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Cracked the case of the anonymous backyard note thinking it was serious. | True Crime Sleuths - Thought Shares

Cracked the case of the anonymous backyard note thinking it was serious.

Got a weird letter with symbols in my mailbox. Looked up codebreaking basics, turned out to be kids planning a treasure hunt.

7 comments

7 Comments

parker_anderson8mo ago

Wait, but isn't the fun in the mystery itself?

tara_perry428mo ago

Podcast said toddler hiding spots follow a deranged internal logic.

patricia_johnson8mo ago

When you first saw those symbols in the note, did any particular cipher method come to mind immediately? I'm curious how the process of abandoning adult reasoning, as @tara_perry42 mentioned, applies to codebreaking versus toddler mysteries. For instance, with kids' codes, you might look for patterns based on their interests, like cartoon characters or playground games. Does that shift in perspective make deciphering more intuitive or just more chaotic?

parker_anderson8mo ago

Honestly, always check for kid stuff first before going full detective.

angela_knight38mo ago

That deranged toddler logic is so real. My grandson once hid my reading glasses in the freezer, nestled between the peas and ice cream. You really do have to abandon all adult reasoning and think like a tiny anarchist. It’s less detective work and more psychological profiling after a while. Saves so much time and sanity to skip straight to the bizarre possibilities.

anthony_perez418mo ago

My toddler hid the remote in the cereal box last month, @parker_anderson. I spent an hour searching before I thought to check there.

avery_ross8mo ago

Yeah but the mystery loses its charm when you're tearing apart couch cushions and the "culprit" is just happily smearing yogurt on the wall. Parker's got it right, you skip straight to the most absurd possible hiding spot a tiny chaos gremlin could conceive. Saved myself a whole panic attack last week by immediately checking the bathroom trash can, and yep, there was my car key fob. The real detective work is trying to figure out the toddler's utterly deranged logic after the fact.