30 Cartoons Illustrating What Being A Parent Is Really Like By Hedger Humor (New Pics)
Interview With ArtistParenthood requires a lot of energy and patience. I mean, to keep a little human being alive and happy equals the superpowers of a hero. And I'm not even talking about all the little struggles in between. Anyway, despite all the challenges that come along the way, being a parent is very rewarding. Otherwise, no one would ever want to become one!
Adrienne Hedger, the award-winning cartoonist behind the popular webcomic “Hedger Humor”, illustrates the laughter in everyday moments. She perfectly captures what daily life being a mom and a wife is really like. From childish whims to teenage philosophies, these funny comics will surely be familiar to parents around the world.
Check out the previous articles featuring more of Adrienne's comics by clicking here and here.
More info: Instagram | Facebook | hedgerhumor.com | twitter.com
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All of them! I have read sentences that just destroyed me they were so perfect. I read mostly bad horror/action but fit in a "classic" now and again. The book Tropic of Cancer by Miller has a few sentences that described me so well that they hurt to read, the protagonist's description of being numb to everything while everyone else seems to care about frivolity
My favorite sentence from my favorite book: "If I had cared to live, I would have died."
These are all my wife. Oh, the closet space we could have if not for the hundreds of books she isn't willing to part with. (And the bookshelves are full)
Middle left! I still fondly remember visiting a big Barnes & Noble in a mall and discovering the "living room" they had set up on the second floor. A fireplace, comfy EZ chairs, and a plush rug. There were even a couple of teens laying on the rug, idly enjoying the books they were reading. A really good atmosphere.
We got in touch with Adrienne to get to know more about her and her creative process. The artist has two teenage daughters and lives in California. She has been posting comics online since 2008, and under the name “Hedger Humor” since 2014.
When the silverware drawer is full, I know the kids cleaned their rooms.
this is me. EVERY TIME. I use the excuse "I'm simply freeing space up."
Stoichiometry is essentially the measuring of products and reactants in a reaction. (In case anyone was wondering)
I was, actually! You saved me a Google search :)
Load More Replies...I HATED stoichiometry. Didn't help our teacher was terrible. She was a chemist and not used to teaching and kept forgetting that we didn't know base knowledge that she had in her brain. And she never understood my questions either so I had to try to learn it myself. And I hate math. Whew
Stoichiometry, Introduction to Chemical Engineering. (literally balancing measures, aka what goes in must go out and you cannot get more out than you put in.)
I only remember stoichiometry as where I went wrong...I was passing all of my classes before that lol
The artist shared that ever since she was a kid, her favorite way to express herself was through drawings. "It was how I processed and understood the world. I would lie there on the ground with my pens and just fill notebook after notebook with comics and cartoon stories. Then in high school, I incorporated comics and cartoon drawings into my school essays. And I was constantly making comics and cards for friends and family. Looking back, I’ve always seen the world through a comic lens. Comics have been part of my life for as long as I can remember."
Why it is almost like they have made school something to be dreaded with overload of homework and overstuffed classes or something
School is exhausting Summer vacation is generally not so it makes sense.
If you don't want your kids waking you up at 5am, don't put them to bed at 8pm!
I don't think I've willingly woken up before 10 AM since I was 4 years old.
Woke 14 up 3 times this morning. Finally went in and flipped on the overhead light, bedside lamp, desk lamp, closest light, bathroom light, opened the blinds, and yanked of the comforter. Her older brother was so bad I just started spraying him in the face with a water bottle
And I really wish you'd said, "thank you for this sandwich." Just to clarify because I confused some people, what I was trying to say was a joke and I just skimmed over this and didn't read it well, sorry that's my bad.
Sigh. Yep, that's me and my husband, and every time the stupid sandwich already has Dijon mustard. First ingredient I pull out lol.
Ha, that's why my wife and I have added, "mustard or mayo it's (type of meat)?" after the first part... my answer is never mayo. So it's really just me not guessing it wrong.
In response to the question of where Adrienne gets inspiration for her comics, the artist replied that she is inspired by a few different things. Most of her comics come straight from her life. "For example, interactions with my family, my dog, my friends, and the world at large. I’m constantly taking notes about things that would make a good cartoon. I’m also inspired by comments that people post on my social media pages. I get new ideas by reading about other people’s funny experiences. From time to time, I will also partner with someone, like 'Abby Has Issues' or Simon Holland, and I will illustrate their tweets that make me laugh. Those partnerships are really fun."
Adrienne has admitted that when she was first starting to post cartoons, she worried that she would run out of ideas, but now she knows that will never happen. The key, according to the artist, is to pay attention to what’s happening around you—"even the frustrating things can be a funny cartoon later. Also, write your ideas down right away!"
No no no no no! The rule is that once you get to (age of your choice - my family uses 50) you turn around and start counting back down. It gets a good laugh when when your parents have a birthday that suddenly makes them younger than you and puts a bit of humor into the sad reality that, at some point, most of us will end up parenting our parents.
I honestly stopped counting after 29. I really don't know exactly how old I am without looking it up
I know the year I was born and I know the current year. Just math gets me to how old I am.
I'm giggling because in your profile pic, your head is pointing to my other left.
Load More Replies..."I’m constantly grateful and motivated to see that there are people who enjoy what I’m drawing. The work itself is solitary — I’m just here in my house, creating cartoons that I personally find amusing. So to see those cartoons resonate with other people is really fun. It makes me feel connected to others around the world. It’s still surprising to me that I’m posting cartoons and people are reading them. That seems so weird, but I’m happy it’s happening!"
It's because of stuff like this that I never even looked like myself in my school photos.
I just saw a post where a father took his son's picture when he told his son to smile vs when he made him actually smile by saying "poop!" And the difference was amazing. I think the photographers for school photos should adopt this technique.
Agreed! Gpa would tell us to say "hairy moose lips" or "fuzzy pickles". Works even now with my own kids
Load More Replies...no wait towards the left MY LEFT move back a bit wait smile a bit wider!!UGHHHH
I got to the point where I refused to buy pictures until I saw them.
😂 I look back at my school pictures and think, “Yeeeeeah, I was *not* photogenic back then.” I always felt like the photos were rushed- too rushed in spite of the situation calling for a faster pace of work!
i never smile but a small smile, reason is i dont like my smile, i think i look weird
Man, I'd much rather put clean dishes away than load/wash dirty ones. Putting clean ones away is much more satisfying for me, lol.
Load More Replies...I'm sooo hoping that my twins (1 3/4 years old) won't stop loving to help with the dishwasher and the laundry. I'm actually having to stop them when they want to hand me more clean things than I can put away at once. With the laundry, I just have to make a pile in front of the machine and they'll stuff everything inside. Please, let that enthusiasm stay!
Adrienne shared that working on the comics helps her stay sane. "When things happen that annoy me or frustrate me, I think, 'Wait, this is a comic!' And then my anger turns to excitement because now I have a new cartoon idea.
I also love reading other people’s comics. It makes me happy that there are so many people who communicate this way. And reading all these funny things always puts me in a better mood."
I had 2 dogs 1 took off but the other my mom used the hose and her shampoo on. Got home my 1st dog runs up sniffs his younger brother snorts and rolls him in the dirt as if to let him know boys shouldn't snell flowery.
Being a pet parent is very much this!! I love my pup and sometimes her behavior baffles me!
Last time my kid brother tried throwing a tantrum my mother and I both copied him. He gave us the biggest "WTF" looks and stopped.
My mum did that to my older cousin in the shops! She was having a tantrum because she wanted candy and so my mum got down and had a tantrum about wanting money. My cousin just stood up and walked away.
Load More Replies...I used to throw tantrums but getting on the ground and pretending my legs dont work and my parents would try to stand be back up abut id just fall back down screaming "STOP MY LEGSSS"
I had one that did this. Developed the technique after flinging herself back and smacking her head on the floor.
Adrienne never went to art school or had any formal training. According to her, she just started drawing and didn’t stop. "Over time, a style emerged and became more refined. I’m certainly not a great artist, but I'm really happy with how my cartoons look. I like the simple look, and I’ve worked really hard on drawing funny facial expressions. I still struggle to draw people who are sitting down. Getting the legs right is so difficult! If I draw people at a table, that table ALWAYS has a tablecloth. That way I don’t need to draw any legs. There is no world that has as many tablecloths as my little cartoon world."
My mom always told me if my dad gave me money to grab something from the store, never give him the change if he did ask, tell him I already gave it to him. My mom was the breadwinner and my dad was a drunk, so what she said went.
Load More Replies...My sister is way older than me. She used to make me wash her clothes. I didn't mind though because she used to always leave cash in her shirt and pants pockets and forget about it. Soon as the machine filled up it all came floating to the top and I would collect my fee 🤣
Couldn't you just... I don't know... Check the pockets first?
Load More Replies...The two right ones never happened to me, but the left ones definitely have
Omg why sensor it without basing it on context
Load More Replies...The last one is way more fun inverted. You stick your finger in your ear and then in the other person's mouth.
My brother would have broken my leg if he did the second one to me (just an fyi, he's 6'9 now, so he was always a massive kid)
The second one is me to my siblings I do it no matter what and they get so tired of it lol
The second one is me all the time to my siblings no matter what I do it and they get tired of it.
For those who are aspiring to become comic artists one day, Adrienne has some advice! "Definitely keep a running list of your ideas. Either in a notebook or on your phone, wherever it works for you. When I write down ideas, they are not always fully formed. This morning I wrote, 'Dogs adjusting to Daylight Saving Time.' I would still need to write the comic and figure out the humor, but at least I captured the idea when it popped into my head.
I’ve also found that it’s good to try different versions of a cartoon or comic (I use those words interchangeably). Sometimes I’ll sketch a four-panel comic, but then I’ll try it as a two-panel comic just to see if that’s funnier. I might even try a version as a one-panel comic. Sometimes the shorter something is, the funnier it is. There are several ways you can tell a joke, so try a few versions and you can figure out what’s best for that particular comic."
Funny, but I think there is a little bit of a stereotype here. As a 17yo who has had stupid teenager stereotypes (used?placed?) On him, despite the evidence that he does not fit those stereotypes, this kind of thing is what really upsets me with my parents.
they asked did you clean your room, and she said “i tried as hard as i could” which wasn’t that hard :)
Load More Replies...I like how it’s “me vs husband” and not “women vs men” it’s the little things y’all
if I was the girl then the only thing I will be choosing is my husband's shirt
I put my clothes to where i wear what i like the least to what i like to most. I barely ever wear the ones i like the most. I am pretty sure i have a shirt i haven't worn yet.
My 8 year old step-daughter decided , that the dress she "chose" was the wrong color or something on our way to a event . She demand her mom too turn around and let her get dressed again . mom said We are late as is , your fine ... Taking the dress off and throwing it out the window .. At least she was wearing under garments and a petticoat . Clever Mom , * no more fashion tantrums until 16 ...
Women have various styles from which to choose. Regular men have shirts and pants. And kilts. But progressive men who are comfortable wearing dresses will soon have your choice problem, too.
"If you can find someone to preview your cartoons, that’s helpful too. I often send my cartoons to my sister first, to get her input before I post them. She can tell me if anything is confusing or could be improved.
I used to draw comics just once or twice a week, but then I got into a phase where I was doing one every day. Once I started drawing that much, I saw my style noticeably improve. So if you can draw every day, that’s ideal.
As I was trying to get better at drawing, I would copy some of my favorite cartoonists—just to see how they drew characters and backgrounds. I would pick one of their comics and just draw it myself. It was really interesting to draw in someone else’s style, and it helped me improve my own style."
My dad use to do this with popcorn he would call it dad tax. Mom never did it. Lol
I do this when my kids ask me to open bags of chips or candy; i take a few pieces off the top lol
If my parents ever did this when i was younger i would just starve myself. Like idk man if i can't have anything around you without you trying to eat it I'd feel some kind of way
I would never do this. If I want a fudgesicle I'm gonna eat a whole one.
My mom literally did it 2 days ago for the first time to my little brother.
When your lips or tongue stick to a popsicle that's fresh out the freezer and you can't pull it off. (My dad yanked it off. My lip bled on his T-shirt. Sorry not sorry.)
I don't burn, but the rest I relate to. Particularly the chapstick one. I'm still feeling traumatized by my squeeze tube type chapstick exploding INTO my mouth back in late June. I was at a stoplight. The person next to me saw the whole thing and laughing so hard while I was spitting and cursing the universe and we both missed the light.
"Try not to lose your personal satisfaction and amusement with your own work. While it’s great to grow an audience and share your work, ultimately you want to create comics that you personally enjoy. Maybe they help you through tough times or serve as a diary of sorts, chronicling your life. It’s such a fun gift to be able to create your own little worlds through drawings."
No need to go in, you can smell the rotting food on all the plates that are missing
One year my sister and friend were bored so they looked up a list of things to do when you are bored. Number one was don't think about penguins. Do you realise how hard it is to not think about penguins? I still randomly find myself deliberately trying not to think about penguins and failing.
Adrienne shared that she has a monthly newsletter where she talks more about the comics, her inspiration, and other matters. People can sign up at her website!
Not funny but this is coming someday. I'd probably be laughing to knowing me and crying later. 🙄
And my Mom would be asking me what kind of cat food would I'd like for dinner...
I'll never have to deal with this. 1) I would go along with it (I had chickens, I can actually say what my dino's name was). 2) I won't need to do this cuz I'm never having kids
OMG this was me when I was a kid... apparently I asked my mom what the world was like "when the pyramids were built" since "she was alive then"... I'm 36 now and she's never let me live it down. 😂
I did the car thing to my mom. Now my kids are doing the pay phone thing to me! 🙈
Chocolate comes from the cacao bean. Beans are plants. Chocolate is healthy.
My dad buys, like, 3 packs of these evry time he goes to the store and eats at least half of one when he gets home.
My dads best talent is doing magic. I just wish he showed me a bit before he made himself disappear.
My husband is all of these with our daughter. His dad jokes are so spot on she was rolling her eyes at him by age two.
Although I'm not a dad, I'm excellent at falling asleep on the couch. I only just woke up, in fact.
Bruhh... kinda related with my story (a bit) so uhh since my dad got sick and barely can walk... we decided to park car infront of the guard house in a parking spot. Then last month, the government towed my dad's car... bruhhh... the car didn't block the road and doesn't look old. The rude worker who towed the car is really not professional at all. He told the guard and doesn't want to speak to my mom and straightforwardly called my mom rich and ignorance. Bruhhh... my mom and I were visiting our new house 2 hours away than my old house. Bruhhh... old cars and illegal parking on main road = ❌️ towed A car in a neighbourhood and perfectly in the parking spot = ✅️ towed
Why I do not go shopping with my dad he will literally circle the lot for 20 minutes to get a spot one space closer. It is incredibly infuriating especially when he passes up close spots that are taken when he gets back
I cannot understand people that will wait several minutes to park 1-2 spaces closer when there's an open spot right there!
I know I know. .......I'm sorry. I know how this feels take a breath and carry on.
Plastic bags over your shoes? We just wore rubber boots. Teacher made us bring dry shoes to wear at school.
I'm 28. When I was in middle and high school, my bus stop was at the bottom of a steep hill. It was a 1/4 mile walk to my house. And I had a rolling backpack, so snow was a nightmare. Can't wait to be a mom and actually get to tell my kids I had to walk uphill home from school every day, and if there was snow I had to drag 50 pounds of books through it.
I never thought the day would come but yeah I cannot do rides like I used to ☹️
Take a dramamine or eat something with real ginger in it (like a ginger chew). Some people loose their resistance to motion sickness as they fet older, and that's the primary contributor to feeling like c**p after a roller coaster.
Load More Replies...My son used to warn people sitting in front of us about my loud screaming. He claimed he could tell I was on the coaster because he could hear me screaming from ground level.
As the passenger I would rather volunteer than have my driver look things up because they think they can blindly just tap away at their phone.
I've had pandora at the EXACT same spot relative to my hand on everything I've had from the last 12 years. Why? Because I can access it without looking, a skill I picked up from not wanting to burn my retinas when I went to play my music 1st thing in the morning before I got married.
Load More Replies...I'd rather just look it up then witness someone use prompt-based voice recognition.
Load More Replies...Cartoons often serve as a delightful escape from the realities of parenting, capturing the essence of family life with humor and warmth. Adrienne Hedger does just that through her comics, drawing from both her experiences and the shared journeys of those around her. Her ability to weave real-life events into captivating visual stories is much like her portrayal of the disruption in everyday family rhythms brought on by unforeseen circumstances.
For more on how moments like these impact our daily lives, take a look at the different dynamics quarantining as a family can introduce.
My dog spins around in circles and if you don't put the leash on fast enough for him, he punches you.
Additional details and/or video evidence of incident kindly requested.
Load More Replies...We realized in our friend group we sorted people. We were chatting about how we always sit on designated sides when we go out (and have for years) and only when the food arrived did we click that we were arranged in a way that the two lefties wouldn't bump elbows with the righties xD Somewhere along the line we had forgotten that was the setup.
Load More Replies...My partner and I sat next to each other in most of our classes, and they are lefty and I’m a righty. So we could both write and pay attention but still hold hands. :))
Fortunately, we had a lefty in the brood. Unfortunately, that makes seating arrangements pretty static. "The lefties all sit on the same side!"
I'm a righty. My husband AND my son are both lefties. We call the smeared writing thing "inky pinky", LOL. And yes, they usually sit together, when we go out, and I sit across from them. Which is fine with me, because I get all the room, on my side of the table! 😂
I know how this feels. Get out of car and go yell at yourself in the mirror.
Once, we accidentally left my toddler daughter's suitcase at home. We arrived at a motel very late. She was able to sleep in my tee shirt and a diaper. The next day, I found a discount store. Luckily, toddlers are not as choosy about their clothing. If she'd have been a teen, that replacement wardrobe would have been pricey.
Why pricey? If she forgot her whole suitcase she can live a week (or so) with plain clothes, no? I mean...she could either way, not only after forgetting the suitcase.
Load More Replies...Lol I actually keep at least 1 pair of shoes for each child in the vehicle their car seats are in, because my husband has accidentally left their shoes behind enough times that it's just safer for all involved to just keep backups in the cars 😅.
6 hours to do homework without dance breaks? Is that right?
They're taking a dance break every 60 seconds, and depending on the amount of questions on the sheet... No. 6 hours is not right.
Load More Replies...She may have wanted to put "WA" into and already written "related" 🤷🏾♂️
Load More Replies...Yep. I'm gonna tell my kids it payback. Nah I'll just let them think about it for awhile. And be like maybe you should do again sometime. Remember you use to be 5. Mom!
Hahaha! Having worked with children this age in recent years, yes, this is often true!!
Me in bed sometimes. Ugh. At times it like this. At other times I could care less of what it feels like I'm so tried.
My pups hate them whenever they have to wear them, which is not often, thank God!
Oscar responds to questions with winks! We have no idea why he does it but it makes me giggle every time! 118233872_...35d190.jpg
Mine will smack me with her front paw closest to me whenever she feels like I am ignoring her or not petting her exactly as she wants me to pet her!
I used to feed my big male duck Booby out of my hands and let him drink from a plastic wine glass. He would sit in the porch and wait for me then my GSD died and the coyotes got him. It was devastating to have so much loss in a short time because his mates Muffler and pepper didn't survive
Oh, and remember that last update I refused to print untill you installed? I can only accept brand name ink now.
Shoot, I still do this as an adult! I never learned how to dive properly.
I have a mix various print, layer queen, accessories princess, aways add a splash of color,sometimes shoes are optional, keep wearing a favorite outfit. Don't let anyone wash it. And sometimes with a potty trainer =underwear is an outfit.
Me with the alarm. Yeah I know it time to get up. Oh I get it. I'm getting up now!!!!!
The worst: you hit snooze instead of the off button by accident and get a heart attack when it goes off again
Load More Replies...I think you don't know what schizophrenic means, lol.
Load More Replies...Welcome to adult life. Kinda. Except for we want to take a nap but have to do it anyway. Most of the time .......
My brother used to go to Seven Eleven, buy a stick of cookie dough, and eat it, raw, sitting on the beach.
Load More Replies...Yes. And you suggest things to do. " I don't wanna do that, it boring." And sometimes " can we do this _" no we can't honey sorry.
Oh no not this talk. I can see this around the corner already have one kinda like this.....it coming soon.
Nope. Mine already knows that his homework must be done, before he can go anywhere with friends. There are exceptions, of course. But that's the usual requirement. Not that I'm terribly strict. I'm pretty laid back as a person, and pretty lenient as a mom, actually. Don't have a lot of rules. But that's one of them. And my son is usually pretty good about following it. Guess I'm lucky, lol.
Face swivel and pull away and the disappearing act. I have learned the hard way not to I did it myself..........🙄😕
I really, really like these. Original, well-drawn, and funny to boot.
What's this? Another parent propaganda post on BP? But I thought they only posted anti-child content??
I really, really like these. Original, well-drawn, and funny to boot.
What's this? Another parent propaganda post on BP? But I thought they only posted anti-child content??
