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Kids are far more clever than we give them credit for. We should know, we used to be kids ourselves! Their imaginations are in overdrive, their wittiness is off the charts, and they have their ‘snappy comebacks’ levels set all the way to 11.

Today we’re featuring the times that kids outsmarted their parents with some hilarious and genuinely impressive power moves, as shared on the r/madlads subreddit.

Scroll down, upvote your fave posts, and let us know in the comments which of these made you giggle the most. And be sure to read on for Bored Panda’s chat about parenting and how kids like to test limits with relationship expert Dan Bacon, a loving father of two.

Oh, and if any of you Pandas reading this are parents, we would absolutely love it if you’d share your own fun experiences raising your kids.

#1

9 Year Olds Being Absolute Madlads

9 Year Olds Being Absolute Madlads

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Relationship expert and father of two Dan explained to Bored Panda what the right balance should be between strictness and fun when it comes to raising kids. According to him, patience is key. As is the understanding that children love to see what they can get away with doing.

“In order to be good, functioning citizens of a society, children do need to be shown what is good and what is bad. However, you have to remember that a child is a clean slate and is effectively innocent,” he said.

#3

Not Sure If This Counts But Madlad Strikes At His Mom?

Not Sure If This Counts But Madlad Strikes At His Mom?

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According to Dan, kids are constantly testing boundaries and checking to see what their parents will and will not allow them to do at home.

“The child will often say and do things that could make you angry if you don’t understand that he/she is simply testing to see what is okay or not, or what the limits are. Without testing, the child will just sit there, be quiet and do nothing, which isn’t going to happen,” Dan explained.

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#6

D E S T R O Y E D

D E S T R O Y E D

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Caro Caro
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sam is very smart and I guess Tyler stomped off to his/her room.

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“The child wants to explore the world around it and see what he/she can and cannot do. The child will also regularly forget what is right or wrong at times, or remember that something is wrong, but do it again anyway to see if you have a different response this time,” the dad of two pointed out what parents should be aware of.

“By doing it again, the child often shows you that it doesn’t need to follow a particular rule because the rule was too strict, or unnecessary, which then results in you changing and allowing the child to do it from then on,” he said.

#7

Mothers Children Are Absolute Madmen. Out Of Control

Mothers Children Are Absolute Madmen. Out Of Control

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Kanuli
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would have made sure to make stomping sounds every time to make them think you broke them :)

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#8

This Little Mad Lad's On A Mission

This Little Mad Lad's On A Mission

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“So, you need to be patient as the child grows up and figures out how to behave and approach life in a way that suits you and himself/herself. One way to think about expecting a child to change or follow your orders is to remember how long it can take you to change a certain behavior as an adult,” Dan mused.

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“Sometimes it can take weeks or months for you to stop a habit, change a behavior or take on a new behavior that people are asking of you, so you shouldn’t expect a child to change everything overnight and be completely obedient to every new rule you come up with," he said.

#10

You Cant Speak Chinese Here

You Cant Speak Chinese Here

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#12

Absolute Mad Lad Dad

Absolute Mad Lad Dad

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"You have to love patiently, otherwise being a parent will make you feel stressed all the way through the child’s life," Dan said.

Some of us honestly think we peaked in terms of humor and wit and creativity when we were kids (and it was all downhill from there!). So it’s no wonder that we’ve been trying to recapture some of that magic. One of the ways to do it is to remind yourself what it actually means to be a child: speaking boldly and without a filter, setting our imaginations loose, and finding interesting ways of looking at the world.

#13

What A Legend

What A Legend

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MauKini
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I met a creepy nyc lawyer. He wanted to buy the bra I was wearing for 50 dollars. I said no. He gave me 100 Dollars becaus he admired that i wouldnt sell him my brad. One of the weirdest moments in my life. (I was with a friend during the day at an bowlingalley.)

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#15

Little Miss Madlass

Little Miss Madlass

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Recently, Bored Panda went in-depth about how clever kids can be. Comedy writer and single mom Ariane Sherine said kids take after their parents in terms of wit, sense of humor, and creativity.

“Both I and my daughter’s dad work in the media, and from an early age, she’s wanted to be a pop star, writer, and actor. I don’t know how much of her creativity was influenced by seeing her dad’s writing in the newspaper and seeing me go out late to perform at musical comedy gigs. She definitely has creative talents, but how much of that is nature or nurture I don’t know. As for sense of humor, she’s far more sassy and sarcastic than me, so I think her sharp wit is all her own!” she told Bored Panda.

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“My daughter loves starring in my social media posts. She actually asks me to tweet about her! When she does something cool or impressive like skateboarding or graffiti writing, she asks, ‘Can you put it on Twitter?!’ Then she loves to read the comments. I guess some kids are more shy and retiring, but I like the fact that mine is confident and happy to show the world her talents,” she said.

#19

Mad Student

Mad Student

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Ozacoter
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A kid wants to drink water or go to the toilet. School: "Not on my watch!"

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Ariane told Bored Panda that she is a very liberal mom because she had very strict parents herself.

“I think being liberal encourages creativity as it gives kids the confidence to express themselves fully, and my daughter is usually very sweet-natured and well-behaved. She’s also a lot of fun, while I didn’t dare to be fun in such a strict environment when I was a kid, so I’m really pleased that I’m giving her a happier and freer upbringing.”

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#23

Madlad's Mom Has Got It Going On

Madlad's Mom Has Got It Going On

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#27

Mad Dad And Mad Lad Jr

Mad Dad And Mad Lad Jr

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Evil Hornet
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One got grounded, one was banned from bedroom but it was still worth it! :D

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#28

Child Mad Lad

Child Mad Lad

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cybermerlin2000
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah, we're an enlightened bunch when we were kids. I drank a 500ml bottle of Hai Karate aftershave because my brothers and I wanted to know if it made my farts smell better. Just for the curious: Farts could still peel the skin off the back of your eyeballs at 20 meters, and you get weird hallucinations, but at least the nurses in the hospital saw the funny side

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#29

He Did It

He Did It

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Nicky
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You were likely suspended for 2 days for accessing the school system, and 5 days for the joke.

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#31

Absolute Madlad In The Comments

Absolute Madlad In The Comments

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Luther von Wolfen
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When my kid was five or so, they told me they would never get tattoos. I assume that having heavily tattooed parents has this effect on many kids.

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#36

How To Scare The S**t Out Of Your Siblings 101

How To Scare The S**t Out Of Your Siblings 101

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#38

Child Mad Lad

Child Mad Lad

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#42

Madlad Kids

Madlad Kids

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Lilyan
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I used to live near a David Stone Lawyer with a rather large sign out front of the offices, every second week the sign would be changed the 'avid StoneDLawyer' - it gave me the childish giggles every time.

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#43

Once A Madlad Was 7 Years Old

Once A Madlad Was 7 Years Old

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#44

Mad Lad Child

Mad Lad Child

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Sasha Grace
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Australia we say "step on a crack, break your mothers back; step on a line, break your fathers spine"... we're equal-opportunists!

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#45

Madlad Son

Madlad Son

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#47

This Lad Has Zero Chill

This Lad Has Zero Chill

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#49

The Dedication Of This Mad Lad Nephew

The Dedication Of This Mad Lad Nephew

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Mistralok
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"My half was on the bottom". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aj8uw71Pf4w

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#50

Son Is A Madlad

Son Is A Madlad

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Helenium
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Anyone remember the meth head attack squirrel called deez nutz. Wonder how he’s going

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Note: this post originally had 83 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.