11 Bizarre Beliefs from 60 Years Ago Our Grandparents Swore Were True

11 Bizarre Beliefs from 60 Years Ago Our Grandparents Swore Were True

Back in the 1960s, people believed all sorts of strange things that sound pretty silly today. Your grandparents might have grown up hearing these ideas from their parents, teachers, and even doctors!

Some of these beliefs were based on old traditions, while others came from misunderstanding how the world really works. Reading about what people used to think can help us appreciate how much we’ve learned since then.

1. Swimming After Eating Causes Cramps

Parents in the 1960s made kids wait at least 30 minutes after eating before jumping back in the pool. They were convinced that swimming on a full stomach would cause terrible cramps that could lead to drowning. This fear was so widespread that it became a strict rule at public pools and summer camps everywhere.

The truth is that eating before swimming might make you feel a bit sluggish, but it won’t cause dangerous cramps. Your body can handle digesting food and swimming at the same time without any real problems. Lifeguards today know this belief was just an old wives’ tale passed down through generations.

2. Reading in Dim Light Ruins Your Eyes

For decades, parents warned that reading in poor light would ruin their kids’ eyesight. Children sneaking books under the covers with a flashlight often got stern lectures, making this one of the most common warnings in American households.

While reading in poor light can cause temporary eye strain, headaches, and tiredness, it doesn’t cause lasting damage to your vision. Your eyes might feel uncomfortable and tired, but they’ll recover once you rest them or turn on a proper light. Modern eye doctors confirm this old belief was based on worry rather than medical facts.

3. Going Outside With Wet Hair Makes You Sick

Cold weather combined with damp hair was considered a guaranteed recipe for catching a cold or flu. Mothers chased their kids around with hairdryers, refusing to let anyone step outside until their hair was completely dry. This belief was especially strong during winter months when everyone seemed to be sniffling.

Colds and flu are caused by viruses, not by being cold or having wet hair. You can only catch these illnesses by coming into contact with someone who’s already sick. Being chilly might make you uncomfortable, but it won’t give you a virus unless you’re exposed to one through germs.

4. Swallowed Gum Stays in Your Stomach for Seven Years

Swallowing gum used to come with a seven-year warning. Children panicked thinking it would linger like cement in their stomachs, a myth parents and teachers spread to discourage gum chewing.

Your digestive system is actually quite efficient at moving things through, even substances it can’t break down completely. Swallowed gum passes through your body within a few days, just like most other foods. While you shouldn’t make a habit of swallowing gum, doing so occasionally won’t hurt you.

5. Shaving Makes Hair Grow Back Thicker

Teenage girls were often discouraged from shaving because adults insisted it would make their hair grow back darker, coarser, and more noticeable than before. This belief caused a lot of confusion and worry among young people trying to figure out grooming habits. Many thought once they started shaving, they’d be stuck doing it forever with increasingly stubborn hair.

Shaving only cuts hair at the surface of your skin and doesn’t affect the root or how it grows. The blunt edge created by shaving might feel stubbier than natural tapered hair, creating an illusion of thickness. Your hair’s texture, color, and growth rate are determined by genetics, not by razors.

6. Eating Carrots Gives You Night Vision

To get kids to finish their carrots, parents claimed they’d gain night vision. Popular from World War II through the 1960s, this myth had children dreaming of navigating in the dark like superheroes.

Carrots do contain vitamin A, which is important for maintaining healthy vision and preventing night blindness in people with deficiencies. However, eating extra carrots won’t give you special powers to see in complete darkness. This myth was actually spread by British propaganda during WWII to hide their radar technology from enemies.

7. Touching Toads Causes Warts

Children were warned to never touch toads or frogs because the bumpy creatures would give them warts all over their hands. This belief made kids terrified of these harmless amphibians during nature walks and backyard adventures. Many people avoided touching anything that looked remotely toad-like, convinced the warts would appear overnight.

Warts are actually caused by the human papillomavirus, which spreads from person to person through direct contact or shared surfaces. Toads and frogs can’t give you warts because they don’t carry this virus. Their bumpy skin is just their natural texture and completely harmless to touch, though you should always wash your hands after handling any animal.

8. Sitting Too Close to the TV Damages Your Eyes

“Sit back from the TV!” was a familiar command in homes across the country. Parents were convinced that sitting too close could damage eyesight, sometimes marking the floor to enforce it.

Early televisions from the 1960s did emit small amounts of radiation, which sparked this concern, but modern TVs are completely safe. Sitting close might cause temporary eye fatigue or headaches, but it won’t damage your vision long-term. Kids who sit close to screens often do so because they already have vision problems and need glasses, not the other way around.

9. Lightning Never Strikes the Same Place Twice

People genuinely believed that once lightning hit a particular spot, it would never strike there again, as if nature kept a detailed record. This led to some dangerous assumptions about safety during thunderstorms. Folks thought if their barn or tree had already been struck, they were somehow protected from future strikes.

Lightning absolutely can and does strike the same place multiple times, especially tall structures that attract electrical charges. The Empire State Building gets hit about 25 times per year on average. During storms, lightning follows the path of least resistance to the ground, which means prominent objects face repeated strikes throughout their existence.

10. Sugar Makes Kids Hyperactive

Every birthday and holiday came with the caution that sugar would unleash wild energy in kids. Parents blamed every outburst on candy, and it affected how families structured events and treats.

Multiple scientific studies have found no direct link between sugar consumption and hyperactivity in children. The excitement kids show at parties comes from the fun environment, games, and social interaction, not the cake. What looks like a sugar rush is usually just normal childhood enthusiasm combined with staying up past bedtime and overstimulation from activities.

11. Crossing Your Eyes Makes Them Stuck That Way

Making silly faces by crossing your eyes was met with immediate warnings that your face would freeze in that position forever. Parents insisted that if you held the expression too long, your eye muscles would lock up permanently. This threat was used to stop kids from goofing around, especially during family photos or church services.

Your eye muscles are controlled by your nervous system and will always return to their normal position once you relax them. Crossing your eyes is just a temporary muscle movement, no different from making any other facial expression. While doing it excessively might cause temporary tiredness or discomfort, your eyes will never actually get stuck in a crossed position.