“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 sometimesparentingcan be just absurdly comical. Kids sometimes really do the darndest things. In these situations, you don’t know whether to laugh or cry.Bored Pandahas 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.This post may includeaffiliate links.

“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 sometimesparentingcan be just absurdly comical. Kids sometimes really do the darndest things. In these situations, you don’t know whether to laugh or cry.Bored Pandahas 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.

This post may includeaffiliate links.

Mom Rage Aside, We Made A Memory, Right? And Had A Laugh

A Very Slow Flushing Toilet Led To My Discovery Of The Most Ironic Toilet Clog. Kids Are Stupid

Yeah, That’s What It Translates To In Kid Talk

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 LMFTexplains 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.”

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 LMFTexplains 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.”

I’m Sorry. They Are Spectacular

It’s Always Mom. Dad Is For When Mom Says No

That Is Triggering

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.

But Seriously

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

Kid Drew All Over My Mom’s Ralph Lauren Purse

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.

Like Being Unreal Isn’t A Full-Time Job Already

My Kids Just Told Me They’ve Been Putting Fruit Stickers Under Our Kitchen Cabinet For Six Years

Bro Thought The Toy Was Identical

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.

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

I Just Didn’t Think It Could Get This Awful

I Have No Idea How Mad I Should Be

A Certified Positive Discipline Educator and Life Coach for ParentsAdrienne Bishopwrites 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.”

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

Left The Kid For A Minute

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

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.”

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

Sounds Normal Enough

Don’t Let Your Kids Run Free In Bulk Barn

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.”

“I Don’t Want Anymore, Dad”

My Wife Had To Write A Not-Sick Note For School

My 2-Year-Old Son Made A Puzzle For Me

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.

Really Son?

Ok, But I’ve Done That Too

One Of My Adult Kids Left This In The Fridge

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.

What A Preamble

Same Daughter Who Laughed At Idiot Kids On TikTok Cutting Bangs And Crying… Cut Her Bangs Just Now. And Cried. And Cried

My Daughter, Ladies And Gentlemen

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.

My Wife’s Stationary Bike Just Became A Jellybean Dispenser

My 6-Year-Old Is Mad At Me

This Is Your Reminder To Take Your Birth Control

We Can Just End This Topic Now… My Kid Just Took The Cake

The Kids Left The Remote On The Heater

Consequences Of Oversleeping With A 4-Year-Old In The House

Found Out My Son Has Been Stealing And Selling My Pokémon Cards

My 3-Year-Old Daughter Did This Today To My Favorite Thesaurus Which I Held Perfect For Almost 20 Years Since School

My 2 Preschoolers Just Did This To An Entire Bag Of Cable Ties

My Partner’s Son Is A Monster

When My Kid Runs Out Of Toilet Paper, She Will Improvise

My Child’s Playroom 90 Seconds After I Finished Cleaning It Up

My Kid Was Driving While We Were Inside And My Other One Looks Out And Says: Dad, The Golf Cart Is Smoking

My Niece Stole My Sister’s Phone, Hoping For A Feed

“Eating The Other Half Is Too Hard” - My Kid

Rest In Peace 140 Hz Monitor

Toddler Is Mightier Than The TV

My 4-Year-Old’s Work Of Art

I Told My 8-Year-Old To Put The Dryer Sheets Where All The Laundry Stuff Goes

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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Seriously

Parenting Is Crowded Trips To The Bathroom. Who Needs Privacy Anyway?

See Also on Bored Panda

My Kids Find It Hilarious To Leave Just One Of Whatever They Were Eating

My 6-Year-Old Kid Decided To Doodle On My New (To Me) Truck. With A Rock

My 15-Year-Old Son Decided To Move His Sister’s Jeep Behind The Garage To Make Room For Another Vehicle, But He “Forgot” It Had No Brakes. So, This Happened To My Fence

I Fell Off The Toilet Last Night Thanks To A Bad Leg Spasm. I Have A Concussion And Had A Minor Brain Bleed. My Son Starts School In Two Days And I Have To Take For His First Day

Ok, But Where’s My Spot?

My Son Bit The Directional Button Off The Remote

This Is Why You Don’t Let 5-Year-Olds Near Your Phone

Today Is The First Meetup Of My Son’s Toddler Group. We Are Hosting And Out Of 8 Mothers 7 Canceled Like Half An Hour Before It Would Start. My Wife Just Sent Me This Picture

POV: You Finally Sit Down For Lunch After 1.5 Hours Of Trying To Get Your Toddler To Nap. You’re Hungry, Shaky Hands Knock The Plate Off The Table. The Crash Wakes The Toddler

I Just Realized My 4-Year-Old Let The Intrusive Thoughts Win

My Bag Of Trail Mix After The Wife And Kids Pick Out The Good Stuff

My Toddlers Have Bit The Fingers Off Woody And Now He’s Permanently Giving The Finger

Gave It A Good Effort

Asked Step-Daughter To Fold Her Clean Laundry And She Threw It In The Trash Instead

My Son Was Fooling Around With The Cooking Spatula When He Lost Control And It Went Flying Across The Room Into My Monitor

And She Was So Proud Using The Meat Thermometer

Left My Kids Alone For 5 Minutes. They Were Using This “Normally” And This Happened

My Roku Controller After I Said “No” To My Three-Year-Old

Went Out To A Play Center On The Weekend. Asked My Daughter To Go Grab Some Aoli For Our Chips. This Is What She Comes Back With

He did some “adjustments” on the radiator, with a screwdriver. It’s a good thing I had extra parts, but it was more work than I wanted for the day.

My Kid Helped Me “Work” On The Car

Our Daughter’s Snake Got Stuck On Top Of Our Dishwasher. That Was Fun

The Kids Put My Wife’s New Water Bottle In The Dishwasher. Turns Out It’s Not Dishwasher-Safe

Toddler Bit Every Apple Slice

Ah, The Joys Of Parenting

My 3-Year-Old Son Decided To Microwave Our 3DS

My 6-Year-Old Begs Me To Play Minecraft With Him And Then Does This The Whole Time To See His Half Of The Screen Better

My Kid MacGyvered His Way To The Markers… Permanent Markers

Literally

My Kids Bought These Pretzels For Me For My Birthday Yesterday. I Haven’t Had A Single One Yet

Toddler Is Angry Because His Sister Went To Camp

My 10-Year-Old Made Easy Mac And Now The Whole House Stinks

An Entire Bag Of Cumin That My Toddler Dumped

My Daughter Stepped In Chewing Gum And Then Sat With Her Shoes On The Car Seat

Husband Had Two Jobs: Put Toddler In Car Seat And Hand Him Tablet From Car’s Roof. Guess, Which He Forgot?

The Way My Toddler Eats A Slice Of Bread Every Night Before Going To Bed Because “He’s Still Hungry”

My Kid Put Her Favorite Toy Down A Drainpipe

When You Leave The Room To Put Your Little Guy Down For A Nap, And Re-Entering It Makes You Feel Like You’ve Wandered Into A Landfill

My Son Left His New Stretchy Action Figure On The Arm Of The Couch For About An Hour. When He Picked It Up, It Had Left This Mark. That Was 2 Days Ago, I Think It’s Permanent

Not Even The Combined Mind Of Two 11-Year-Olds Could Figure This One Out

Son Has A Friend Over, They Go Outside With BB Guns. Five Seconds Later

Kid Is Grounded And Spray-Painted The Wall

Got It Last Night, I Never Liked Crayons

Hey Kids, Who Wants A One-A-Month Gummy Vitamin?

I Ordered These On Amazon For My Kid And They Sent Me Two Left Shoes

While My Family With Young Kids Were Staying At This Airbnb, An Old Man Walked Into The Backyard And Started Draining The Pool

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