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- Kids Say and Do Eerie Things Sometimes
by Claire Thompson
Updated: Oct. 9, 2023
Originally Published: Oct. 13, 2017
When I was about 7 years old, a tragic event struck a family friend. My mother sent my sister and me out with our older cousin while she waited for updates. My cousin took us to all our favorite spots around the neighborhood, but I was inconsolable, crying and repeating, “He’s dead. He’s dead.” Eventually, my cousin took us back home, where we learned that our friend had indeed passed away during our outing. I wasn’t a psychic child, but it was undeniably unsettling.
Whether they remind you of whimsical clowns or something more sinister, there’s no denying that kids can be downright creepy at times. They make eerie predictions, claim to see ghosts, and engage in bizarre behaviors that can send chills down your spine—or make you laugh out loud. Or both!
When my friend’s son was just 3, he drew a picture for his dad and said, “That’s the spider that crawls in your mouth when you’re asleep.” Yikes! What a way to give someone nightmares!
Another parent, Jenna, recalled a time when her 6-year-old stepdaughter stood behind her in the kitchen and ominously stated, “When I snap, you’ll be the first to go.” It turned out to be something she heard on her mom’s coffee mug, but still… goosebumps, anyone?
On a Reddit thread titled “What’s the Creepiest Thing Your Child Has Ever Said to You?”, user spooky_mom shared, “All my childhood games ended with a mass murder of all but one toy.” Definitely no creepy dolls for that kid this Christmas!
Kids often seem to possess an uncanny awareness of things they shouldn’t know. After saying goodbye to my grandmother at age 13, I distinctly heard a voice in my head urging me to kiss her again because it would be the last time. I listened to that voice, and shortly after, she passed away.
When my eldest son learned he was having a sibling, he was convinced this child would be born on Halloween. Despite our attempts to explain that the baby was due around Halloween but could arrive any day, guess what? The baby was born on Halloween—because, of course, all spine-chilling stories unfold on that fateful day.
Similarly, my friend Laura’s 4-year-old looked at her on election morning and said, “I’m sorry, Mommy, but Hillary isn’t going to win. Trump is.” Talk about a gut punch!
Some kids claim to see things that remain invisible to us. I once witnessed a door slam shut on its own at age 12, which was terrifying. Reddit user GhostHunterDad shared that his daughter saw a “man with a snake neck” in the closet. Another user, creepedout_parent, noted that his coworker’s daughter was frightened by pipes in the house, but not nearly as much as “the man who crawls on the floor and stands by her bed.”
Perhaps our kids should be the ones checking for monsters under the bed because this stuff is creepy AF. My friend Emma recounted a time when the car radio suddenly went haywire, emitting loud static. While her mom insisted it was just radio signals, her 4-year-old sister was convinced it was “Rachel” turning off the music. When asked who Rachel was, the little girl replied, “She’s right there,” pointing to a spot no one else could see. Chilling, right?
Then there are those truly unsettling kids. I’m hesitant to even share some of these tales. However, user RatedRx probably takes the crown for creepiest encounter. While working as a waitress, she noticed a little girl repeatedly stabbing her sandwich with a plastic fork, muttering, “Die, die, die, die.” When the waitress asked what she was doing, the girl replied, “I like to kill things, but Mom says I shouldn’t. So I picked the ham because it can’t scream.” Eek!
In summary, kids can be undeniably creepy. They exhibit strange behaviors, pretend to harm each other, and sometimes even discuss past lives or deceased people. Seriously, that scary clown from It has nothing on the eerie things kids say and do.
If you’re intrigued by more stories like this, check out our other blog post about the home insemination kit. For additional resources on navigating the journey to parenthood, visit this expert article and another excellent guide from WebMD.