for 2 weeks, for pushing someone in, but they did say that it wasn't entirely my fault given the way the other girl had been very foolish in behaving the way she did and I wasn't to know.

I didn't immediately realise she was drowning

I know it was a terrible thing to do - but that is in retrospect

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I think the thing people are having trouble with is you saying that you wouldn't have pushed her if she hadn't been saying what she was saying as if you think that makes it partially her fault in some way. It doesn't. Kids sometimes act brave in front of peers and may even cover up fear with bravado. They probably were trying to make themselves go up there to get over their fear and then got scared, tried to brag to cover up the fear and then you pushed them.
And you were young, didn't know better, felt horrible about it and all of that is fine in my opinion.
What is not fine is still trying to say it was in any way that other child's fault. An adults fault, possibly, for not paying attention to a bunch of kids who can't swim.
But it was in no way at all the fault of the person you pushed. Not in any way. You could have went back down the ladder. You don't claim that they rushed you or grabbed you or pushed you or anything. You just got tired of them and pushed them. 100% all on you.
Your regret can never truly be genuine until you accept that.
Just imagine if someone you cared about was standing on the edge of a diving board, bragging and then someone pushes them.
"They shouldn't have been up there in the first place" is not a valid excuse nor does it mean they share some blame.
Also, even if they could swim, that doesn't mean that the drowning wouldn't have happened. Do you know what happens when you are unexpectedly falling through the air? You suck in your breath. And she was probably in the water by the time that happened. She could have been on the Olympic swim team and still could have almost died from the experience.

Holycows · 29/02/2024 21:13

Friedchickenrocks · 26/02/2024 23:33

Ah but salting those big black slugs is better. Seeing them turn in to a gooey slimey dead mass in minutes was great. Kids these days don't seem to do it. Come on kids, damp night, get the Saxa out.

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Oh god yes 😇

Sweetpea1532 · 29/02/2024 21:22

@BertieBotts Thank you for your very well thought-out and concise post about behaviours.

Holycows · 29/02/2024 21:32

Giggorata · 27/02/2024 02:28

When I was pre school, my favourite place to sit was under the huge table in the kitchen.
We had numerous delivery men come to the house, including “Fred who delivers the bread”. He used to come with a great big basket on his arm, full of loaves.
I must have seen it on TV but for some reason I decided to rugby tackle him.
I really went for it and launched myself at him in a surprise attack from under the table, grabbing him round the knees.
Poor Fred, I'll never forget his face as he went down.
I got into huge trouble for that.

This cracked me up 😂

Mothership4two · 01/03/2024 02:13

Oh god yes @Holycows I hacked off my fringe and a few other areas when I was about four. I had forgotten about that. Unfortunately I was a bridesmaid not long after and so there is photographic evidence of me looking dreadful.

Mothership4two · 01/03/2024 02:40

Wetblanket78 · 27/02/2024 14:50

My friends little sister drank a full bottle when she was 3. Ended up in hospital having her stomach pumped out.

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Same thing happened to me at about three when I polished off a whole bottle of junior aspirin - tasted like orange sherberts. Was not much fun. I remember the whole event vividly

coxesorangepippin · 01/03/2024 03:01

I often wonder what she's doing now. Time?

^^
😳😄

Original poster

Friedchickenrocks · 01/03/2024 16:57

Littlewoods in town had a deli and I used to run round the assistants side and help myself to slices of ham and also sneak mini pork pies in my pockets and eat them walking home. When mum asked where I'd got them I'd just say the lady gave me them whilst you were buying meat.. I was a rascal.

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SinnerBoy · 01/03/2024 17:06

I was 7 and for some reason, I stuck chewing gum on my Nan's Labrador. I don't know why, I never did things like that. She ended up with a bald patch, as poor Nan had to cut it away with scissors. She thought the dog must have rolled in it. I never dared own up.

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 01/03/2024 17:06

Talking of awful things kids did, this is one.

We had a family friend who was about 1-2 years older than us, she was the daughter of family friends. One day we were out swimming at the local swimming baths. She was lifting us up by our shoulders and dropping us into the pool. My DB was about 11 and I was 13, she was about 14/15. My DB was dropped at the wrong angle and his head whacked the side of the pool and he dropped into it (I saw as in water), it was a racing pool so very deep. My DM was on the side and dived in and dragged him out, the useless lifeguard was sat on his seat as per usual. DB was then rushed to hospital and had emergency stitches in the back of his head. After this accident he didn't want to swim, he'd been a good swimmer beforehand and was learning to dive, professionally. Even now at 50, he still is very nervous of swimming. I don't think she even apologised! Her parents just brushed it under the carpet and it wasn't mentioned again. I mean technically she was a child, technically it was sort of naughty and an accident on her part but it could've ended so much more tragically. After I saw that accident I had flashbacks and was scared of the water for a while too.

ALongHardWinter · 01/03/2024 17:08

Friedchickenrocks · 01/03/2024 16:57

Littlewoods in town had a deli and I used to run round the assistants side and help myself to slices of ham and also sneak mini pork pies in my pockets and eat them walking home. When mum asked where I'd got them I'd just say the lady gave me them whilst you were buying meat.. I was a rascal.

The thing that struck me about this post was you saying that Littlewoods had a deli! Those were the days!

Original poster

Friedchickenrocks · 01/03/2024 17:09

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 01/03/2024 17:06

Talking of awful things kids did, this is one.

We had a family friend who was about 1-2 years older than us, she was the daughter of family friends. One day we were out swimming at the local swimming baths. She was lifting us up by our shoulders and dropping us into the pool. My DB was about 11 and I was 13, she was about 14/15. My DB was dropped at the wrong angle and his head whacked the side of the pool and he dropped into it (I saw as in water), it was a racing pool so very deep. My DM was on the side and dived in and dragged him out, the useless lifeguard was sat on his seat as per usual. DB was then rushed to hospital and had emergency stitches in the back of his head. After this accident he didn't want to swim, he'd been a good swimmer beforehand and was learning to dive, professionally. Even now at 50, he still is very nervous of swimming. I don't think she even apologised! Her parents just brushed it under the carpet and it wasn't mentioned again. I mean technically she was a child, technically it was sort of naughty and an accident on her part but it could've ended so much more tragically. After I saw that accident I had flashbacks and was scared of the water for a while too.

Sounds more of an accident really.

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Original poster

Friedchickenrocks · 01/03/2024 17:14

ALongHardWinter · 01/03/2024 17:08

The thing that struck me about this post was you saying that Littlewoods had a deli! Those were the days!

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Oh yes, right in the middle of the store too. Very popular for cooked meats, pasties, pies, bacon, cheese etc. There was another privately run one too in town but much dearer. Anyone remember proper potted meat that you had weighed out? Made of proper beef instead of this crap stuff in the jars. Only thing we got at the dear one. 6oz of that. I don't see it anywhere these days. Maybe at butchers shops? Sometimes had a thin layer of fat on top too if you bought the 4oz or 8oz carton.

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