He Did What? 17 Hilariously Strange Kid Habits

"They both lick grocery carts. Why?" — Johi K. of Confessions of a Corn Fed Girl

"The big man slaps himself when he is happy. I asked him once why he does this. He told me he is insane." — Karen K. of The Autistic Stepmom

"I’ve got another child who won't eat any fruit except Granny Smith apples. It can't be a red apple, it can't be a green grape. If it's not a green apple, he won't even look at it." — Leslie M. of The Bearded Iris

"My three-year-old daughter has to draw a portrait of me every day. She is very detail-oriented about this task, which unfortunately means she wants to know what I'm wearing down to the color of my underwear. Years from now I'll be able to go through my awkward refrigerator art (oh, yes, much of it is on display), and be able to know which underwear I wore on a particular day." — Susan M. of Divine Secrets of a Domestic Diva

"I don't know if the flexible napping skills are 'weird,' exactly, but they are definitely the most noteworthy. My father-in-law tells me that my oldest son reminds him a lot of my husband, who used to crash out in the oddest places as a child. He sleeps like a log at night, too, so he seems unlikely to ever suffer from troublesome insomnia. I'd say that ability to block out the world and attend to his own needs is probably a valuable gift!" — Naps Happen

"My oldest daughter quacks all of the time. She's 12. She quacks 'hello,' she quacks 'goodbye' . . . she quacks when she walks (think 'The Penguin' in Batman) and in a variety emphatic levels to alert us as to how she's feeling and whether or not she approves of something. It's weird. But is it any weirder than the fact that I answer her by quacking in return?" — Sarah M. of Mommy Lite

"Writing on the mirror with my red lipstick and repeating 'redrum' in a strange voice." — Linda R. of Mod Mom Beyond IndieDom

"The 3-year-old sucks his arm. He has done this ever since I weaned him. His fat, chubby, little arm was the closest thing that he had to a boob, and he latched onto it with gusto. As a result, there is a permanent ridge sucked into his forearm and people ask us all the time 'How did he burn himself?' Well he didn’t burn himself. He has a wicked ridged hickey that he gave himself. I sort of feel sorry for any girlfriends in his future." — Ginger C. of Counting Caballeros

"Lulu has one really weird habit: she tweaks my nipple to fall asleep. I know. Since I stopped nursing her, the lil perv finds some kinda bizarre comfort in playing 'tune in, Tokyo' on my boobs. At first I let her do it 'cuz I felt guilty about stopping nursing at 11 months, but now, come on . . . this is just getting crazy. Is she gonna be a teenager and have to reach in my shirt to start snoozing? Dear God, at this rate she just might." — Janet D.

"I would have to say that his penchant for setting up elaborate crash scenes with a multitude of hot wheels cars is both incredibly creative and mildly disturbing. No car is ever seriously hurt and no vehicle is left behind though, so I take that as a good sign that he has a good sense of empathy." — Tracy of Scribblesaurus Me

"My son likes to regale us with his medical ailments. He's 8. The latest is that his instep is bothering him. Yes. His instep. He's like an old man from Miami. He even loves Denny's." — Sarah M. of Mommy Lite

"One of my children has a nasty habit of wiping their boogers on the shower wall. I have no idea which one, and am currently in the process of trying to narrow it down using clues, such as height of placement and time of day." — Kim of Amomaly

"My five-year-old daughter likes to pretend she's a dog on a leash whose name is Gabrielle. Yeah, she has a different name she wants to be called when she's a dog. Is that weird enough for you?

When my oldest was born someone bought us a leash and I put it away. When my daughter was about three she found the leash and insisted on wearing it. A lot of people out there are 'anti-leash' and will let you know it. They glare at you, they say snide things to you and they pretty much think you're a moron who can't parent. When my daughter wore the leash in public, we got even worse looks, because a lot of times she tried to walk on all fours and she'd bark.

She's five now and she can barely do up the leash across her chest, but occasionally she sucks it in and takes the hit. She begs us to walk to her and when we refuse, she holds the end herself and takes herself for a walk." — Jen of People I Want to Punch in the Throat

"I've got one child who refuses to flush the toilet . . . always leaves a lovely souvenir for the next visitor to behold." — Leslie M. of The Bearded Iris

". . . he likes to gather a small booger ball on his upper lip while sucking his thumb. When I try to clean it off he yells, 'No, I want that!' and insists I put it back. Umm . . . no." — Tracy of Scribblesaurus Me

"Licking his index and middle finger on his left hand and then sticking them up each nostril." — Stacy and Kimberly of Two Too Smartass Mommies

"Lining up his favorite toys and choosing which one is going to be his new Willy. Seriously. It's the beginning of a life-long love affair." — Liz D. of How to Raise Chickens in Peckham