"Being a parent is tough." We've all heard it, but realize what it really means only later in life. Either when we grow up or when we have some little ones of our own. We finally understand the sacrifices they make, the sleepless nights, the worrying, the amount of patience that one needs to have to raise a child.
But sometimes parenting can be just absurdly comical. Kids sometimes really do the darndest things. In these situations, you don't know whether to laugh or cry. Bored Panda has scoured the vast sea of parenting content to bring you this list. These parents may not be having the best day, but they may certainly lighten up yours.
#1 Mom Rage Aside, We Made A Memory, Right? And Had A Laugh
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#2 I’m Sorry. They Are Spectacular
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#3 It’s Always Mom. Dad Is For When Mom Says No
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We named this list "Parenting Failures", but it's more about the realities of being a parent than the failures. It's important to know the difference between rough patches every parent feels and actual parental failure. Ashley Hudson LMFT explains that difference on her blog.
"Parental failure is when a parent causes significant trauma and/or physical or emotional damage to their child through their parenting style," she writes. "This could be in the form of abuse, neglect, abandonment, and/or when parents are involved in substances or violence that is affecting their parenting."
#4 A Very Slow Flushing Toilet Led To My Discovery Of The Most Ironic Toilet Clog. Kids Are Stupid
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#5 Yeah, That's What It Translates To In Kid Talk
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#6 My Kid Eats The Entire Pint Of Ice Cream And Then Fills It With Water And Freezes It To Make Me Think I Had A Nice Treat To Enjoy At Night
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What most parents mean when they say they think they're failing as parents is just stress and weariness talking. Hudson writes that it's a response to a stressful event, several days, weeks or months. True parental failure has serious long-term repercussions for the child.
#7 Bro Thought The Toy Was Identical
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#8 But Seriously
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#9 Kid Drew All Over My Mom’s Ralph Lauren Purse
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One of the reasons parents feel this way is because they feel too much pressure. Either from the outside or from themselves. Tia Slightham, M Ed. and Parenting Coach writes that parents desperately want to feel they are enough. Not messing up their kids, doing the right things as a parent. But the truth is, according to her, "if you love your kids, you're trying your best and you keep trying to learn," that's enough.
#10 That Is Triggering
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#11 My Kids Just Told Me They’ve Been Putting Fruit Stickers Under Our Kitchen Cabinet For Six Years
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#12 Left The Kid For A Minute
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Ashley Hudson narrows down the things that might make one feel like a failing parent. Most parents, according to her, feel they have too little patience while disciplining. Others panic when they don't feel control over tantrums, rebellions and defiant behavior. First-time parents have it the worst – they simply haven't had the experience.
#13 My Kid’s End-Of-Year Open House. My Wife And I Are The Oldest Parents In Her Class, At 39. Thanks For Making Us Feel Good Kid
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#14 Like Being Unreal Isn't A Full-Time Job Already
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#15 I Find Parenting Involves A Lot Of Saying “Don’t Laugh, Don’t Laugh” Or “Damn, That Was A Good Try” But Remembering To Keep My “Adult” Face On
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A Certified Positive Discipline Educator and Life Coach for Parents Adrienne Bishop writes that these feelings of failure also stem from the fact that parents have no control over kids. "The fact is, our children have agency, which means they have the ability to make their own choices. No matter what you want your child to do, they ultimately have the final say."
#16 Don’t Let Your Kids Run Free In Bulk Barn
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#17 Didn't Get A Picture Of The 25-30 Pounds Of Rice He Evenly Spread All Over The Kitchen Floor The Other Day, But Checked Up On Him Half Way Through Disney's Cars 2 To Find This
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#18 I Have No Idea How Mad I Should Be
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Bishop writes that when parents think they're failing, they're blaming themselves for their kids' actions. "We try to control our kids’ behavior in order for us to feel better," she claims. "But since it is impossible to control others' behavior, we consistently struggle to feel good, and to not feel like failures, and then as a result we give our power over to our kids and become their victims."
#19 My 8-Year-Old Is Going To Grandma's Place. I Told Him To Dress Nice And Hurry Up Because He's Going To Church With Them. I Didn't See How He Left The House... My Mom Just Sent Me This Pic
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#20 I Just Didn’t Think It Could Get This Awful
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#21 My 2-Year-Old Son Made A Puzzle For Me
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The educator recommends redirecting thoughts since they are one thing parents can control. Instead of thinking "I have failed my child" or "She will always eat this way" try to think: "I am learning how to help my child make better food choices." Bishop writes: "After I work on changing my thoughts, I can start taking steps to set limits and expectations from a place of acceptance and peace and not blame or overwhelm."
#22 “I Don’t Want Anymore, Dad”
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#23 Sounds Normal Enough
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#24 Really Son?
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Tia Slightham has some simple, down-to-earth recommendations for struggling parents. The first one is to get enough sleep. Try going to bed just a few minutes earlier each night. She writes that without enough sleep it's easier to give in to bad thoughts and frustration. You're truly not you when you're tired.
#25 My Wife Had To Write A Not-Sick Note For School
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#26 Found Out My Son Has Been Stealing And Selling My Pokémon Cards
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#27 Same Daughter Who Laughed At Idiot Kids On TikTok Cutting Bangs And Crying… Cut Her Bangs Just Now. And Cried. And Cried
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Secondly, Slightham advises to learn to walk away. Parents can avoid unwanted outbursts of anger and frustration if they try counting to ten. "Learn from your mistakes and next time try your best to walk away before you open your mouth and yell, give empty threats or say something you regret," she writes in her blog.
#28 My Wife's Stationary Bike Just Became A Jellybean Dispenser
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#29 One Of My Adult Kids Left This In The Fridge
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#30 This Is Your Reminder To Take Your Birth Control
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Her last tip is to document one good thing you did each day – doesn't matter how small. "Maybe you and your child had an amazing snuggle and book time before bed. You were able to connect during a board game. You kindly asked your child to brush their teeth instead of harping them." Slightham lists all these strategies as examples.
#31 The Kids Left The Remote On The Heater
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#32 Ok, But I've Done That Too
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#33 We Can Just End This Topic Now... My Kid Just Took The Cake
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#34 My 3-Year-Old Daughter Did This Today To My Favorite Thesaurus Which I Held Perfect For Almost 20 Years Since School
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#35 What A Preamble
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#36 Consequences Of Oversleeping With A 4-Year-Old In The House
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#37 My Daughter, Ladies And Gentlemen
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#38 My 6-Year-Old Is Mad At Me
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#39 When My Kid Runs Out Of Toilet Paper, She Will Improvise
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#40 My Partner's Son Is A Monster
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#41 My 2 Preschoolers Just Did This To An Entire Bag Of Cable Ties
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#42 My Child’s Playroom 90 Seconds After I Finished Cleaning It Up
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#43 My Niece Stole My Sister's Phone, Hoping For A Feed
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#44 Rest In Peace 140 Hz Monitor
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#45 My 4-Year-Old’s Work Of Art
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#46 “Eating The Other Half Is Too Hard” - My Kid
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#47 My Kid Was Driving While We Were Inside And My Other One Looks Out And Says: Dad, The Golf Cart Is Smoking
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#48 I Told My 8-Year-Old To Put The Dryer Sheets Where All The Laundry Stuff Goes
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#49 Toddler Is Mightier Than The TV
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#50 I Love My 7-Year-Old Son, What I Don't Love Is Him Doing This To The Soap For The Past 4 Years
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