Ask any parent and they will say that raising a child is one of the most difficult jobs in life. Being in charge of a delicate life is super scary and there's the always-present question of whether you should bribe your child with screentime or not. It's a good thing, then, that most parents use humor as a defensive system when nothing else works.
To see how sleep-deprived parents coped with the shenanigans of their munchkins this April, we've gathered some of their best tweets to share with you.
This post may include affiliate links.
Parenting being one of the most back-breaking jobs in life, it turns out, is not just a simple saying. More than 60% of adults in America have said that parenthood was somewhat more difficult than they imagined, according to the newest research by Pew Research. Likewise, 26% stated that it was much harder than they thought it would be.
These fascinating statistics also range between genders and different social backgrounds. For example, 30% of women have reported that they didn't expect motherhood to be this hard, compared with 20% of dads, with 3-in-5 saying they do an "excellent or very good job" at it. We can't help but wonder what their partners think about that.
Nice parenting trick. I might have to steal that from you whenever I become a parent
But becoming a parent comes with great responsibility. Also, with a lot of terrible advice and misconceptions that we can blame on television. "The list is endless when it comes to misconceptions about parenting on TV and in films," Vicki Broadbent, the founder of Honest Mum, a lifestyle and parenting blog, and a mother of three, told Bored Panda.
"I've noticed a culture shift recently, thankfully," Broadbent said, naming Netflix's "Working Moms" as the best example. "But for the most part, the 'fairytales' we're presented with usually start in the delivery room with, 'two pushes and the baby is out' style births. C-sections, PND, breastfeeding, moving from 1-2 or 2-3 plus kids, etc., and the realities of juggling kids with work/relationships are rarely depicted honestly."
Can we repeat this with loading and unloading the dishwasher, vacuuming and doing the laundry? 😉
One of the most prevalent issues for modern parents is: how can you manage your kids’ screen time in a way that’s good for them? Is it actually possible, or I'm just bribing them with it to carve out some breathing space to get some work done?
Vicki thinks that it's not so black-and-white, when it comes to screen time. "It's far easier to implement a no screen time rule if you wish before they start school," she said, "but it's important to understand using a screen isn't synonymous with bad parenting. Quite the opposite when done in moderation."
Although 3-in-5 parents agree that their child spends too much time staring at a screen, according to one of the most comprehensive studies on the subject that examined over 350,000 teenagers, the use of technology was linked to only 0.4% of the total variation in their mental well-being. "Children are learning all the time (and having fun!) from watching age-appropriate content (my daughter, for example, loves the teacher, Mrs. Rachel)," said Broadbent. "Your child will be using screens to learn once they are in school or via their homework."
Can confirm, my mom taught 8th grade math, and she legit did that. "You seem to need more attention than I can give you right now, as I have a class to teach, so let's go call your mom."
I once asked why my sister and I didn't share a room, mum's response was "you wouldn't survive " dad's response was "have you met your sister"
Vicki suggests that moderation is key when wrestling with the screen time dilemma. "Implement specific tech time periods so your child doesn't rely on tech (and enjoys a full and varied childhood)," she advised, "but don't chastise yourself, or them, for wanting to engage in digital activities - just because you didn't as a child."
Another great fear of many parents is the so-called 'developmental milestones'. Or skills, like being able to speak or recognize oneself in the mirror/photo, that your little one should develop by a certain age. "I think first-time parents understandably concern themselves with developmental milestones far more than those with more kids," Broadbent explained, "purely because once you've got a child, you realize children are unique and develop at their own pace."
Understandably, many parents can't help but worry that there might be something wrong with their munchkin. In fact, reportedly nearly 1 in 4 parents say they have worried their child was or might be delayed in their milestones. And only 20% of parents didn't worry about it too much. However, Vicki thinks sometimes it's best to let kids take everything at their own pace.
like the girl who wanted a dead Simba cake so everyone was too sad to eat and she could have it all to herself
My 4 year old daughter is convinced her middle name is "is a princess" it's Isabel but "I don't go ding ding mummy"
"On the whole, growth charts and milestones are a guide, not a rule," she told. "A preoccupation with a child sleeping through the night in his or her cot, for example, can lead to greater stress for the parent when life is hard enough. Yes, keep an eye on these things but don't become obsessed."
When you become a parent, many moms and dads can't stress enough the fact that they might be underprepared. And advice from ones who've been in the post long enough to offer you tips to make it easier usually is no help at all. "Every single piece of advice is [terrible] for new parents. In my experience, people just wanted to tell you how it was for them," one VICE columnist wrote. "It’s the 'absolute' people that make me the most angry—like it’s all-natural or all-medical, and no matter what you choose, you’re a [jerk] parent."
Oh, man. When my daughter was 3 and had her first radiation appointment (brain cancer. she's 18 now and cancer free yay!) I told daycare she couldn't eat before I picked her up that morning. They found her eating raisins. Which they hadn't served in a while. My child can apparently hunt down food like a pig looking for truffles.
Vicki, who's been a mother long enough to know what to suggest for other soon-to-be parents, says that "trusting your gut" is one of the most important things to remember. "This will never fail you and never fear you are wasting a medical professional's time if you are worried for the wellbeing of your child," she explained. "You know your child best. Please remember that. You are wired to understand their needs from day one."
It came out in 1988; it was already a decade old when my sister and I watched it as kids. -a millennial
That's actually really cute, despite being woken up early. Frustrating, sure.
I'm the USA, a high school kid can't even accidentally knock on the wrong front door of a house, looking for their little brother anyone without getting shot, so having more precautions now makes sense.
I hate it that teeth are considered a luxury, even though they’re part of your body. At least tuition fees (edit: university fees) in Germany are 150€ (about 150usd) per semester- so 300€ for 12 months.
I'll take that any day over raising one who thinks EVERYONE is interested in them!
I remember playing restaurant and making the prices ridiculously high
That's why I put my 'outdoors' clothes on at the last possible minute
He will find the dark side soon enough yes soon enough he will find the dark side
Thankfully I'm still the one dressing the little chick. I make her look as adorable as I want to as long as it lasts lol
Ok but I get that. If people r there when I'm cleaning I physically can't do it
Oops! At least you didn’t wake them up! They were up at 7:15, I’d imagine!
My parents literally had to wake me up to eat from the first day home from the hospital. I believe in comparison I have been the “easy” kid in the 43+ years since.
Sounds like!! I played D&D monopoly with my parents on New Year’s Eve and my dad and I got into a fight. Lol.
Mouth wash in the freezer? Totally not taking notes for prank ideas
If not pretend the Easter Bunny came back at night to take back all it's eggs
If someone started rolling around on the floor screeching and flailing because they're tired and won't admit it... I'd call the ambulance 😂
Oh goodness I feel this. I love my kid to bits but he has so much energy it’s insane. This morning his baseball coach commented she didn’t want to warm the kids up too much before the game because she didn’t want to wear them out. I was confused and commented my kid never runs out of energy. She’s like, “oh yes, I know. I didn’t mean him. He never complains and is always ready to go. The other kids start saying they’re hot and tired and start playing in the dirt.” But my kid is in love with baseball. He put on his dad’s glove this morning and it was bigger than his head! So stinking cute.
My 6 yo just lost his first tooth, we’ve had a lot of tooth fair conversations. He was very puzzled how she can get the tooth and leave money under his pillow without waking him. He also wants to know how she gets in the house in the first place. But at least we had just read a Junie B Jones book about losing a tooth to answer the question of why the tooth fairy takes teeth (it’s to give the baby teeth to babies, her baby brother cut his first tooth when she lost hers).
It’s a ‘make eggs pretty and colorful and sparkly and fun party!! I like to gently crack parts of the egg shell before I dye them. That way the egg whites are colorful too!!
for me, it's isaiah. kids will be like "did you hear what Isaiah did today?" and I'll ask which one. they try to describe him but they're all short, they all have curly perms, their hair either is black or was black, and almost all of them have the last name of thomas
Since my job entails trying to sanitize the building after school, I always feel defeated when there is a flu outbreak.
Loop holes of parenting. We need to have a book published with this information.
We were on holiday in Spain recently so here are some from my son. He calls palm trees holiday trees which is sweet. He only ever sees them when we are abroad. In the hotel he went up to a man who was clearly over 70 years old and said hello. The man said hello to my son. My son the asks “How old are you? Are you 36 years old?” The man laughs and says that he is 36. My son: “I’m 8 and we need to go to the lift”. Another time we were in the lift and there was another family in there as well with a buggy. The lift stops at another floor and as the door opens so more people get on, he says “ Uh-uh, I’m sorry we are too busy in this lift”. The people waited for the next lift. And finally one day at breakfast he starts singing “nippleboobs” quite loudly and then proudly asks us if he sang the nippleboob song.
I really shouldn't have laughed, but I did
Load More Replies...We were on holiday in Spain recently so here are some from my son. He calls palm trees holiday trees which is sweet. He only ever sees them when we are abroad. In the hotel he went up to a man who was clearly over 70 years old and said hello. The man said hello to my son. My son the asks “How old are you? Are you 36 years old?” The man laughs and says that he is 36. My son: “I’m 8 and we need to go to the lift”. Another time we were in the lift and there was another family in there as well with a buggy. The lift stops at another floor and as the door opens so more people get on, he says “ Uh-uh, I’m sorry we are too busy in this lift”. The people waited for the next lift. And finally one day at breakfast he starts singing “nippleboobs” quite loudly and then proudly asks us if he sang the nippleboob song.
I really shouldn't have laughed, but I did
Load More Replies...