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What I Thought Was Totally Normal Until I Visited Other People's Homes (Spoiler: It Wasn't)

   ✍️ By Subhasri Devaraj

Image Created  by Author


You know that moment when you realize your family might be just a tiny bit... different? Yeah, me too.

I was 16 when I first discovered that not everyone's mom washes aluminum foil. Like, with actual dish soap. Scrubbing it clean, drying it with a towel, and folding it back up for "next time."

I'm watching my friend's mom just casually toss a perfectly good piece of foil in the trash after wrapping ONE sandwich, and I'm thinking, "Lady, do you know how much that stuff costs?!"

Turns out, my family was the weird one. Who knew?

The Sacred Remote Control

In our house, the TV remote had its own throne. Okay, not literally, but it lived in this exact spot on the coffee table, and God help you if you moved it even an inch to the left.

My dad could sense remote displacement from three rooms away. It was like a superpower, except really annoying.

"WHO MOVED THE REMOTE?"

Everyone freezes. Nobody breathes.

I thought this was normal until I went to my friend Jake's house and watched his little sister use the remote as a sword in her imaginary battle. His parents didn't even blink. I was genuinely confused. Where was the panic? The search party? The family meeting?

The Juice Police

Water was free in our house. Want some? Help yourself. Grab a glass from literally anywhere.

But juice? Oh man, juice required a formal application process.

"Mom, can I have some orange juice?" "What for?" "To... drink?" "Did you drink your water today?" "Yes." "How much water?" "I don't know, like... water amount?"

This interrogation would continue until she either approved the juice request or I gave up and drank water out of spite.

I didn't realize how ridiculous this was until I saw my friend just open his fridge and pour himself juice without asking ANYONE. Like he owned the place. Which, technically, he did.

The Good Scissors Conspiracy

Every family has them. The scissors that work perfectly but are mysteriously off-limits for actual scissor-related activities.

Ours lived in the kitchen drawer, wrapped in tissue paper like some kind of cutting utensil royalty. They were only brought out for "special occasions" like gift wrapping or cutting fabric.

Regular scissors for everything else? Nah. We had the dull, barely-functional backup scissors that couldn't cut through wet paper if our lives depended on it.

But heaven forbid you even LOOKED at the good scissors wrong.

"Are those the good scissors?" "No, mom, these are the—" "PUT THEM BACK."

The Tupperware Museum

Our Tupperware cabinet was basically a archaeological dig site. Containers from 1987 sitting next to lids that definitely didn't match anything we currently owned.

But throwing any of it away? Absolutely not.

"We might need this someday." "Mom, this container is older than me and has no lid." "But look how sturdy it is!"

I thought everyone's kitchen had a dedicated Tupperware graveyard until I realized normal people just... buy new containers when the old ones break. Revolutionary concept.

The Phone Voice

My mom had two voices: regular mom voice and "someone's calling" voice.

The second that phone rang, she transformed into this super polite, slightly higher-pitched version of herself.

"Helloooo, this is Karen!"

Karen? Her name is Carol.

Apparently, not everyone's parents become different people when they answer the phone. Some families just... answer normally? Wild.

The Couch Plastic

We had a beautiful living room couch covered in plastic. Not because it was new, but because it needed to stay "nice for company."

What company? I have no idea. In my 18 years living there, I can count on one hand the number of times anyone actually sat on that couch.

It was like a museum exhibit: "Behold, the couch our family owns but never uses."

Meanwhile, we all crammed onto the old, comfortable couch in the family room like sardines.

Why Do We Do This Stuff?

Looking back, I get it. Our parents grew up differently, and they're just trying to make sure we don't take things for granted.

The aluminum foil thing? Mom grew up when wasting anything was basically a sin.

The juice police? Dad remembers when orange juice was a luxury, not a Tuesday morning beverage.

The good scissors? Grandma probably had ONE pair of scissors for her entire life, and they better last.

It's not really about the foil or the juice or the scissors. It's about the stories behind them, the memories attached to these weird little rules that make absolutely no sense to anyone else.

Plot Twist: I Do It Too

The weirdest part? I caught myself washing aluminum foil last week.

My husband walked into the kitchen and found me scrubbing away at this tiny piece of foil like my life depended on it.

"What are you doing?" "Saving money?" "It's 50 cents worth of foil." "Your point?"

Apparently, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Or in this case, the foil doesn't fall far from the... sink?

Your Turn

So what about you? What did your family do that you thought was totally normal until you discovered the rest of the world doesn't live like that?

Was it the way your mom organized the spice cabinet? Your dad's obsession with turning off lights in empty rooms? That weird rule about not eating in the living room?

Drop a comment below because I guarantee you're not the only one whose family had that exact same quirk. And honestly, that's kind of beautiful.

We're all just walking around thinking everyone else is normal while doing our own brand of weird at home.

And you know what? I wouldn't change it. Those silly family rules and random quirks are what made us who we are.

Plus, they make for great stories at parties.

What's the weirdest "normal" thing your family did? Share your story in the comments – let's make each other feel less alone in our family weirdness!


📌 Disclaimer & Copyright Notice

Disclaimer:
This post is written from personal perspective and real-life experiences. No AI-generated text or auto-written tools were used in the original drafting of this content. Every word comes from an honest, human voice — just like a conversation with a friend.

Copyright Notice:
© 2025 The Heartlogue by Subhasri Devaraj. All rights reserved.
Unauthorized copying, reproduction, or distribution of this content is strictly prohibited. If you'd like to feature this piece, please link back to the original post and give proper credit.

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