Silly Things That Made Us Feel Safe as Kids in the '80s & '90s

Remember when simply leaving the kitchen stove light on somehow made the whole house feel safe?

Growing up in the '80s and '90s, we all had those little rituals and random comforts that convinced us monsters, burglars, and anything else lurking in the dark didn't stand a chance.

Looking back now, they make absolutely no sense... but somehow they worked.

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Here are some of the wonderfully weird things that gave an entire generation a little extra peace of mind at bedtime.

• Leaving the stove light on in the kitchen all night.
• The hallway light stays on until you fall asleep.
• Having a "nightlight" that was really just the bathroom light down the hall.
• Sleeping with every stuffed animal because one of them was secretly on monster patrol.
• Pulling the blankets over your head. Monsters couldn't get through cotton. Everyone knew that.
• Making a mad dash from the basement stairs because something was definitely chasing you.
• Your parents are saying, "I'll be downstairs if you need me."
• Seeing the VCR clock glowing 12:00 in the dark.
• The TV was accidentally left on after everyone went to bed.
• Falling asleep to late-night infomercials or the weather channel.
• The sound of your parents watching TV downstairs after your bedtime.
• Hearing your dad snoring from the next room.
• The family dog is sleeping at the foot of your bed.
• Having your bedroom door open exactly six inches. Too open was creepy. Too closed was suspicious.
• A dreamcatcher from the school book fair that you were convinced actually worked.
• Your glowworm is lighting up beside your pillow.
• A lava lamp is bubbling away in the corner.
• A Lite-Brite glowing just enough to scare away imaginary creatures.
• Sleeping with your favourite blanket that was held together by hope and loose threads.
• A "magic" rock, lucky coin, or special marble you kept beside your bed.
• Believing the family cat could see ghosts... but also believing it would fight them for you.
• The radio was quietly playing soft rock all night.
• Knowing your older sibling's room was nearby... even if they annoyed you all day.
• The little red power light on the TV.
• Your parents are checking under the bed, even though you already knew that's where the monsters lived.
• Saying "Goodnight" one extra time just to make sure everyone was still awake.
• The smell of fabric softener on freshly washed sheets.
• That one ceiling fan that somehow sounded reassuring instead of terrifying.
• A flashlight beside the bed that never had working batteries... but it was comforting anyway.
• Knowing Saturday morning cartoons are waiting for you tomorrow.
• Seeing the porch light still on when you looked out your bedroom window.
• Thinking burglars would never pick your house because your parents left a pair of giant work boots by the front door.
• Believing your blanket was an invisible force field as long as your feet stayed covered.
• Thinking the "Home Alone" traps you'd imagined would definitely stop any intruders.

😂 The funniest part? We thought a 40-watt kitchen light could defeat monsters... but somehow a completely dark basement at 2 p.m. still felt like the entrance to another dimension.