"Being a parent is tough." We've all heard it, but realize what it really means only later in life. Either when we grow up or when we have some little ones of our own. We finally understand the sacrifices they make, the sleepless nights, the worrying, the amount of patience that one needs to have to raise a child.
But sometimes parenting can be just absurdly comical. Kids sometimes really do the darndest things. In these situations, you don't know whether to laugh or cry. Bored Panda has scoured the vast sea of parenting content to bring you this list. These parents may not be having the best day, but they may certainly lighten up yours.
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Mom Rage Aside, We Made A Memory, Right? And Had A Laugh
A Very Slow Flushing Toilet Led To My Discovery Of The Most Ironic Toilet Clog. Kids Are Stupid
Yeah, That's What It Translates To In Kid Talk
We named this list "Parenting Failures", but it's more about the realities of being a parent than the failures. It's important to know the difference between rough patches every parent feels and actual parental failure. Ashley Hudson LMFT explains that difference on her blog.
"Parental failure is when a parent causes significant trauma and/or physical or emotional damage to their child through their parenting style," she writes. "This could be in the form of abuse, neglect, abandonment, and/or when parents are involved in substances or violence that is affecting their parenting."
I’m Sorry. They Are Spectacular
My niece recently had a huge melt down because her brother gave their mom a high five. Apparently she's the only one who's allowed to do that. :)
It’s Always Mom. Dad Is For When Mom Says No
Rookie mistake; never leave the chance this wide open for a kid to insert some brutality.
That Is Triggering
What most parents mean when they say they think they're failing as parents is just stress and weariness talking. Hudson writes that it's a response to a stressful event, several days, weeks or months. True parental failure has serious long-term repercussions for the child.
But Seriously
My Kid Eats The Entire Pint Of Ice Cream And Then Fills It With Water And Freezes It To Make Me Think I Had A Nice Treat To Enjoy At Night
Kid Drew All Over My Mom’s Ralph Lauren Purse
One of the reasons parents feel this way is because they feel too much pressure. Either from the outside or from themselves. Tia Slightham, M Ed. and Parenting Coach writes that parents desperately want to feel they are enough. Not messing up their kids, doing the right things as a parent. But the truth is, according to her, "if you love your kids, you're trying your best and you keep trying to learn," that's enough.
Like Being Unreal Isn't A Full-Time Job Already
My preteen and I are reading a book series where dragons are the main characters. It gets pretty violent, and since this was the first time we'd read a violent thing together, I tried to reason "Well they ARE dragons, not humans, so it's less of an issue because dragons are naturally going to be violent creatures." My kid side-eyed me and stated "Yeah, but it was written by a human, and the dragons all act and think like humans, so it's REALLY not that different, mom." ... ok... fine, be all logical. it's a really good series and we've both been enjoying them.
My Kids Just Told Me They’ve Been Putting Fruit Stickers Under Our Kitchen Cabinet For Six Years
Bro Thought The Toy Was Identical
Ashley Hudson narrows down the things that might make one feel like a failing parent. Most parents, according to her, feel they have too little patience while disciplining. Others panic when they don't feel control over tantrums, rebellions and defiant behavior. First-time parents have it the worst – they simply haven't had the experience.
I Find Parenting Involves A Lot Of Saying “Don’t Laugh, Don’t Laugh” Or “Damn, That Was A Good Try” But Remembering To Keep My “Adult” Face On
I Just Didn’t Think It Could Get This Awful
I Have No Idea How Mad I Should Be
A Certified Positive Discipline Educator and Life Coach for Parents Adrienne Bishop writes that these feelings of failure also stem from the fact that parents have no control over kids. "The fact is, our children have agency, which means they have the ability to make their own choices. No matter what you want your child to do, they ultimately have the final say."
My Kid’s End-Of-Year Open House. My Wife And I Are The Oldest Parents In Her Class, At 39. Thanks For Making Us Feel Good Kid
Last 3 answers tell you that you're doing a great. Forget that he thinks you're 80, lol.
Left The Kid For A Minute
why on gods green earth would you leave a child unattended in a medical exam room ? I see at least 4 ways the kid could off themselves just from this picture alone.
My 8-Year-Old Is Going To Grandma's Place. I Told Him To Dress Nice And Hurry Up Because He's Going To Church With Them. I Didn't See How He Left The House... My Mom Just Sent Me This Pic
Bishop writes that when parents think they're failing, they're blaming themselves for their kids' actions. "We try to control our kids’ behavior in order for us to feel better," she claims. "But since it is impossible to control others' behavior, we consistently struggle to feel good, and to not feel like failures, and then as a result we give our power over to our kids and become their victims."
Didn't Get A Picture Of The 25-30 Pounds Of Rice He Evenly Spread All Over The Kitchen Floor The Other Day, But Checked Up On Him Half Way Through Disney's Cars 2 To Find This
TIL that parents exist who do not child lock their cabinets or leave them alone with stuff - and are still surprised with this outcome ...
Sounds Normal Enough
I had to run away from a toddler and hide the lavender baby lotion on the top shelf of the coat closet after every bath to keep him from eating it all. He has just started not to leave CK any extra lotion off her s hands at 7
Don’t Let Your Kids Run Free In Bulk Barn
The educator recommends redirecting thoughts since they are one thing parents can control. Instead of thinking "I have failed my child" or "She will always eat this way" try to think: "I am learning how to help my child make better food choices." Bishop writes: "After I work on changing my thoughts, I can start taking steps to set limits and expectations from a place of acceptance and peace and not blame or overwhelm."
“I Don’t Want Anymore, Dad”
My Wife Had To Write A Not-Sick Note For School
Ok but like one time I was horsing around too much one morning w my dad, and he was playfully holding me against the wall, but I told the school he slammed me into the wall and they sent someone to interview him. My stupid a*s almost had him lose custody of us
My 2-Year-Old Son Made A Puzzle For Me
Tia Slightham has some simple, down-to-earth recommendations for struggling parents. The first one is to get enough sleep. Try going to bed just a few minutes earlier each night. She writes that without enough sleep it's easier to give in to bad thoughts and frustration. You're truly not you when you're tired.
Really Son?
Ok, But I've Done That Too
One Of My Adult Kids Left This In The Fridge
Secondly, Slightham advises to learn to walk away. Parents can avoid unwanted outbursts of anger and frustration if they try counting to ten. "Learn from your mistakes and next time try your best to walk away before you open your mouth and yell, give empty threats or say something you regret," she writes in her blog.
What A Preamble
Same Daughter Who Laughed At Idiot Kids On TikTok Cutting Bangs And Crying… Cut Her Bangs Just Now. And Cried. And Cried
every day is a school day, it's just that some lessons are remembered for ever.
My Daughter, Ladies And Gentlemen
Her last tip is to document one good thing you did each day – doesn't matter how small. "Maybe you and your child had an amazing snuggle and book time before bed. You were able to connect during a board game. You kindly asked your child to brush their teeth instead of harping them." Slightham lists all these strategies as examples.
My Wife's Stationary Bike Just Became A Jellybean Dispenser
My 6-Year-Old Is Mad At Me
Ohhhh that had some BIG feelings behind it. Hope it's all worked out now!
This Is Your Reminder To Take Your Birth Control
We Can Just End This Topic Now... My Kid Just Took The Cake
The Kids Left The Remote On The Heater
How high do you have your heating on? If the radiators are glowing it’s time to turn down the thermostat
Consequences Of Oversleeping With A 4-Year-Old In The House
4 year olds should never be able to touch anything as pointy as those scissors. Lock that s**t up. * remembers horror story about young child cutting off her cat's whiskers; poor kitty was never the same *
Found Out My Son Has Been Stealing And Selling My Pokémon Cards
That's not okay no matter the age. Also how did he sell them without you noticing?
My 3-Year-Old Daughter Did This Today To My Favorite Thesaurus Which I Held Perfect For Almost 20 Years Since School
My 2 Preschoolers Just Did This To An Entire Bag Of Cable Ties
Could have been worse. At least they didn't zip one extra tight around a part of the anatomy of one or the other.
My Partner's Son Is A Monster
When My Kid Runs Out Of Toilet Paper, She Will Improvise
My Child’s Playroom 90 Seconds After I Finished Cleaning It Up
My Kid Was Driving While We Were Inside And My Other One Looks Out And Says: Dad, The Golf Cart Is Smoking
Without even knowing, what actually happened, this picture just shows a burning golf cart. Could have been a defect. That has nothing to do with bad parenting for now.
My Niece Stole My Sister's Phone, Hoping For A Feed
“Eating The Other Half Is Too Hard” - My Kid
It's not a waste if the parent finishes it. That's how I always knew I was getting my nutrition too.
Rest In Peace 140 Hz Monitor
If it's sharpie, you can just use an ethanol alchohol-based hand sanitizer to wipe it off. Worked at a book store where we'd get in orders of deep discount books the sellers thought ought to have a sharpie mark across the covers of. We'd used alchohol based hand santiizer because it was just strong enough to lift the all the ink without seriously drying our hands out like a rubbing alchohol would. Please don't throw out your monitor just because there's marker on it.
Toddler Is Mightier Than The TV
My brother wanted to join the Power Rangers once and he had this little Power Rangers sword and when the villain was onscreen he repeatedly whacked him and the screen broke. My brother is so powerful in the Power Rangers universe he accidentally destroyed reality.
My 4-Year-Old’s Work Of Art
I Told My 8-Year-Old To Put The Dryer Sheets Where All The Laundry Stuff Goes
I Love My 7-Year-Old Son, What I Don't Love Is Him Doing This To The Soap For The Past 4 Years
Seriously
Parenting Is Crowded Trips To The Bathroom. Who Needs Privacy Anyway?
My Kids Find It Hilarious To Leave Just One Of Whatever They Were Eating
My 6-Year-Old Kid Decided To Doodle On My New (To Me) Truck. With A Rock
My 15-Year-Old Son Decided To Move His Sister's Jeep Behind The Garage To Make Room For Another Vehicle, But He “Forgot” It Had No Brakes. So, This Happened To My Fence
I Fell Off The Toilet Last Night Thanks To A Bad Leg Spasm. I Have A Concussion And Had A Minor Brain Bleed. My Son Starts School In Two Days And I Have To Take For His First Day
Ok, But Where's My Spot?
My Son Bit The Directional Button Off The Remote
This Is Why You Don't Let 5-Year-Olds Near Your Phone
When my nephew was 3 , he put his mother's iPhone in the water. She didn't buy another iPhone again. Uses an Android phone with a cracked screen because you never know
Today Is The First Meetup Of My Son's Toddler Group. We Are Hosting And Out Of 8 Mothers 7 Canceled Like Half An Hour Before It Would Start. My Wife Just Sent Me This Picture
POV: You Finally Sit Down For Lunch After 1.5 Hours Of Trying To Get Your Toddler To Nap. You're Hungry, Shaky Hands Knock The Plate Off The Table. The Crash Wakes The Toddler
Nevermind the story behind the photo, what’s that black and yellow stuff on the plate?
I Just Realized My 4-Year-Old Let The Intrusive Thoughts Win
My Bag Of Trail Mix After The Wife And Kids Pick Out The Good Stuff
My Toddlers Have Bit The Fingers Off Woody And Now He’s Permanently Giving The Finger
Asked Step-Daughter To Fold Her Clean Laundry And She Threw It In The Trash Instead
Her problem - has to go to school in whatever clothes there are left...
My Son Was Fooling Around With The Cooking Spatula When He Lost Control And It Went Flying Across The Room Into My Monitor
And She Was So Proud Using The Meat Thermometer
I think it's hot enough. The meat, I mean. Oh, and the thermometer, too.
Left My Kids Alone For 5 Minutes. They Were Using This “Normally” And This Happened
I got one of these as a reward for working at my job for 15 years. When I opened the box, this is exactly how it looked.
My Roku Controller After I Said "No" To My Three-Year-Old
can't work out if this is aggressive aggressive or passive aggressive
Went Out To A Play Center On The Weekend. Asked My Daughter To Go Grab Some Aoli For Our Chips. This Is What She Comes Back With
My Kid Helped Me "Work" On The Car
He did some "adjustments" on the radiator, with a screwdriver. It's a good thing I had extra parts, but it was more work than I wanted for the day.
Our Daughter's Snake Got Stuck On Top Of Our Dishwasher. That Was Fun
I had a snake and my brother left her cage open… why did he even open it?? It took THREE DAYS!! TO FIND HER
The Kids Put My Wife's New Water Bottle In The Dishwasher. Turns Out It's Not Dishwasher-Safe
Toddler Bit Every Apple Slice
My brother heard someone say that the first bite of the apple is always the best. He ate one bite out of every apple.
Ah, The Joys Of Parenting
Pfft I wouldn't need KIDS to make this happen! I'm a whole grown adult who can dramatically spill all of the things all on my own!
My 3-Year-Old Son Decided To Microwave Our 3DS
All of these posts are pretty much parents telling us that a) they have no idea how to baby/child proof their house, b) they have no idea how to train their kids, and c) they probably would have been better off just not having kids.
My 6-Year-Old Begs Me To Play Minecraft With Him And Then Does This The Whole Time To See His Half Of The Screen Better
My Kid MacGyvered His Way To The Markers... Permanent Markers
Literally
nah its you, but its hard to look at your worst quality's yelling at you
My Kids Bought These Pretzels For Me For My Birthday Yesterday. I Haven't Had A Single One Yet
Toddler Is Angry Because His Sister Went To Camp
My 10-Year-Old Made Easy Mac And Now The Whole House Stinks
An Entire Bag Of Cumin That My Toddler Dumped
My Daughter Stepped In Chewing Gum And Then Sat With Her Shoes On The Car Seat
Husband Had Two Jobs: Put Toddler In Car Seat And Hand Him Tablet From Car's Roof. Guess, Which He Forgot?
The Way My Toddler Eats A Slice Of Bread Every Night Before Going To Bed Because “He’s Still Hungry”
My Kid Put Her Favorite Toy Down A Drainpipe
One of those grabber things attached to a 1/2 inch wooden dowel if the grabber isn't long enough. Use duct tape if necessary...
When You Leave The Room To Put Your Little Guy Down For A Nap, And Re-Entering It Makes You Feel Like You've Wandered Into A Landfill
My Son Left His New Stretchy Action Figure On The Arm Of The Couch For About An Hour. When He Picked It Up, It Had Left This Mark. That Was 2 Days Ago, I Think It’s Permanent
Try going over it with a WARM (not hot) iron, with a cloth between the iron and the couch arm.
Not Even The Combined Mind Of Two 11-Year-Olds Could Figure This One Out
To be honest, some of those carton designs could defeat a fully-equipped battalion of Seabees.
Son Has A Friend Over, They Go Outside With BB Guns. Five Seconds Later
Kid Is Grounded And Spray-Painted The Wall
Got It Last Night, I Never Liked Crayons
Hey Kids, Who Wants A One-A-Month Gummy Vitamin?
I Ordered These On Amazon For My Kid And They Sent Me Two Left Shoes
It's not their fault you got the wrong kind of kid for the shoes.
While My Family With Young Kids Were Staying At This Airbnb, An Old Man Walked Into The Backyard And Started Draining The Pool
Baby proofing is a myth. My sister thoroughly babyproofed her house. But even that didn't stop her child from getting a pair of (blunt) scissors, undoing the (childproof) lock on a power point, switching the power on, inserting the scissors into the live power point, and being thrown across the room by the jolt of electricity.
Load More Replies...
Sometimes I wish my children had been like this, active, experimental, willing to take risks, instead of what they were, clingy, mousy, quiet and pathetically eager to please. Then I see a thread like this and count my blessings. Far too many people blame parents and teachers for a child's behaviour, when the child is at fault.
Bored Panda: I'm never having children. I visit my sister's kids twice a year and that's enough for me. Also Bored Panda: These parents are horrific. How can they possibly raise children like this and put them in so much danger!!!11
Baby proofing is a myth. My sister thoroughly babyproofed her house. But even that didn't stop her child from getting a pair of (blunt) scissors, undoing the (childproof) lock on a power point, switching the power on, inserting the scissors into the live power point, and being thrown across the room by the jolt of electricity.
Load More Replies... Sometimes I wish my children had been like this, active, experimental, willing to take risks, instead of what they were, clingy, mousy, quiet and pathetically eager to please. Then I see a thread like this and count my blessings. Far too many people blame parents and teachers for a child's behaviour, when the child is at fault.
Bored Panda: I'm never having children. I visit my sister's kids twice a year and that's enough for me. Also Bored Panda: These parents are horrific. How can they possibly raise children like this and put them in so much danger!!!11
