November 20, 2025 at 8:21 am

Mother Asked Her Grade-School Son To Line Up The Pairs Of Shoes By The Door, And He Took The Instructions A Little Too Literally

by Heide Lazaro

4 pairs of white shoes arranged properly

Freepik/Reddit

Kids have a special talent for following directions.

But sometimes, not the way you expect.

This woman asked her young son to tidy up the messy pile of shoes by their garage door.

He proudly completed the task, but it wasn’t in the way she imagined.

Check out the full story below for all the details.

Asked kid to line up shoes

There were 6 to 7 shoes jumbled by the door.

I asked my son (elementary school) to line them up.

We also happen to have a box for “extra” shoes right there.

So obviously, he lined up the shoes.

This mom is now happy that their shoes are lined up properly.

The shoes are now lined up beautifully… 3 pairs deep.

This particular row of shoes is tucked along the side of a high traffic area right inside our garage door.

So while the original 6 to 7 jumbled pairs of shoes fit fine, I now have 3 rows of beautifully lined up shoes jutting out into the pathway.

He did what she said just not the way she pictured it.

Let’s see how others on Reddit reacted to this story.

Lol. Pun intended.

Screenshot 2025 10 27 at 11.29.02 PM Mother Asked Her Grade School Son To Line Up The Pairs Of Shoes By The Door, And He Took The Instructions A Little Too Literally

Here’s another comment.

Screenshot 2025 10 27 at 11.29.13 PM Mother Asked Her Grade School Son To Line Up The Pairs Of Shoes By The Door, And He Took The Instructions A Little Too Literally

He did what he was asked, says this user.

Screenshot 2025 10 27 at 11.29.28 PM Mother Asked Her Grade School Son To Line Up The Pairs Of Shoes By The Door, And He Took The Instructions A Little Too Literally

Finally, this person is confused.

Screenshot 2025 10 27 at 11.30.00 PM Mother Asked Her Grade School Son To Line Up The Pairs Of Shoes By The Door, And He Took The Instructions A Little Too Literally

If you want to be taken literally, ask a kid to do it.

If you liked that post, check this one about a guy who got revenge on his condo by making his own Christmas light rules.