The strangest thing can strike fear into the heart of a child with a vivid imagination.
As proven by a lively discussion on the Mumsnet parenting forum, which saw mothers describe the fears that plagued them as children.
And rather than common-or-garden phobias like being afraid of the dark, or of monsters living under the bed, mums confessed to being terrified of everything from a wardrobe to the vacuum cleaner.
Mumsnet users confided in each other over the fears they battled as children which stemmed from ordinary things (file image)
The thread began after a user shared their fear of toilet seats, lifts and anything shoes related
A user, posting under the handle Wanderings, revealed everyday objects could cause her nightmares as a child, listing toilets with the seat up, lifts, and even wearing sandals as sources of terror.
Many fellow mums agreed they had shared her fear of flushing toilets.
Others told how everything from a wardrobe to the moon to a man with a beard could give them the creeps.
Some people shared a common fear of the toilet flushing and admitted they were so scared that they would run away before it had a chance to finish
Wardrobes proved to be a surprisingly common fear.
One Mumsnet user confessed to having shouted for help as a result of their overwhelming fear of their dark wood wardrobe.
Another found their grandmother’s wardrobe especially terrifying.
Other adults revealed how a trip to their grandmothers home installed fear in them as their imagination conjured up people from the appearance of a wardrobe or hair dryer
Outside the home many had sensed an impending doom caused by the sight of tall buildings, car washes or bridges.
One person told how they were haunted by the presence of a street lamp outside their bedroom window.
The user said: ‘I used to call him Billy Wind. The lord alone knows where I got that from. I was petrified of it’.
Cleaning appliances such as vacuums were as much feared as tall buildings and bridges
For some people the fear of drains both at home and in public pools had stayed with them beyond childhood as they remained afraid by the possibility that they could be sucked in
