Oh, How the Turn Tables

Studies show that overtiredness at bedtime is one of many reasons why kids often wake up too early the next day. Adrienne experienced the drawbacks of this phenomenon firsthand when her daughter, Claire, would wake her up too early in the morning.

However, what goes around often comes around. And now that Claire is older and of school age, her mom gets to return the favor by waking her up early in the morning too. What’s that if not Karma?

An Unbreakable Bond

Spanish great-grandma Maria Branyas Morera got her name added to the Guinness World Records as the oldest living person in the world. And even though she’s been alive for more than 100 years, she’s bound to still have a great relationship with the babies in the family.

At least, that’s the way it was with Adrienne’s grandmother. At age 91, she had a lot of fun spending time with her great grand-daughter, doing something as mindless as rolling Play-Doh into shapes.

Peak Sibling Rivalry

Sibling rivalry means what it sounds like—petty arguments and fights among siblings. It’s often fueled by jealousy and envy and, in most cases, fizzles out as the children grow older.

And as this cartoon shows, the rivalry often revolves around petty things like sitting in one’s chair, copying their posture, or hurrying to perform a task in another’s place. Studies also show that this kind of competition peaks between ages eight and 12. However, it may end or continue into adulthood.

Why the Dad Voice Works

Children always seem to have a lot of energy reserves, which is why they can play for hours without getting exhausted or bored. However, this unending excitement may be a source of headache for parents, especially at nighttime.

At such times, the mom may instruct the kids to put their toys away and prepare for bed. But as this cartoon shows, kids can easily ignore that. Well, that’s when most parents know to pull out the big guns—the dad voice!

What Dads Mean When They Say They’re Not Sleepy

Another thing that changes when people become parents is their bedtime. Couples without kids can enjoy a vibrant social life and attend all-night events before crashing into bed as the next day breaks.

But no parent can afford that luxury. Instead, they often fall asleep soon after the kids have been put to bed. So even though Adrienne’s husband here found it absurd that he could go to bed at 8:00 p.m., that’s exactly what he ended up doing.

What It’s Like to Run Errands as a Parent

Parenting sometimes makes the simplest chores a million times more difficult, and here’s proof. Without kids, it takes about 25 minutes for people to do some grocery shopping and pick up the dry cleaning.

However, once kids enter the picture, that 25 minutes is dedicated to making sure the child is perfectly dressed for an outing. Then there’s the struggle of getting them into the car seat—it has to be one that fits the child’s size and is installed correctly.

What Completing a Chore Feels Like

Having realized how complicated it often is for parents to get their kids ready to go run errands, it’s easy to tell how equally frustrating it could be for those same parents to get some work done in the house.

The way Adrienne puts it, the feeling of accomplishment that comes with putting the laundry away the same day it gets done is nothing compared to how she’d feel winning the Nobel Peace Prize like human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski did in 2022.

When Kids Hide Their True Selves

Many parents often ask themselves, “Why does my child behave for everyone except me?” Such questions may come after another parent gives glowing reviews about their kid’s conduct during a visit or outing.

While many may assume this happens because their kid prefers the company of other parents, researchers believe it may be the opposite. Children often feel more comfortable with their parents, so they don’t feel the need to put on an act. However, such ease is absent from others.

Dads Can Sleep Through an Earthquake

Scientists are yet to pinpoint the reason why dads seem to sleep more deeply than their married partners. Or why loud sounds are okay, but light sensitivity brings them so much discomfort.

This comic shows that Adrienne’s husband can stay asleep through a loud conflict between the kids, clanging pans, and dogs barking. But once a penlight comes on in bed, his eyes open immediately.

NEXT: No matter how much kids want a new toy, this always happens in the end.

Kids and Their Short Attention Spans

A survey conducted in the United Kingdom in 2021 showed that most children get bored with a toy within a month. Interestingly, this doesn’t stop them from obsessing over some items and throwing tantrums if their wish isn’t granted.

As Adrienne shows, children act like life won’t go on if they don’t get a particular item, but when they do, it doesn’t take long before the high fades and a new obsession enters the scene. Of course, the forgotten toys end up as clutter.

The Kid Has No Shoes

People may argue that children are only as expensive as you make them. However, the proof is in the pudding, as they say. As prices soared in 2021, many recorded that evidence of inflation could be found no further than children’s feet.

In September of that year alone, the price of kids’ shoes rose to 12% higher than the previous year. However, children are hardly ever aware of these issues. That must be why they don’t consider shoes much of a priority when heading out.

The Low-Maintenance Mom Lifestyle

There’s no time like life before kids. People are free to embrace their identity and self-expression and prioritize maintenance. Just look at how much effort Adrienne used to dedicate to her hair routine.

However, the responsibilities of parenthood leave no room for such frivolities. After all, what’s to stop the kids from running their sticky hands all through their mother’s freshly-washed hair? There is no use to even bother with a comb. Just popped on a face cap, and voila!

How Often Should I Brush My Teeth?

Routines are important for kids because they provide some form of structure in their lives and help them feel safe. But parents also have a lot to gain from creating well-planned routines. Reduced stress and more time for hobbies are just a few of the perks.

And what’s a routine that doesn’t make time for hygiene? Here Adrienne explains how children never understand why it’s necessary for them to brush their teeth every day. Interestingly, such reminders aren’t necessary when it comes to playtime.

One Trip Is All It Takes

As hilarious as this cartoon is, it speaks to a phenomenon that applies to many, not just moms. Something about making multiple trips to the car after shopping just seems like a waste of time. So many prefer to risk their muscles by lifting as many bags as possible.

One way to avoid this burden is to avoid shopping at the grocery store altogether. People who hate grocery shopping may cite reasons such as long lines, low-quality products, and poor customer service.

Your Closet Is Mine, Mom

Fashion is cyclical. The trend taking the world by storm in 2023 are remakes of styles that were popular in the 1990s and 2000s, and this phenomenon will continue for much longer. But there are a lot of factors that shape a child’s sense of style.

Trends popular among their peers play a role. So does the style of their favorite celebrities or internet influencers. And then there’s mom’s closet which contains so many treasures that teens just can’t seem to keep their hands off.

There’s No Such Thing as Gross

One lesson parents learn early in the child-raising process is that there is no such thing as gross. Boogers? Not too slimy to touch. Poop? It’s a regular part of life; no one can escape diaper changes.

It’s not that none of these things are no longer disgusting. Parents tend to prioritize a child’s needs and well-being over personal comfort. Still, no one ought to make that last one a habit. Not when there’s a toilet or a trashcan nearby.

When Mom Becomes Trash Can

The ancient Romans were the first to devise a means of waste collection. Unlike the waste basket units of today, people back then loaded their trash into a wagon which then took it to an isolated location for disposal.

Centuries later, Eugene Poubelle made the first metal trash can, and Charles Harrison created the first plastic waste basket. Despite their fame, none of these inventors can earn the respect of children who consider everything and everyone but actual trash cans as places to throw rubbish.

Kids Don’t Understand the Concept Do Driving

Another frustrating thing about parenting is having to deal with the incessant requests children make when their parents are at the wheel. It’s almost as if the concept of driving in a moving vehicle doesn’t register in their little brains.

Still, no matter how frustrated parents and guardians get, it’s important to look out for the interest and safety of the wards in the vehicle. Always remember to fasten the seatbelt before the car is in motion and keep kids entertained.

Experts at Matchmaking

A classic parenting move is trying to play the ultimate matchmaker. Parents who do this must consider how fun it would be to tighten the bond of friendship by becoming family through marriage.

However, with marriage rates going down each year, parents may have to devise a replacement tactic. In 2021 the marriage rate in the United States was six per 1,000 people, a massive decrease compared to the early 1990s.

NEXT: Why does daylight savings mess up kids’ sleep schedules?

I See the Sun!

Daylight Saving Time (DST) is a practice of turning the clock ahead during warmer weather and reversing the process in the colder months. The idea is to make better use of daylight by prolonging how much time people spend outdoors before night falls.

However, this logic becomes less favorable when kids are expected to go to bed when it’s still light out. The reverse is having kids crash before bedtime and then waking up earlier than usual the next day.

When Kids Can’t Keep Secrets

Children find it difficult to keep secrets, especially when it relates to something they’re excited about. This is why Adrienne almost always finds out about her gifts a day before Mother’s Day.

Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia conceived the idea of Mother’s Day in 1908 during a memorial service held following the death of her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis. Now on the second Sunday of May every year, children around the United States celebrate and honor the sacrifices of their mothers.

Children and Selective Fatigue

Children only have energy for what they enjoy, and parents just have to deal with that. Most kids are up for fun things like watching a favorite show or playing with toys. However, tasks like brushing teeth or taking a bath inspire levels of fatigue unknown to man.

Children’s hilarious antics aside, fatigue is a real issue that plagues many people, parents included. It’s a feeling of constant weakness and exhaustion that could develop as a physical or mental symptom or both.

After Effect of Receiving the Lice Letter

Insects often inspire fear in people, but some within that genus inspire a higher level of disgust, and lice belong on that list. What’s not to hate? They easily spread from person to person and are difficult to get rid of.

They also lead to itchy scalps, scratching, open wounds, and infection. It’s, therefore, necessary for school authorities to inform parents whenever a case of head lice is detected at school. However, something about reading it infects parents with imaginary lice.

Selective Hearing Is Every Parent’s Nightmare

Selective hearing, like selective fatigue, is another habit many parents and guardians have to contend with while raising children. If it’s something fun and within their realm of interest? Kids will be up for it. But calls to do chores are easily ignored.

In this cartoon, the mother asks the child to help set the table, but he appears too engrossed in whatever he’s listening to. Let’s hope those headphones are the volume-limiting kind that is specifically designed for young children.