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Wouldn’t it be nice if parenting came with a manual? The kind you find tucked inside a furniture box you purchased at Ikea.
But who are we kidding? Even when given a manual, we don’t always get it right. There are always some screws left over, or some part is on backwards, and we have to do it all over again.
What I’m probably trying to say here is that no manual or amount of books can prepare you for the rollercoaster that parenthood is. Suddenly, you’re along for the ride, being yeeted into the trenches of taking care of a newborn without a wink of sleep, figuring it all out by trial and error. It changes parents in a way they couldn’t even imagine until it happens.
Parents know that this isn’t an exaggeration, it might even be an understatement. To show what parenthood really entails, we gathered the most relatable parenting memes from the Facebook page ‘Pregnant Belly Bump.’ It’s all just a scroll away!
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I think we already made it obvious that parents need all the help they can get when it comes to raising little ones. So we gathered all the nuggets of wisdom parents have shared with Bored Panda previously for parents who need a little guidance and reassurance that everything is going to be okay.
The first recommendation comes from transgender dad of six, Logan Blackburn-Issitt, who runs the Dad Business parenting blog. He says that having fun and learning to redirect and distract are crucial in parenthood.
#5
Senjo Krane 1 month ago
Always. They don't have to discipline any more, they just have to love.
“Kids fighting over one colour pencil, you get really excited about something one of them has coloured. Kids getting frustrated about waiting at the doctor's, start having a sing song or play a game,” he explains.
“The best piece of advice I have is to try and make it fun. Look for the fun, the opportunities to play and laugh. Forget about the funny looks other people will give you and let your inner child out to play. It's so easy to get bogged down in adulting: money, time management, work, etc., but kids aren't affected by these so give yourself permission to forget about them for a while as well, go and play.”
#8
Parenting coach and founder of Be Kind Coaching, MegAnne Ford, says learning connection and understanding is another crucial thing that makes parenting easier.
"When a child is learning a new skill, building their ideas, or navigating through a hard moment, having their safe adult be right alongside them to help them make sense and navigate with them helps de-escalate any struggle," she says.
"Connection and understanding allow the child to be seen, heard, and understood in their truth and experience—and in turn teach them how to see that in others. There isn't much that can't be solved when the other person feels safe and connected."
#11
Megalodon Meg 1 month ago
Mine still complained if it was spicy, or carbonated, or sweet or a dozen other things 🤣
A dash of creativity is also required when you’re a parent. But creativity can sometimes be hard for adults to channel.
"I think that most adults stay out of the mess—emotional and creative—because they want to avoid it. They may even feel stressed and angry about the mess. So to protect themselves, they just avoid the creative options altogether. So I like to get really good at building the clean-up into the flow," Ford explained.
#15
TheGoodBoi 1 month ago
"It's so cleannnn!" *Proceeds to build a fortress with enough food to feed an army*
She even kindly provided an example of how she employs creativity to tackle the mess.
”I was with two babies recently, one of them skipped their morning nap, so she was feeling a bit irritable so to do our art project together, which was painting a holiday wreath, I moved the project inside a plastic bag.
It allowed me to be able to introduce the art project in a new and creative way while also giving ourselves space to not push the moment past our abilities or energy level. It wasn't what was planned, but it was in a way better!" she shared.
#16
The Big Bad 1 month ago
I remember I just put down plates with a rice dish on the table (3 kids). The doorbell rang, I let the neighbor in and went back to the table with the neighbor in tow. Rice. Rice EVERYWHERE. :')
There's really no way to be prepared for parenthood 100%, and mom bloggers Annie Linder and Kate Kirk agreed, sharing the things they wish someone had told them before they entered motherhood.
“I wish someone had told me that it's okay not to love every moment of motherhood," shares Kate. "Between juggling their needs, work, and trying to maintain some sense of personal identity, there are challenging days. I wish someone had said that feeling overwhelmed doesn't make you a bad mother, it makes you human."
#20
Geoffrey Scott 1 month ago
Thinking about suing Huggies and all other diaper manufacturers. Pkg says 12-14 lbs. Kid starts getting cranky when it's holding 5 lbs or less.
#21
Child of the Stars 1 month ago
I got the suggestion from someone to ask very specific questions. Instead of "what did you do at school?" I'll now ask "what did you do in science/ELA/etc?" It's made a huge difference!
Whereas Annie said, "I wish someone would have been able to explain the feeling of absolute love that I would experience which would allow me to make it through the difficult moments.
We so often hear about the challenges and downsides of motherhood, and while these are undoubtedly real, what we don't hear about is that moms are also given the inner strength and resilience to overcome the challenges. My capacity for caring for others, love, gratitude, and joy have all increased.
I always knew I wanted to have kids, but I didn't understand how it would change everything. Becoming a mom is truly a superpower, and I am so blessed with being able to birth and now raise my five babies," she fondly shared.
#25
Child of the Stars 1 month ago (edited)
We really need to stop telling new parents this b.ulls.hit. It's okay not to enjoy the 3am feedings or the teething or the diaper blowouts. I didn't. Like at all (I did a little happy dance when my youngest was fully potty trained!). And now that my kiddos are 12 and 7, I STILL don't miss those moments. That's okay too. Every phase of life has its good and bad moments. I feel frustrated when my 7yo struggles to listen but I relish when he crawls in my lap just for cuddles. I feel hurt when my 12yo's preteen snark surfaces, but I love planning our snacks for Saturday nights after the 7yo goes to bed and we can fangirl over the episodes of Supernatural we're going to watch together.
#26
#27
Lila Allen 1 month ago
For me it's the sentences that you end up saying that you would never think you'd say. " I don't care what he's done you can lick him in punishment". " The dog does not want you to paint him yellow"
#31
#36
#37
#38
#40
Michael Largey 1 month ago
I depended on my job for food, clothing, and shelter, but that didn't make any of my bosses any righter.
#50
TheGoodBoi 1 month ago
It's worse when they actually WANT to clean up and you're exhausted. Just give me 30 minutes please!
#52
Child of the Stars 1 month ago
Let them be angry. I've always told my kids it's okay to be angry with me. Emotions aren't rational, they just are.
#54
#55
TheGoodBoi 1 month ago
The silence is just as bad :). What chaos is transpiring while I'm unable to quickly check?
#56
Nuku Nyara 1 month ago
Insta-awake, with that smile there's probably flour spilled on the kitchen floor with white footprints on the ceiling...
#59
TheGoodBoi 1 month ago
My poor wife, she ends up laughing because she knows and admits it lol.
#61
Child of the Stars 1 month ago
I have an old friend who recently whined to me that he just wanted his old drinking buddy (aka me) back. Dude, that person doesn't even exist anymore.
#62
Child of the Stars 1 month ago
And nobody talks about it! I was terrified when this happened after my oldest was born.
#64
Child of the Stars 1 month ago (edited)
My oldest pointed out one time that I'd asked their younger brother to get ready to leave 45 minutes before we actually had to leave. I pointed out that he was currently trying to see how slowly he could climb up the stairs. Their response was just "oh. Right."
#66
Child of the Stars 1 month ago
I never understood this. Unless your interests are exclusively inappropriate for children like going clubbing or something, why not just bring them into your interests? My kids's dad and I are big ol' nerds. We started playing D&D with them as soon as they were old enough to roll dice. We watched Star Wars and read the Chronicles of Narnia together. We even watched science and nature documentaries together. Now our middle school has a school-sponsored D&D club thanks to my 12yo and my 7yo knows what neutrinos are because he voluntarily watches science videos about quantum mechanics.
#76
RomanceRadish 1 month ago (edited)
Cleaning the house uninterrupted feels like a vacation. Then when the kids return you can actually enjoy them more, having a fresh start.
#84
#91
Child of the Stars 1 month ago
I bought leggings instead of maternity pants when I was pregnant with my oldest. That was 13 years ago, and I haven't worn a pair of jeans since.
#92
Sam Trudeau 1 month ago
I did that when I was younger, up until my mom was pregnant with her would-be third child. RIP to the would-be child.
#108
#109
Child of the Stars 1 month ago
You grew and birthed a whole human being. Unless you're at an unhealthy weight, embrace the squishy, jiggly belly!
#113
Child of the Stars 1 month ago
Nope. Not my job. It's my job to make sure my kids are behaving. The others aren't my responsibility.
#118
Child of the Stars 1 month ago
Yeah, but as they grow out of needing the most basic care, they become much more fun and interesting. I'm even enjoying the preteen years. It's so awesome watching them turn into who they're going to be. Plus we get to bond over more big kid stuff. I talked them into reading The Giver for English class (which the teacher was reportedly very excited about!), and now we have a shared love for dystopian science fiction.
#120
Stephanie A Mutti 1 month ago
Can confirm, Sunday night was the worst feeling. You lost a whole weekend to the child's everything and you got grocery shopping as your reward.
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What do you think ?
Undercover 1 month ago
I think kids peak between 5 and 7. Then they're potty trained, less feral and mostly sweet and really easy to impress. 😂😂 I love kids and did a lot of babysitting for my niblings, but there's a reason I am childfree. 😉
SchadenFreudian Psychology 1 month ago
Same here. I think the optimum age for kids is about 8 and 9. They’re past the baby stage, past the toddler stage; toilet trained, can dress themselves, and are past the whiny seven-year-old age. (And seven-year-olds are whiny!) But at eight and nine, they usually haven’t hit puberty yet.
Load More Replies... SchadenFreudian Psychology 1 month ago
I didn’t have kids, and every time I see these….I’m glad I didn’t.
Trillian 1 month ago
It's a coping mechanism. You don't know what you are getting yourself into, so everyone is entitled to some whining. I mean, you read the posts here and yet you complain.
Load More Replies... Undercover 1 month ago
I think kids peak between 5 and 7. Then they're potty trained, less feral and mostly sweet and really easy to impress. 😂😂 I love kids and did a lot of babysitting for my niblings, but there's a reason I am childfree. 😉
SchadenFreudian Psychology 1 month ago
Same here. I think the optimum age for kids is about 8 and 9. They’re past the baby stage, past the toddler stage; toilet trained, can dress themselves, and are past the whiny seven-year-old age. (And seven-year-olds are whiny!) But at eight and nine, they usually haven’t hit puberty yet.
Load More Replies... SchadenFreudian Psychology 1 month ago
I didn’t have kids, and every time I see these….I’m glad I didn’t.
Trillian 1 month ago
It's a coping mechanism. You don't know what you are getting yourself into, so everyone is entitled to some whining. I mean, you read the posts here and yet you complain.
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