Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Come to think of it, my 3 year old LOVES when I pop out from behind something and yell, "Boo!!!!!!". He jumps and then laughs and laughs and usually says, " Can we do it again?". Just like when I toss him in the air.
When my wife used to work, she was very serious about being on time. She is very responsible. So one April Fools I did everything I could to slow her down in the morning. I super glued her make up to the counter. I put saran wrap on the inside of her shampoo and conditioner so that she could flip up the top but if she squeezed the bottle nothing would come out. I put clear nail polish on her soap. I put KY jelly on the front door handle. And then I went and set every single clock in the house one hour forward, including her phone and alarm. Because of course I could not actually let her be late.
So she is running around like a crazy person trying to get ready and everything is an obstacle. And finally I hear the front door open because she's going out to the car to leave. And then I hear the front door closed because now she has to wash her hands. Oh, and did I forget to mention that I used about 10 rolls of saran wrap to completely wrapped her car? Inside and out?
Next thing I know, she's coming upstairs with an ominous thump thump thump. She poked me in the bed and said she was going to be late and could I let her borrow my car. She was obviously very irritated. I said that she was not going to be late. She got even more irritated and said of course she's going to be late. I said not really, let me make you a nice breakfast. Of course this kept making her more and more angry. Because she didn't know she actually had a whole extra hour. She still talks about that morning. A decade later.
Here is something fun and easy you can do to anyone who has an iPhone. Take a screenshot of their icon screen. And set that as their wallpaper. So then it looks like they have their icons up but none of them work.
Lol!!!! My wife was all swearing about how her phone was broken.
Or change what simple words autocorrect to. I changed and to hairy butt and you to stinky feces, etc. Makes texts hilarious!!
This is what pranksters don't get, it isn't fun for all. Instead they feel frightened and/or ashamed. But people conform to not appear like a baby, wimpy, embarrassed, sensitive. And when they don't conform and get upset, pranksters say "quit being a baby" "geeze I was just joking" "lighten up".
I don't know about you all, but I would rather err on the side of not making people feel bad about themselves.
While I am a vocal minority, I am getting plenty of behind the scenes support on my position.
I'm also a bit confused why people link dodgeball with scaring the crap out of your kids as coddling. My kids aren't coddled, but they are treated with respect.
This is what pranksters don't get, it isn't fun for all. Instead they feel frightened and/or ashamed. But people conform to not appear like a baby, wimpy, embarrassed, sensitive. And when they don't conform and get upset, pranksters say "quit being a baby" "geeze I was just joking" "lighten up".
I don't know about you all, but I would rather err on the side of not making people feel bad about themselves.
While I am a vocal minority, I am getting plenty of behind the scenes support on my position.
You're projecting, in my opinion.
I'm not criticizing you for what seems to me to be a very sensitive nature. It takes all types, and like I said earlier, there are all sorts of family "styles" as well as distinct personalities even within those families.
You're assuming that "prankster" parents are pulling these shenanigans on all their kids, regardless of personality. For instance, you make a blanket statement of "it isn't fun at all." Let's correct that to say "It isn't fun to YOU at all." You say that "people conform to not appear like a baby, wimpy, embarrassed, sensitive." Once again, I believe you are describing YOUR reaction to practical jokes. Then you go on to say that "when they don't conform and get upset, pranksters say 'quit being a baby,' 'geeze I was just joking,' 'lighten up'." This may be what some people in your life have said to you - possibly because of a reaction in you that may have been a bit over the top, who knows? It all depends on circumstances and personalities.
I don't know what happened in your life, but what you're describing isn't at ALL my own experience, and I've relayed numerous examples of pranks played on me over the years.
Honestly, I know this may be hard for you to grasp, but some families - including the kids - actually appreciate and even respect a well thought out prank - it becomes the stuff of legends, a funny story told with some admiration for years, even generations.
You're assuming that fun loving, prankster type parents don't know or consider their own kids' personalities when they prank their kids. Listen, it would be cruel of me to put a real spider on one of my girls. But it wouldn't be cruel to put a fake spider on their pillow. You may think it would be, but I can assure you that they'd disagree with you. So maybe it would be cruel to do it to YOU but not to them. Do you understand? They'd think it was hilarious, and beg me to let them have the fake spider so they could save it for practical joke purposes.
Good parents tailor their interactions, including their pranks, to their kids' personalities. You're assuming that NO pranking can be good, apparently because it unnerves you a lot. You need to keep in mind that what unnerves you doesn't necessarily unnerve others. Some get a big kick out just that sort of thing.
If you don't like pranks, don't prank your kids - I'm not criticizing you for NOT playing pranks on your kids. But don't assume that other families and other kids all have the same emotions and style that you do - or that they SHOULD.
One other point - you mentioned that you're getting a lot of "behind the scene support" for your position. That's cool. I am too, and I suspect that the other "pranksters" are as well. Clearly there are many opinions on this, and that's OK - that's what a discussion forum is all about.
Growing up my family always played jokes on each other. They weren't mean spirited. Honestly, I think it makes you more resilient and quick witted. You learn to laugh at yourself ad develop a sense of humor. I play jokes, but I've mine are pretty tame like hiding the food or pretending the leprechaun got into the house while everyone was at school.
I happen to know a lot of people who are sensitive by nature. The big difference is that I am not ashamed of it and am fully willing to call people out on bullying or immature behavior.
Again I am not talking about silly harmless pranks. I'm talking about adults trying and enjoying scaring young children
One thing was popular when I was younger was holding a kid upside down over a potty and threatening to flush them and laughing at their horror. Or tickling excessively despite begging to stop (laughter is a reflex to tickling, not a sign they enjoy it). Before I get jumped for that, It doesn't mean you can't tickle, btw. It means you have to take cues from the child and on,y tickle in short bursts (unless of course you have a sensory seeker who wants prolonged tickling)
I happen to know a lot of people who are sensitive by nature. The big difference is that I am not ashamed of it and am fully willing to call people out on bullying or immature behavior.
Again I am not talking about silly harmless pranks. I'm talking about adults trying and enjoying scaring young children
One thing was popular when I was younger was holding a kid upside down over a potty and threatening to flush them and laughing at their horror. Or tickling excessively despite begging to stop (laughter is a reflex to tickling, not a sign they enjoy it). Before I get jumped for that, It doesn't mean you can't tickle, btw. It means you have to take cues from the child and on,y tickle in short bursts (unless of course you have a sensory seeker who wants prolonged tickling)
Like you, I also happen to know a lot of people who are sensitive by nature. I also know that my four kids and seven grandkids all have distinctly different personalities. One family in particular (oldest daughter's family) is SUPER gregarious, outgoing, funny, always up for a good prank or trick (her husband is also from a family of four, and a family of pranksters). My other daughter is more quiet, and her husband is an only child. Their kids are more serious and artistic in nature. We don't treat all the kids the same.
My point is that good parents know how to read their kids and they adjust the "prank" level up or down as necessary.
But just as it would be short sighted and judgmental for me to say, "Oh good grief, anyone who doesn't like a good scare or practical joke is just a stick in the mud, anal control freak," it's just as wrong to categorize all parents and families who are natural pranksters as wrong.
I happen to know a lot of people who are sensitive by nature. The big difference is that I am not ashamed of it and am fully willing to call people out on bullying or immature behavior.
Again I am not talking about silly harmless pranks. I'm talking about adults trying and enjoying scaring young children
One thing was popular when I was younger was holding a kid upside down over a potty and threatening to flush them and laughing at their horror. Or tickling excessively despite begging to stop (laughter is a reflex to tickling, not a sign they enjoy it). Before I get jumped for that, It doesn't mean you can't tickle, btw. It means you have to take cues from the child and on,y tickle in short bursts (unless of course you have a sensory seeker who wants prolonged tickling)
I don't put tickling to extreme in the prank category. That's a power issue, and a warped one.
But many, many kids love a good scare. I guess the key is to know your audience.
I remember being in Canada and we were on a boat ride, my late brother, his 12 y.o. daughter and her obnoxious 12 y.o. friend; my 12 y.o. son and me. There was a wee snack bar that offered popcorn, the kind you put on the burner and the foil puffs up as the corn pops. The kids each got one and when they finished eating, they were surprised to find lots of "old maids" (unpopped kernels for the uninitiated). The two girls had been giving my son a hard time for the entire trip and he was itching to get back. So he made a trip to the snack bar, came back with a soda, and told them that if they took the unpopped kernels to the stand, the man would give them a penny for each one. The two greedy little beggars counted up and discovered they had almost 200 between them and off they went to collect.
Long story short, the man at the snack bar had the whole crowd laughing before he told them to get lost. They returned, red-faced, angry, but much nicer to the boy who taught them that mean girls get their come-uppance.
My 9 y.o. granddaughter was upset because I didn't visit on April 1st. Her mom and I have almost identical cars and she wanted me to park my car in mom's space and laugh when her key fob wouldn't open the door. She's only 9, but I have high hopes for her.
As for the spooky stuff, we used to have a cedar chest that sat in the living room and held, at various times, toys, magazines, half-finished needlework projects, etc. One year on Hallowe'en, I emptied it out, piled in some pillows for height, and in a black dress and a gray wig, I stretched out in the "coffin". When the trick or treaters came, I waited for the appropriate moment and raised the lid, sat up and said, "What a tasty little morsel you are". The shrieks were priceless and the laughter when they finished squealing had most of them wanting their moms, standing on the sidewalk, to come in and "see the dead lady wake up".
I don't think most of the pranks described here involve scaring anyone, HFB.
And you are a crappy prankster if you don't know your audience.
That toilet thing Moderator cut: edit and tickling aren't pranks. Bullying.
Last edited by Miss Blue; 04-13-2015 at 11:34 AM..
Reason: edited to remove the filtered word
I happen to know a lot of people who are sensitive by nature. The big difference is that I am not ashamed of it and am fully willing to call people out on bullying or immature behavior.
Again I am not talking about silly harmless pranks. I'm talking about adults trying and enjoying scaring young children
One thing was popular when I was younger was holding a kid upside down over a potty and threatening to flush them and laughing at their horror. Or tickling excessively despite begging to stop (laughter is a reflex to tickling, not a sign they enjoy it). Before I get jumped for that, It doesn't mean you can't tickle, btw. It means you have to take cues from the child and on,y tickle in short bursts (unless of course you have a sensory seeker who wants prolonged tickling)
Tickling too much is horrid, people always used to do that to me. My kid loves tickling though and demands it. Like Mattie said, you need to know your audience. Some love pranks and scares and some don't.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
