10 most bizzare and uncommon house rules that have shocked and surprised everyone

This is what makes a house, a home.

House rules vary widely from one home to another, reflecting the unique values and quirks of each household. A recent Reddit post by u/StarrySpecter on r/AskReddit invited users to share the most peculiar house rules they've encountered while visiting someone's home. It said, "What's the most bizarre 'house rule' you've encountered at someone else's home?" The responses revealed a fascinating array of idiosyncrasies. Some people had to wear slippers indoors, others were forbidden from using certain words, and a few encountered strict regulations on bathroom usage, like having to announce their intentions before entering. These stories showcase the diversity of house rules that can exist. They remind us that while some may seem peculiar or amusing, they often stem from the unique dynamics and traditions within each household. After all, it is these peculiarities that make our homes truly our own.

1. Moms know best.

When I was a kid my friend’s dad made his kids line up on the couch and just sit there silently while he watched TV and drank a beer. If you were visiting you had to do it too. When my mom heard about it, I wasn’t allowed to go over there when he was home. My mom knew an abusive weirdo’s behavior when she saw it. u/Gen-Jinjur. Uh, yeah, I have an alcoholic uncle who is a bit like that, except he will just sit on the couch drinking beer and watching sports and act like any visitors do not exist. Like, doesn't matter if you're having an entire family reunion, he'll barely acknowledge anyone. He's also a gambler and they live in a shitty house despite his very high income, his alcoholism is at the point where he hasn't been able to hold a driver's license in decades, and he was once thrown out of South Africa on a work trip and banned from the entire country and all future work trips, and we still don't know why. u/trowzerss

2. Baby bottles for everyone.

When I was around 8, I went to a friend's house for a play date/dinner after school. When I asked for a drink, her Mum gave me a baby bottle with squash in it. I laughed, but she didn't laugh back. My friend took her own bottle and started drinking. I asked the Mum if I could please have a cup instead, but she told me nope, and that children drink from bottles in their house. Never went there again. u/RealisticBug5646. My siblings and I used cups with the little kid lids till my youngest sibling was old enough to not spill. Even though that meant some of us were 10 or older. But not a literal bottle. u/vanessa8172

3. Was that a trick, nana?

The most bizarre house rule that I’ve encountered was at my friend's place, where they had a strict policy of 'no talking' during dinner, not because of any traditional reason, but because their elderly grandmother believed that a mischievous spirit living in the dining room would learn secrets and cause chaos. u/MemeTownMayor. I kinda of love the idea of a gossip demon who listens in on family dinners and then goes to spread their business throughout town like a drama Youtuber. I wonder what culture this is from. u/witchywater11

4. Abuse comes in many ways.

If the lights were on you got yelled at for them being on and wasting energy, if the lights were off you got yelled at for being in the dark. u./oatmeal_forever_. My father would be furious if he came home and "every light in the house" was on, or if there were too many lights out and it looked like no one was home. It wasn't until I was older and working in child safety that I found out a lot of abusive men used that as a failproof excuse to get angry as soon as they walked in the door. I've also heard "it's too loud" when Daddy comes home as well as "it's like a ghost town, no one's ever here/downstairs/in the kitchen." u/SeasonPositive6771

5. Just for show.

My friend’s mom wouldn’t let her put any trash in the bathroom trashcan. There was a trashcan there but it was just there for show (???) They were directed to put all trash generated in the bathroom down the toilet. u/ghostmommie. My aunt used to have me watch her house and no food-related scraps were allowed in the kitchen trash can. Had to walk to the garage every time I needed to throw away a cooking scrap or a can of cat food (which I was instructed to feed her cats 3 times a day). u/hdniki

6. A trip to the pre-internet era.

Once stayed at a relative’s place where they had a strict "No Radio Waves After Dark" rule. Post sunset, WiFi was shut down, phones were powered off, and even the microwave was a no-go zone. They believed that radio waves interfered with sweet dreams. The first night I was there, I felt like I time-traveled to a pre-internet era. u/Professional_Stop_45. Unless they lived in a Faraday cage I have some bad news for them. u/not-finished

7. The Grammar Nazi.

When I was a child, my mom had a friend who would watch me for an entire weekend, or a week during the summer. She had a daughter who was a year younger than me. She was an absolute clean freak. I liked her because she would take me places, but she had a lot of rules. Couldn't wear shoes in her house. Ok, not all that weird but she would take your shoes to the basement utility sink and scrub the bottom of your shoes. Can't have my pants too long, because they might drag on her floor and get dirt on her floor, so I had to roll up my pants. Can't touch the walls, because the dirt from your fingers might get on her white walls. If it was nice outside, you're eating outside, because your crumbs may get on the floor. She was also an English teacher. Even at 6 years old, I couldn't say "yeah," you say "yes." Only ignorant people say "Yeah." Can't say I'm going to take off my shoes. "Only rockets take off. You remove your shoes." Couldn't say "I'm done!" According to her, "Only turkeys are done. You are finished." u/michonne_impossible

8. Kitchen rules can be mean.

Kitchen hours. I stayed at a friend’s house when I was younger. Nobody told me the entire family has breakfast at 7 a.m., so I slept in (nobody woke me up either btw). I wake up around 9 a.m. and see my friend is gone. I wander into the kitchen and see them all sitting around the table laughing and eating a huge breakfast - pancakes, eggs, bacon, toast, orange juice, fruit, etc. My friend’s mom looks at me and goes, “Hey, look who’s finally awake! The kitchen is closed, but there’s cereal in the pantry if you want to serve yourself!” So I poured myself a bowl of cereal and went to sit down at the table, and the second I sat down they all stood up and left the kitchen - even my friend. To this day I don’t understand why they did that to me. u/AreolaCherryCola

9. A mother like that? That's the real horror.

When I was like 14, my friend was having a Halloween party. I had my period, so I went to the bathroom to change my pad. I wrapped up my old pad in some toilet paper and threw it away. The next day at school my friend said her mom was going through the trash (I guess this was something her mom did) and she found the wrapped-up bloody pad and was angry about it. My friend who was also another girl got in trouble for it because her mom thought it was hers. This was 15 years ago and I’m still so freaking confused by it. u/DontpunchDonkeys

10. The mystery of the robe and slippers.

I have a job that involves going into people's homes. I had an inspection once at the house where the homeowners insisted that I put on this light blue bathrobe (over my clothes) and white slippers to enter their home. The husband, wife, and adult daughter who lived with them were all wearing the same blue bathrobes. This was in the US Midwe just a “typical” American midwestern family so it wasn’t even like a cultural thing that I was unaware of. I still wonder to this day if they were messing with me. u/9JeepsLater