Funny childhood fears that are hard to forget

Funny childhood fears that are hard to forget - Whether it's because of TV, books, or even stuff parents tell their children, kids are constantly haunted by irrational fears—like the idea that a serial killer lives in their basement and is just waiting for the perfect moment to murder them. As we get older, we tend to grow out of most childhood fears, and we can look back and realize how ridiculous they were.

Click through this gallery to reminisce about the silliest fears you had as a kid.

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Monsters under the bed - This one may just be one of the most common fears kids share, and it didn't matter how many times your parents checked for monsters under the bed—you just knew they'd somehow creep up in the middle of the night!

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Animals in the toilet - Even though the probability of this happening was extremely minimal, you always (always!) checked the toilet for spiders, snakes, and other dangerous animals before you used the toilet at night.

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Ghosts - Children secretly hope that ghosts are real so they can prove to their parents that all those nights spent in their bed weren't that pointless after all.

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Pool sharks - Because sharks lived in the deep end of pools and were always plotting a surprise attack.

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The basement - The basement is a big no-go zone for all children. The creepiest division in the house is the perfect hiding spot for serial killers, and only the bravest dare going down the stairs with the lights off.

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Bloody Mary - Do you remember that episode of 'Supernatural' where the spirit of Bloody Mary was summoned by saying her name three times while looking in the mirror? That prank actually still haunts many adults to this day.

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The ocean - This immense mass of water can be scary even for grown-ups. As a kid, you'd always avoid the dark spots of algae as you never know what terrifying creatures were hiding under there.

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Shadows -

Pretty much every child has tried to run from their own shadow, only to realize it was literally mission impossible.

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The hallway - Raise your hand if you've ever sprinted across the hallway to the safety of your bed after turning the lights off.

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Bridges - Every time you crossed a bridge, you always wondered if today was the day the infrastructure would collapse.

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The attic - Just like the basement, you avoided the attic at all costs because you just knew that's where all the monsters hung out during the day.

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The "bad guys" - Parents might be at fault here. Kids are told the "bad guys" are going to come get them so often when they misbehave, they actually develop this irrational fear.

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Waking up with someone next to you - Waking up in the middle of the night with the feeling that someone is lying next to you is nothing short of a traumatizing experience. Except, it was usually just a pillow or one of your dozens stuffed toys.

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Clowns - This fear is often carried into adulthood as well, and movie portrayals of scary clowns don't help either. If you were scared of clowns as a kid, you probably don't want to talk about 'It.'

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Lake creatures - If you've ever gone swimming in a lake or done fun activities like tubing or rafting, you know you always freaked out a little when something in the water happened to touch you.

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Santa Claus - Santa Claus is a beloved character for most children, but many dreaded the moment they had to sit on this old man's lap so their parents could take a picture.

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Grandfather clock - If you ever owned one of these old-looking clocks, you know the panic was real when its midnight ring echoed through the whole house.

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Full moon - Full moons obviously meant werewolves, so you knew better than to step outside during those nights.

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Shower drain - The shower drain may seem harmless to a grown-up, but children all around the world know that's a potential entry route for evil underground creatures.

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The doctor - Going to the doctor was never synonymous with having a good time. From shots to stitches, it's no wonder all kids dreaded visiting the doctor's office.

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Top bunk - Siblings who are assigned the top bunk against their will live in perpetual fear that they're going to fall during the night and break all their bones.

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Thunderstorms - Not all irrational fears are linked to non-existent things. Sometimes nature can be scary too!

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People in costumes - Disney World sounds like a great idea...in theory. For some kids (and parents), it's a real nightmare to be surrounded by so many people in costumes. Why can't they just wear normal clothes?!

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Silence - Noises coming from the dishwasher or the radiator made you so nervous you couldn't go to sleep. But if the house was silent, it was even more terrifying. You just can't win as a kid.

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Nightmares - Children's nightmares are the stuff of horror movies, and there's no chance they're going back to sleep unless it's in mommy and daddy's bed.

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Bats -

Bats were scary because you never knew when they were going to turn into Count Dracula and suck all your blood.

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