18 former rich kids share the embarrassing moment they realized they were privileged.

Growing up in a massive mansion with a pool staff, lawn staff, or multiple nannies can make you say deeply unrelatable things like, 'so...where does everyone summer?'

Wait...so you're telling me that it's 'privileged' to have Thanksgiving dinner completely catered? So, when a Reddit user asked, 'People who grew up rich, what did you think was normal until you learned otherwise?' former spoiled brats and privileged kids everywhere were ready to share the story of their biggest reality slap. No, not everyone gets to fly on a private plane with cashmere-upholstered seats and unlimited jars of candy.

1.

My parents divorced and remarried when I was young, so I essentially grew up in two households with two sets of parents. My dad owned a private jet that he'd use for our family trips and visits and my step dad was a pilot in his free time, and he also owned a plane. So I naturally assumed everyone else's parents also owned a plane and could take off whenever they'd please. I also assumed every kid had their own pony or horses because my dad would buy me one every year. Naw, turns out I was a sheltered brat. - minusthelela

2.

I always knew there were really poor people because my parents have always done a lot of charity, but it took me a while to realize that the middle class exists. It sounds stupid when I put it that way, but it simply didn't click that just because someone has a relatively nice house and doesn't need charity to survive, that doesn't mean they can take two months to do an unpaid internship in a foreign city (a fact which was rightfully but still bitterly thrown in my face by a friend). - [deleted]

3.

I read through a fair bit of these and tried to list things not already listed.

Parents that are always home because they don't need to work.

Trips across the country every weekend so your parents could go SCCA racing (I'd been to 48 states by 7, I think).

Multiple garages (my parents have 8-cars worth of garage space).

Getting a job is difficult. I made a point to get a job on my own, but I'm entirely sure I could have gotten one with a single phone call and wearing a suit. Probably making more money than I do now, too...

Having a room for each activity in the house. Pool/ping pong room, drum/guitar room, etc.

Having lots of land to do whatever you wanted in. Primarily for dirt-biking.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN SOME PEOPLE DON'T HAVE DIRT-BIKES AND 4-WHEELERS AND GO-KARTS?!

I thought having to share a run-way with 5 other houses was pretty normal. Learned later it is definitely not, and is still a private runway. - [deleted]

4.

My best friend once went to the store with a $20 bill to get a 2L bottle of pop and was worried she wouldn't have enough. I had to show her how to use my toaster (its a regular toaster where you push down), and she had never had mac and cheese before in her life. Once, I had corndogs in my freezer and she wanted one, so I told her could make one. She ended up having to get me to put it in the microwave for her because she had no idea what to do. - [deleted]

5.

I grew up in the wealthiest town in my state despite being very middle class. We lived on the outskirts of town because the school system there was great so my parents scraped by to live there. My friends all literally live In McMansions and have multiple houses, maids, expensive hobbies, etc. My friend one time asked me why I never posted vacation pictures on Facebook and i said 'because my parents can't afford vacations.'

The look on her face was complete confusion. Like she literally could not fathom not having money. She asked what I meant, and i explained that my parents didn't have the money for that. She just kind of said 'oh....huh' but didn't seem to really wrap her head around it - Bright_Eyes10

6.

Traveling abroad on extravagant vacations in only 5 star resorts. By the time I was 5, I had been to 5/7 continents and didn't realize how odd that was. - moovie11

7.

I'm embarrassed to admit didn't realize that 'not being able to afford college' was a thing until about high school. I thought my family was about average growing up though my family makes over 100k because I went to a private school that was mostly insanely rich people. I also couldn't understand why people didn't shop at Whole Foods. - diffyqgirl

8.

I didn't know anyone that lived in an apartment until my late teens. I knew apartments existed but I assumed that people owned them like they would own a house. - jess__r

9.

I grew up upper middle class so we didn't go nuts but could afford everything we needed. I saw a commercial about low income dental care and it started with someone talking about how they just can't afford it. I laughed, thinking it was a joke, like who can't afford the dentist?

Turns out a crapton of people. Humbled. I also thought everyone's grandma gave them $100 for their birthday. Guess that only happens when Granny has 2 grandkids and a lot of income from her orchard. - rahyveshachr

10.

A good friend of mine from college grew up with money. Lots of money. He ended up coming with me to go grocery shopping one time and was horrified that I was getting store brand items. He said that he had never had or heard of such a thing. - ar133

11.

I dated a guy whose family owned horses and had more cars than they could count. Neither him or his family were snobby. I was raised on a budget, my brother and I had a single mother. I went to a Goodwill to look for some stuff and found something I thought my BF would like. I texted him and he responded: 'What is a goodwill?' - [deleted]

12.

That not everyone went on holidays to five star hotels every couple of months. I also thought until I was 10 that virtually everyone owned an overseas holiday home. I remember asking my friend where he went on holidays and he was like 'well I only go away every couple of years,' to which I said 'but what do you do with your abroad house if you're only visiting it every few years?' That day really stunned me I must say - thetoiletman1104

13.

What I didn't realize until I was older was that most people don't have the safety net of 'being well-connected' that wealthy people have. Just by virtue of where I grew up, there are probably 25+ people I could call who would either outright give me a good job or get me in for an interview that I'd have to fuck up to not get the job. - volkl47

14.

The concept of sharing a bathroom was foreign to me. I mean, my parents did, but they had 2 sinks, a shower with 2 heads, and they slept in the same bed so naturally they shared a bathroom, but both my sisters and I had separate bathrooms. What a blessing that was - PKMNtrainerKing

15.

My fiancé was telling me a story about the 'exchange students' that lived with them and how they were so nice and would help take care of the house. I asked him why his exchange students stayed with them for so long, when all my high school exchange student friends had only stayed for a semester. It was at that moment he realized that he grew up with Swiss nannies. - CiegoTigre

16.

Embarrassingly, it took me a couple years of college to figure out that A. Not everyone's parents paid for their school and apartment and car and bills.

B. That some people had had bad high school experiences and that public schools were really a thing. I had no frame of reference.

C. that I had gotten extremely special treatment on my handful of run ins with the law. I honest to god thought cops were just cool guys who wouldn't bust you for drugs or dui unless you killed someone. I no longer have my head in my ass but it quite the awakening. - [deleted]

17.

Always had maids. I'm in my mid twenties now traveling for work. I was sweeping and I got frustrated and complained to my boyfriend that the dust keeps coming back. And he said, that's what happens, you have to sweep every week.

I also have never thought about laundry or dealt with it and it's way harder than I thought. I switched to an all black wardrobe because I got tired of my expensive clothes getting ruined. - smellyllamala

18.

Any hobby I wanted to start as a child my family would procure the materials within a week. Painting, archery, flying lessons, water skiing (the skis, not a boat) and so on. Anything I wanted to try my parents would make sure I got the opportunity. It took me a while to realize what an incredible gift that was. - MajorMustard