Becoming a parent and raising a child is no easy task and none of us are immune from parenting fails. Although parenting can sometimes be stressful, the funny family moments make up for this when we least expect them to happen.
Cyrus has the wildest imagination, and there is never a dull moment when he verbalises the bizarre thoughts that pop into his head. From the mispronunciation of words such as ‘CDeedies’ in place of ‘CBeebies‘ to finding his way into his baba’s toolbox, every day entails some form of humorous mishap.
But what about the mistakes that parents have made? Here, we discuss some of the funniest parenting mishap stories that adults have shared on Twitter, as well as some of the most innovative life hacks.
1. Tired Talks
Parents will know that raising a child often means being able to function on as little as two hours of sleep per night and waking up to do a full day of adulting all over again. Yesterday, I was reading my FTWeekend and C was vying for my attention in the garden. He wanted me to fill his bucket up with water, but I told him I couldn’t because ‘mummy was working!’ #parentingfails
In January, I returned to the office for a day. Such was my eagerness to get back to work that I was halfway there before I realised that I’d forgotten to drop C off at school. I had to quickly double-back. #parentingfail
H took C out on his scooter mid-week and as I was still working from home, he sent me some photos via What’s App. On closer inspection, I found that C was still wearing his PJ bottoms! #dadfail #parentingfails
For one parent in particular, a lack of sleep had finally caught up to her. She explained: I’m so sleep deprived that this morning, even after 2 coffees, I called over my daughter by yelling ‘Hey Google!’ #parentingfails
That’s one baby name you probably won’t find in the book.
2. Hilarious Haircuts
With coronavirus restrictions affecting access to hair salons, some parents have had no choice but to give their kids DIY haircuts. Not everyone is gifted with a talent for hairstyling, with one parent sharing the below tweet:
The bebe’s hair was too long and kept getting in his eyes so I managed to quickly trim his fringe, but I have no idea what I’m doing and now he has a mullet #mumfail #novicemum
Perhaps it’s best to opt for a hair bobble next time instead!
3. Dress-up disasters
As your children start school, you’ll be aware of the abundance of emails and letters you receive. Sometimes, finding the time to read all of them in detail is no easy task. For one parent in particular, the content of the letter seemed to get lost in translation:
What I thought the email from daycare said: Friday is ‘dress up as you want’ day. What the email from daycare actually said: Friday is ‘dress up as what you want to be when you grow up’ day. My kid in her pumpkin costume. #mumfail
Ten points for creativity, right?
4. Dad Dos and Don’ts
There are a lot of funny dad stories and videos on the internet that never fail to amuse. Other than being described as ‘big kids’ themselves sometimes, dads have also taken to Twitter and shared their funny parenting mishaps, like this one:
So I was left in charge for ONE day and forgot to pick the kids up off the buss #dadfail
Perhaps make a note to self next time.
5. Compromise, Adapt, and Overcome
Raising kids and keeping an organised house isn’t something that goes hand in hand. So much so, finding ways to quickly adapt the resources we can find around the house is a skill all parents possess. One parent explained:
Hurray for finding the egg cups and not having to serve a child a boiled egg in a shot glass again. #littlewins #parentingfails
Creativity is key.
From Mishaps to Hacks
No matter how many parenting books and guides you read, there are some elements of parenting that even they can’t help you with. So, when in doubt, many parents have come up with their own rather humorous parenting life hacks and shared them on social media.
Swings and Roundabouts
Every parent knows that pushing their child on a swing for hours upon hours isn’t the highlight of their lives. Thanks to one parent’s clever life hack, you don’t have to anymore. They demonstrated that by attaching a rope from the window of their home to the swing outside, pushing and pulling the swing from the comfort of the sofa!
Lolly Lifesavers
Keeping furniture and brightly coloured décor stain-free and in good condition is no easy task when kids come along—especially when it comes to foods that melt. Even sometimes as adults, managing to eat an ice lolly before it drips all over the carpet is difficult, let alone for youngsters!
One mum demonstrated that by making a small cut in an old Pringles lid and placing the lolly stick through it, the lid acts as a liquid collector for when the lolly melts. It’s the small things in life.
Teeth Cleaning Tricks
Teaching our kids the importance of cleaning their teeth is not always an easy task, especially showing them how to clean all of their teeth and not just the front two! If only there was a way they could see inside their mouth better – well now, there is! One parent demonstrated that by using the mouth-opener pieces that are provided in the popular board game Speak Out, it makes it easy for kids to brush every tooth until they’re all squeaky clean.
Scooter Strolling
Every parent knows that baby pushchairs are important, whether your baby can’t walk yet or your toddler needs a rest. So why not make walking more fun for you too? One parent showed how they made a baby stroller and scooter hybrid! Feel like a big kid again and drive your baby around while they sleep.
No one enters the world of parenting knowing the ins and outs of it. And what works best for your child won’t always work well for the next – but making mistakes and creating some clever parenting hacks like the ones mentioned above are all part of the fun!
Saffron and Cyrus is a Newcastle-based family lifestyle blog, covering diversity, self-care, days out, travel, reviews, recipes and more from our family life.
The blog is written by new mum over 40, Aranda, with input from hubby H and four-year-old Cyrus.
