Kids are known for their wild imaginations, but every now and then, they say something that stops you cold. There’s something about their innocent voices delivering unexpected words that make the moment all the more chilling. In this collection, we explore real stories from people who were left rattled by the strange, unsettling things children have said. These aren’t just quirky kid quotes — they’re the kind of comments that linger in your mind long after they’re spoken. Whether playful or puzzling, each one leaves a lasting impression.
Story1
“My 3 yo daughter was going through the monsters under her bed phase. Lasted for weeks, and it was really wearing on her mom & me. One night, after mom tried to put her to bed, she tagged me in. After 30 minutes, I grew pretty frustrated.
In a last ditch attempt, I promised my daughter that there weren’t any monster under her bed. She replied, ’I know. Now they’re behind you.’ After that, I let her sleep with us for a week.” © YeahLikeTheGroundhog / Reddit
Story2
“I heard the one-year-old’s high chair move even though nobody was near it. I asked the three-year-old, ’What was that?’ and he said, while pointing to the chair, ’What is SHE doing here!?’” © michaelchondria / Reddit
Story3
“My two-year-old daughter called me up to her room. ’Mummy, Daddy is watching me go to sleep,’ she said. But he wasn’t—he was downstairs. When I told her that, she calmly replied, ’No… pretend Daddy.’ Then she pointed to her wardrobe and whispered, ’I see him.’” © TheSaladLeaf / Reddit
Story4
“About 3 am, I wake up to find my 6-year-old son just standing next to my side of the bed, staring at me motionless. It was a very tense moment up to the point I asked him very easily, ’You ok, son?’ He then came back with ’I can’t sleep’ but I still wonder how long he stood there before I woke up.” © xcytible_1 / Reddit
Story5
“When I was 3, we moved into a new home. We were eating dinner in our big, somewhat creepy new house when I stop and stare at the ceiling. My parents ask if everything’s okay. I shush them and reply, ’We have to be quiet. We don’t want to wake up Marcus.’
Well, we don’t know any Marcus, so my parents silently freak out, thinking maybe I saw a ’ghost’ or something. Long story short, when I visited my uncles, they would tell me to stay quiet cause their neighbor (Marcus) lived above them. Definitely spooked my parents.” © bdog719 / Reddit
Story6
“I have twin daughters. One day while playing outside, one looked up at the sky and said, ’The sky is cracked… and on fire.’ My other daughter looked up and said, ’Yes…. the people are screaming.’
Then they went back to playing with dolls. Fingers crossed they’re not predicting the future, everybody!” © HyperionWinsAgain / Reddit
Story7
“My nephew went through this phase of being absolutely terrified of going to sleep in his room (I’m sure all kids go through this eventually). I babysat a couple of times during this phase — we basically had to sit beside his bed and help him fall asleep, and he’d usually wake up shortly after you left the room and start crying. His reason? ’The big dark scary man standing in the corner with red eyes doesn’t want me to sleep.’” © LadyRevontulet / Reddit
Story8
“My 3-year-old son said, ’Next time I’m a baby, I want to have green eyes.’ I asked him if he had been a different baby before being who he currently is, and he squinted his eyes, looked at me like I was an idiot, and said, ’Yes, papa.’” © DecidedlyUnnecessary / Reddit
Story9
“The teacher showed me my daughter’s drawing—two women, one labeled ’Mom,’ and the other labeled ’Other Mom.’ And the ’Other Mom’ was me.
What I saw next made me freeze: my daughter was holding hands with the other woman. She had drawn a heart between them.
Underneath, in shaky letters, she wrote: ’The mom I remember.’ She’s only 6.”
Story10
“The scene: my second-story bedroom in our new place, around midnight. The headboard of my bed was right in front of the open window, and my toddler was asleep at my feet.
He suddenly woke up, looked past me, and said, ’The man with the red eyes is here.’ Then he went right back to sleep. I absolutely did not turn around.” © Spiritual_Aside4819 / Reddit