When I came across this question, “What’s the weirdest thing you believed was true when you were a kid?” I didn’t even need to think for long. My mind just went straight to one particular childhood belief that shaped a lot of my behaviour back then. Looking back now, it honestly feels funny, but at that time, it was so real to me that nothing could convince me otherwise.
Growing up, the weirdest thing I genuinely believed was that if someone crossed over my legs, I would end up giving birth to a child who looked or behaved exactly like that person. I don’t even know how this idea spread so deeply among us, but it was a very common belief in my tribe. Almost everyone around me acted like it was a universal truth passed down from the ancestors. So, of course, as a child, I absorbed it without question.
It sounds ridiculous now, but when I was younger, this belief used to control my reactions. If I was sitting down and someone mistakenly walked over my legs or tried to jump past me, I would get angry immediately. Not small anger o — real annoyance. I would even shift my legs quickly or touch the ground because they said that was the “remedy” to cancel it. And if I forgot to do it, I would be thinking about it the whole day, like my destiny had been altered.
At that time, it didn’t feel weird at all. It felt like something that made sense, something everyone agreed on. As kids, we grow up trusting the environment we are raised in, so when the adults and other children around us say something, we tend to take it as the truth. And honestly, when you’re small, your mind has no reason to doubt. We believe things easily because the world still feels magical, mysterious, and full of hidden rules.
But as I grew older and became more exposed, I slowly started realizing that this thing was nothing but a superstition. It had no logic, no science, no explanation — just vibes and tradition. The funniest part is that even those who believed it couldn't explain how it worked. All they said was, “Don’t allow anybody to cross your legs.” For what reason? Nobody knew. It was just one of those cultural beliefs that had been repeated for so long that people stopped questioning it.
Now, when I look back, it makes me smile. Imagine thinking someone crossing your legs could influence the physical features or behaviour of your future child
So yes, for me, that superstition about someone crossing over my legs definitely wins the award for the weirdest thing I ever believed as a kid.
Thanks for reading.