Kids often see their parents as invincible. Often stubborn and strict, they’re the epitome of doing things right, or at least they seem so until some point in adolescence when we finally start developing our independent take on things we carry throughout life.
But it turns out, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Parents are no strangers to embarrassing screwups, and in fact, while raising you, have experienced a very solid share of them. “What are your parenting fails?” one dad tweeted, stirring a confessionary thread full of hilarious stories from moms and dads.
From whooping your son like ‘a fun dad’ only to realize it was not your kid to teaching your child the art of tossing a pancake that ended with him taking a hit from the pan, parents are far from perfect, but hey, who is, really?
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Bored Panda reached out to Kimberly Koljat, a licensed marriage and family therapist who shared a couple of very important and interesting insights on what children take on from adults, and how we can never underestimate their understanding about the world.
“Children are immensely observant, and pick up on cues from caregivers and significant support individuals in their lives. Young children’s main need in life is attunement, which is why we, as adults in their lives, have a very important role of co-regulating children and being emotionally congruent models for them,” Kimberly explained.
For example, according to the licensed family therapist, children often know when their parents are divorcing long before parents believe them to know. And it’s “not because they 'overheard' them talking about it, but because of emotional cues leading up to the event of separation.”
Kimberly also said that one of the biggest skill sets we can offer children in their development is helping them expand their emotional literacy. “As adults, we assume that means we teach them words to express how they feel, but that is only one way of knowing. Children are communicating and learning through their other ways of knowing—verbally, kinesthetically, visually.”
My Mum left my sister outside a shop in the snow, jumped on a bus, and went home. Her Aunt asked where the baby was and then drove her back into town.
My mum left me in a pram outside a shop with the dog tied to the handle. Walked home. Then realised she'd forgotten the *dog*...
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My parents left me in another city. We went somewhere in two cars, and both thought the other took me home. It's ok, I'm still alive.
My mom has 4 kids. She left TWO of them (12 and 4yo) at a restaurant and NOBODY NOTICED. They walked home (maybe 4-5 miles) and when they got in the door mom said." oh you are back from your walk? " to be fair there had been about 30ish aunts uncles and cousins there too and we all hopped in random cars. The left behind ones had told my brother that they were using the restroom and he forgot to tell anyone. It's been about 30 years now and my mom still gets grief about it. (My dad was there too but still the mom gets blamed...? )
Once on a “National Lampoon Family Vacation” type road trip, when I was about 8 years old, my parents drove off and left me at a gas station….my brother deliberately didn’t mention this….being the days before cell phones, I just sat at the gas station until they eventually noticed I wasn’t in the car and my brother shared where I might be….(it was a long while and several miles before they noticed )
The same with my grandparents, they forgot my aunt (10years) at a gas station in the year 1957. They tought she felt asleep back in the car. They drove about an hour before they even noticed their daughter wasn't asleep in the car. My aunt waited patiently more than 2hours.
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I thought it was Boris Johnson who couldn't keep count of his children?
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I had nightmares before my daughter, my first child, was born because I was so afraid that I would do exactly that.
My mum admitted that when my older sister was only a week old, mum left her outside the shop, because she forgot she had a baby in a pram to collect. She raced back to the shops to find my sister sleeping soundly. When mum got back home, she burst into tears telling dad that she forgot the baby and came home after she left her at the store.
better than in the car... and I'm 100% sure you didn't do it again.
It’s crucial to help them understand more complex emotions and the important skill of empathy, like “the four basic feelings of mad, sad, glad, and afraid” that “are just the start.” Kimberly explained: “Brene Brown has a wonderful animated video on YouTube on empathy that can help adults and children alike understand how to practice this skill that fosters understanding, equality, and kindness. Modeling for children and youth the importance of empathy, understanding difference doesn’t mean 'wrong,' and learning to tolerate what may be experienced as frustration can be important skill sets to build with the children in their lives.”
Kimberly also said it is true adults often underestimate children’s capability of understanding the world around them. It turns out, “it can even have a negative impact on children and their sense of self.”
“In some cases this may reinforce the belief that their thoughts or beliefs are not to be trusted or invalid, which later creates difficulty in setting boundaries, making decisions, or maintaining a positive sense of self,” the family therapist concluded.
I did that once inside and my son's head stopped the ceiling fan. Thankfully it was on low speed and he was okay.
My mother was a nurse. Nurses often don't notice broken bones until it's that bad. After all, if you're not screaming, unconscious, or gushing blood.... You'll be fine! ------ As a kid, I broke something, but my mom decided it wasn't broken. It never healed properly. She still apologizes, at least.
Well, phones cost money to get. Babies you can make for free... The "after market" expenses on babies are quite high, though. :P
Note: this post originally had 44 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
I would honestly not call these "parenting fails" but "parenting slips". Failing are those who beat their children, feed them just junk food, let them watch TV all day all days, or never read to them. 90% of the things described here were embarrasing mishaps that make funny memories. I think it is an important lessons as a parent not to be too strict to oneself. Most of us with children try their best every single day.
I agree but would take "never read to them" off the list. I know a dyslexic parent who is uncomfortable reading even children's books but does lots of other wholesome activities with their child. Children are read to in school and can go to reading programs at the library. A parent who is unable to read is not a failure as long as they make up for it in other ways.
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Was a new mom when my son was born. He did not sleep through the night on his own until he was 5 (autism). He was about 6 months old, he woke up and I was tired. I laid him on my chest as I rocked in a recliner...we both fell asleep. I woke up to the sensation of my son rolling off my chest onto the floor. My husband and I were living at my parents house at the time. I ran into where my mother was sleeping and said "I dropped the baby!" I was panicked and she said "How far did he fall." I said "Two feet onto the carpet." My mother just looked at me. "He'll be fine. Go to bed." As I walked back to the bedroom with my son I thought "Wait...how does she know that?!?"
My dad punched me in the face once. I'm at his shoulder level, so it's actually pretty easy. He just lifted his arm up one day and turned towards me then ended up punching me. In public too. Probably didn't look very good.
Oh you could have definitely milked that for some extra candy.
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Not a "parenting fail", but more of a wife fail: At the grocery store with my husband. I was unloading the cart and asked "are you gonna give me some money" the man was not my husband, but said "I could. What are you gonna do for me?". My husband was standing behind me laughing hysterically.
My mum once took my sister who was about 3 years old into Woolworths in the UK (this was in the 1970's) and she was stood by the pick and mix counter (individually wrapped sweets you could pick and mix) and my sister kept trying to reach over the counter to grab sweets despite mum telling her she could have a sweet after their dinner. My sister did this 3 or 4 times until mum saw a hand reach up again so mum grabbed it and smacked it and said 'I said NO!' It was then that mum realised that the child she'd smacked on the hand was not her child but another one that had wandered up to the counter after my sister had wandered off lol
Mid 1970's. Mom went to buy brother a Gi for his martial arts class. Asked the Asian salesman for a gook.
I accidentally left my daughter at the funeral home after her grandfather's service/wake. In my defense, she said she was going home with my sister (a dozen or so blocks away) to visit with her cousins, then just didn't. Also, she was 17 at the time. Halfway to grandmas, answering the call from her with the revelation....she might as well have been 4. The immense guilt and utter failure still reign supreme.
My amazing, wonderful, kind, sweet, intelligent but ever so slightly forgetful eldest once gave me a 3 week old letter from school just as I was leaving for my work shift which at the time ended at midnight, informing me that they were to be a reindeer in the school nativity...taking place the following day. I enter panic mode. The following morning on our way to school I run into the nearest supermarket which had children's nativity costumes on sale and grab and pay for one that to my tired, stressed and frazzled brain was obviously a reindeer costume. Crisis averted, panic levels back down to within normal mum range. Eldest goes into class with costume I go to school hall ready to watch the performance. Just before the show is about to start the class teacher finds me in the audience and very quietly and discretely asks me why I have sent my child to school with a Christmas pudding outfit??? 🤦♀️🙄😬🤣🤣🤣 x
I would honestly not call these "parenting fails" but "parenting slips". Failing are those who beat their children, feed them just junk food, let them watch TV all day all days, or never read to them. 90% of the things described here were embarrasing mishaps that make funny memories. I think it is an important lessons as a parent not to be too strict to oneself. Most of us with children try their best every single day.
I agree but would take "never read to them" off the list. I know a dyslexic parent who is uncomfortable reading even children's books but does lots of other wholesome activities with their child. Children are read to in school and can go to reading programs at the library. A parent who is unable to read is not a failure as long as they make up for it in other ways.
Load More Replies... Was a new mom when my son was born. He did not sleep through the night on his own until he was 5 (autism). He was about 6 months old, he woke up and I was tired. I laid him on my chest as I rocked in a recliner...we both fell asleep. I woke up to the sensation of my son rolling off my chest onto the floor. My husband and I were living at my parents house at the time. I ran into where my mother was sleeping and said "I dropped the baby!" I was panicked and she said "How far did he fall." I said "Two feet onto the carpet." My mother just looked at me. "He'll be fine. Go to bed." As I walked back to the bedroom with my son I thought "Wait...how does she know that?!?"
My dad punched me in the face once. I'm at his shoulder level, so it's actually pretty easy. He just lifted his arm up one day and turned towards me then ended up punching me. In public too. Probably didn't look very good.
Oh you could have definitely milked that for some extra candy.
Load More Replies... Not a "parenting fail", but more of a wife fail: At the grocery store with my husband. I was unloading the cart and asked "are you gonna give me some money" the man was not my husband, but said "I could. What are you gonna do for me?". My husband was standing behind me laughing hysterically.
My mum once took my sister who was about 3 years old into Woolworths in the UK (this was in the 1970's) and she was stood by the pick and mix counter (individually wrapped sweets you could pick and mix) and my sister kept trying to reach over the counter to grab sweets despite mum telling her she could have a sweet after their dinner. My sister did this 3 or 4 times until mum saw a hand reach up again so mum grabbed it and smacked it and said 'I said NO!' It was then that mum realised that the child she'd smacked on the hand was not her child but another one that had wandered up to the counter after my sister had wandered off lol
Mid 1970's. Mom went to buy brother a Gi for his martial arts class. Asked the Asian salesman for a gook.
I accidentally left my daughter at the funeral home after her grandfather's service/wake. In my defense, she said she was going home with my sister (a dozen or so blocks away) to visit with her cousins, then just didn't. Also, she was 17 at the time. Halfway to grandmas, answering the call from her with the revelation....she might as well have been 4. The immense guilt and utter failure still reign supreme.
My amazing, wonderful, kind, sweet, intelligent but ever so slightly forgetful eldest once gave me a 3 week old letter from school just as I was leaving for my work shift which at the time ended at midnight, informing me that they were to be a reindeer in the school nativity...taking place the following day. I enter panic mode. The following morning on our way to school I run into the nearest supermarket which had children's nativity costumes on sale and grab and pay for one that to my tired, stressed and frazzled brain was obviously a reindeer costume. Crisis averted, panic levels back down to within normal mum range. Eldest goes into class with costume I go to school hall ready to watch the performance. Just before the show is about to start the class teacher finds me in the audience and very quietly and discretely asks me why I have sent my child to school with a Christmas pudding outfit??? 🤦♀️🙄😬🤣🤣🤣 x
