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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Found this bloody weird note….

406 replies

Radicalpiloti · 20/08/2025 00:04

Bit of a strange one. I finally got around to emptying my son’s schoolbag and amongst the utter rubbish (including a Batman figurine he insists isn’t his!) there was an envelope tucked inside with just “For You” written on it.

Inside was a list of instructions. Things like:

  • “Don’t forget to lock the back door at night.”
  • “Children should never sit on cold floors.”
  • “The blue cup is for milk, not juice.”
  • “Be careful who you trust with secrets.”

I asked DC where it came from and he just shrugged and said, dunno. Asked on my parent friends WhatsApp and they had no idea.

DH says I’m being dramatic and it’s probably nothing, but I feel really weird about it

i don’t even know what I’m asking but, wtf!

OP posts:
godmum56 · 20/08/2025 16:29

TheMadGardener · 20/08/2025 16:20

Primary school teacher here. A LOT of the 10 and 11 year olds I know are obsessed with discussing the Five Nights At Freddy's game, even the ones who aren't allowed to play it at home. All that note sounds to me strongly like FNAF references. The blue cup and the back door especially. I overhear endless bits of conversations where Y5 and Y6 are giving each other gaming advice - "Joe says he's beaten level 43, you go in through the back door, the blue cup is on the table but don't touch it" etc, etc.

I'm 99% sure he's been taking part in gaming chat with his mates.

See below for reference to blue cup.

https://ultra-custom-night-character-ideas.fandom.com/wiki/Blue_Cup

I think you may have nailed it. Many many years ago I used to play the 1st gen of computer adventure games and this does remind me of the clues that computer magazines used to post.

Elsvieta · 20/08/2025 16:31

My first thought was mnemonics - as a student I learnt all sorts of weird sentences to remember things, and sometimes made up my own. Or maybe it's just some pop culture reference that's obvious to da kids and obscure to the rest of us.

But obviously destroy every blue cup you own, just to be safe.

LittleBitofBread · 20/08/2025 16:44

I'm on the fence. I think the sentences in themselves seem pretty innocuous, if a bit 'blank' and affectless (but if they're for a writing exercise of some kind that would explain it ).
His response and the 'For You' envelope I can't quite explain away though.

Momstermash94 · 20/08/2025 16:45

I think @TheMadGardener was correct above and that they were making their own FNAF type game. I asked ChatGPT if this means anything, are they video game references, or code for something or some sort of pop culture reference and it said the below....

Interesting set of phrases! On their own, they read like oddly specific warnings or “rules,” which makes me think of a few possible contexts where lists of strange or unsettling advice show up:

Creepypasta / “Rules” horror genre → Online horror stories often take the form of “a list of strange rules you must follow” (like Rules for the Night Shift, Don’t Talk to the Man in the Hallway, etc.). Your examples — mundane advice with a slightly uncanny twist — fit that style.

ARGs (Alternate Reality Games) → Sometimes cryptic sentences like this are dropped as clues or “instructions” to players, often blending the ordinary with the unsettling.

Video game references → Not directly. I don’t see a clear link to a specific franchise. Some games (Alan Wake, Silent Hill, Five Nights at Freddy’s) use similar “rule-style” advice, but these exact lines don’t map to any known game.

Pop culture / memes → There’s a recent trend on Reddit and TikTok of creating eerie lists of “family rules” or “town rules,” which are essentially short-form creepypasta. The phrasing “the blue cup is for milk, not juice” especially feels like that kind of uncanny, very specific “rule.”

Code / metaphor → They could also just be metaphorical reminders about trust, boundaries, or tradition, dressed up in domestic imagery.

So — these aren’t standard references to a specific game or pop culture property that I can find. They line up most closely with the “weird rules horror” microgenre that circulates in online fiction.

CanIgetARosePinkFrappucino · 20/08/2025 16:48

What exactly is creeping you out ??

CanIgetARosePinkFrappucino · 20/08/2025 16:52

Horsie · 20/08/2025 01:01

That's really fucking weird.

I think you should ask him if he's spoken to any strange adults lately or if there are any new adults working at the school. I also think you should tell the school about the note, in case other children are receiving weird notes, too. Clearly someone is trying to frighten him.

😃

MamaElephantMama · 20/08/2025 16:53

I wonder if it’s ended up inside a school book that’s then ended up getting mixed up with his belongings. I doubt it’s for your son.

CanIgetARosePinkFrappucino · 20/08/2025 17:03

GarlicLitre · 20/08/2025 04:13

😂😂👏

Just do it. No point otherwise in pointless thread

PeonyPatch · 20/08/2025 17:22

Agree with @TheMadGardener
They sound like cryptic puzzle cluessss

Cantyouseethishorselovesme · 20/08/2025 17:37

OP, if this note/letter was just a crumpled bit of paper in the bag, I would think it's a kids' game, or maybe some end-of-term shenanigans he's already forgotten about.

It could also have been a summer writing challenge like 'Make up a story with at least three of these phrases in it.' That would explain the envelope - if it had your son's name on it. But 'For You' is a bit odd. And 10 year olds don't usually pass notes to each other in an envelope. Was it like one you'd get with a birthday card, or a brown business type? What was the handwriting like? Ink or pencil? That's where I'd be putting on my Agatha Christie hat.

Some of those phrases definitely sound familiar. My grandparents would tell us not to sit on cold floors when we were younger. Toddlers will scold themselves, and mutter, "The blue cup is for milk not juice, silly!"

I think your Mum's inner spidey senses are telling you this is a bit weird and you want to know what it's about. Maybe casually ask a close parent-friend if their kid got a note like that too. On the plus side, if it's been in the bag untouched for a month and your son wasn't bothered, maybe it's nothing. Do let us know if you find out more.

Poodlelove · 20/08/2025 18:40

The bit about blue cup for milk sounds like something from school in the 70s when I was a child.
Have you googled it ?

JLou08 · 20/08/2025 18:48

It's probably some writing task from school. Some 10 yo can write as well as an adult. If I found this I wouldn't be giving it at second thought.

BreezyAquaCrow · 20/08/2025 19:37

JackGrealishsBobbySocks · 20/08/2025 00:16

I think you need to go into the dark kitchen by yourself now, after midnight, take a deep breath, pour some juice in the blue cup, and see what happens.

Make sure the back door is locked and don't look at the window

Edited

😂😂

WomanOfSteel · 20/08/2025 20:06

Jumpthewaves · 20/08/2025 09:32

Ah yes, perhaps he's planning a hike!

With Batman instead of Timmy the dog.

WomanOfSteel · 20/08/2025 20:21

Dontlletmedownbruce · 20/08/2025 09:57

@WomanOfSteel did you just make those code words up or are they from a particular book or movie? It feels really familiar and I can't pin point it

I’m not sure if anyone has answered as I haven’t got time to rtft. It’s from a Famous Five book, Five on a hike together. It’s probably the best book of them all. It’s got Dirty Dick and Saucy Jane in it. 😉

Dontlletmedownbruce · 20/08/2025 20:48

Thanks @WomanOfSteel I used to be a big fan as a child. It's weird how familiar the phrases are when I haven't seen them in 40 years!!

Jojimoji · 20/08/2025 21:16

Another primary school teacher here.
I think the PP nailed it.
First thing I thought when reading it was
" game instructions"

MrJoeBangles · 21/08/2025 12:05

I understand your worry over this and you're between a rock and a hard place.
Confront him again and you risk pushing him further away and clamming up. Do nothing and you'll worry yourself endlessly over what if it's something sinister?
I'm sure if you catch him at a quiet moment (and not in an ambushing "we need to have a talk" way) that he's mature enough, even at 10, to understand that you love him and care about him.
Reassure him you don't want to pry into his private space or embarrass him in any way. (I wore a Man From U.N.C.L.E holster with pistol under my school blazer until I was 12 and was mortified when people found out.)
Just explain your feelings of unease and why you have them. He'll understand that sometimes bad things happen and that as a loving parent you also are in need of reassurance.
Just make him aware that if it's something he's worried about then you're there for him to talk to without judgement.
If he says he's comfortable with it and really just doesn't want to talk about it then I'd agree, leave him be. It'll be enough for him to feel reassured he has a safe harbour in you and hopefully you'll feel more at ease too.
Worrying is a big part of parenting unfortunately.
Best of luck

Alifaa · 21/08/2025 12:34

Have you ever considered he might have a form of OCD
This seems to be a list of some sort.
Maybe he's telling him these things to make him feel safe and secure.
Yes it seems strange and possibly out of character but I had a friend growing up that did this. The family ignored it and when she was 17 was diagnosed with OCD disorder. Only explanation was that she was feeling anxious about things and felt that the lists she made would make her feel safe.

And as you have said your son is 10 maybe he is struggling with this and feels embarrassed.

JackGrealishsBobbySocks · 21/08/2025 12:40

WomanOfSteel · 20/08/2025 20:21

I’m not sure if anyone has answered as I haven’t got time to rtft. It’s from a Famous Five book, Five on a hike together. It’s probably the best book of them all. It’s got Dirty Dick and Saucy Jane in it. 😉

Ffs so one character called Dick already in the book wasn't enough for our Enid😄😄😄

expresslylee · 21/08/2025 13:10

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

expresslylee · 21/08/2025 13:13

TheMadGardener · 20/08/2025 16:20

Primary school teacher here. A LOT of the 10 and 11 year olds I know are obsessed with discussing the Five Nights At Freddy's game, even the ones who aren't allowed to play it at home. All that note sounds to me strongly like FNAF references. The blue cup and the back door especially. I overhear endless bits of conversations where Y5 and Y6 are giving each other gaming advice - "Joe says he's beaten level 43, you go in through the back door, the blue cup is on the table but don't touch it" etc, etc.

I'm 99% sure he's been taking part in gaming chat with his mates.

See below for reference to blue cup.

https://ultra-custom-night-character-ideas.fandom.com/wiki/Blue_Cup

Do you know what the envelope with "for you" might be about?

HevenlyMeS · 21/08/2025 13:21

I'm sorry you've found this note
God Bless You&Yours
I completely comprehend you being concerned & concur with whomever suggested it might be Your Beloved Son's possibly covering up for another, possibly older Child & frightened of getting into trouble - Hence the lack of informing you about it
Also from my own personal experiences,
my own Beloved Children, have withheld, been hesitant to give information in concerns with other Children for fear of getting them & themselves in trouble
It's possible, another Child has informed Your 10 year old Son, that he mustn't comment on it
Reminds me just somewhat of chain letters
Hope in time, you will get to the bottom of this
I'm praying for the utmost very best for You&Yours
💚💛💚

expresslylee · 21/08/2025 13:30

expresslylee · 21/08/2025 13:13

Do you know what the envelope with "for you" might be about?

@TheMadGardener and also the adult writing?

In relation to gaming, though, do you as a teacher try and intervene in relation to game stuff, just out of interest? I am asking as my DC are now older, but their senior school talk about a significant link between game playing from young ages and problems with school work and behaviour later on, ie at primary the gaming was seen as benign and fun, whereas more serious problems seem to be linked to it later on.

BloodandGlitter · 21/08/2025 14:04

It's literally a trend for horror stories and creepy pastas right now to have a list of instructions you need to follow or something awful will happen. Like Back rooms stuff. There's hundreds of short stories out there that follow this format check out NoSleep on reddit for examples.