Many people—young and old—absolutely hate practical jokes and jumpscares; typically for a reason, be it simply not finding them amusing or having a personal experience that was disturbing at best.
This redditor’s son might grow up to be one of said people. When his 10-year-old sister suggested pranking him, the dad did not realize how big of a shock it would be for the child and how big of a fight with his wife it would put him in.
Seeking to learn more about how pranks can affect children, Bored Panda turned to the founder and director of the Child’s Play, Learning, and Development Lab, a professor in the School of Education at the University of Delaware, Dr. Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, who was kind enough to answer a few of our questions.
