These Kids Pushed Their Parents To Their Limits In The Most Hilarious Ways
In every family dynamic, parents are meant to be responsible, calm, clear-headed, and rational beings — and every person who tells you that line is lying to you. Yes, parents try their best to be doting, guiding examples of how to resolve conflicts, but sometimes their children leave them no other option except for getting even with them.
Whether by leaving them passive-aggressive notes or by playing an elaborate prank on them, these parents showed their kids a thing or two about being responsible, and funny, in a way that was likely cathartic to them on so many levels. Or, in some cases, like one dad and his dinner plate, they just wanted to have a laugh at their kids' expense!
A Meme-Worthy Laundry Reminder
The internet loves memes, but this mom hated picking up socks. Ths sign was a not-so-subtle way for her to remind her kids to pick up their laundry in their rooms. It's not her job, after all, to pick up those stinky things!
Using a meme that came from a scene from the television series Xena: Warrior Princess, this mom wrote in the captions, in all capital letters, "I'M NOT YOUR SLAVE!" In smaller lettering below that, she added, "Pick up your dirty socks and put them in the hamper!" Even though she was clearly upset, this mom let her kids know they were still loved. She signed, "Love, Mom xo."
Tiffany Is This Fish's Life Saver
Nothing says "passive-aggressive parent" like using the pet to get your kids to do their chores! Getting a kid to feed their pet is surprisingly hard. They want all the benefits and rewards of having that pet without having to put in the hard work. At least with a fish, you don't have to clean it as often!
This parent made sure that the message was being sent to the kids that they were done feeding their pet — and they did it from the fish's point of view. "Tiffany fed me no thanks to you," the harsh note reads. "Do you want me dead? Just feed me to the cat." Ouch!
The Classic Dad Joke
Dad jokes, depending on if you are a dad or not, are either the best things ever or the absolute worst. Puns are a favorite of the dad jokes, and this dad ensured plenty of eye rolls and groans from his kids — and maybe a tantrum or two — with his promise of "eye pads" for Christmas.
It's likely that these kids had this coming to them. They probably pestered mom and dad all season long with "wishes" (a.k.a. demands) for the popular personal device from Apple. Dad definitely got the last laugh with this joke on Christmas morning.
An Artful Selfie
News flash: your parents are not (or were not) impressed by your cutesy teen photoshoots with your boyfriend or girlfriend in high school. What may look great on your Instagram feed is actually vomit-inducing to a parent (not only because of natural parental tendencies to be over-protective, but also because it's nauseatingly too cute for anyone to bear).
This dad had the right idea on how to set his kid straight. He posed as she did with her boyfriend, but he used a dummy instead (not sure if that's a comment by dad about his daughter's boo, TBH). He got everything down to the little details right — even wearing a black spaghetti-strap top like his daughter did in the picture!
Hopefully, His Name Isn't John!
Pet-shaming is a popular meme on the internet because, in most cases, the pets don't know what they've done wrong and are still being forced to hold out a sign that shows their misdeeds. We think this kid knew exactly what he was doing.
According to the sign he's holding, he put his toothbrush and his underpants in the toilet. And to fix the fixture, mom had to pay the plumber a whopping $75. We think this kid got off easy if all he had to do was hold up a sign and become "internet famous."
Dealing With The Picky Eater
Every family has one. It cannot be avoided. And no matter how much you try, or how much you try to broaden your family's horizons, the "picky eater" always seems to dictate what you're meal will be for the evening, or while you're on vacation.
This person's parents, like many others before, decided to try the "trick them into thinking it's something else" routine when they ordered calamari. Spoiler alert: if you don't know what calamari is, it's most definitely not "Italian Onion Rings." But if you have a kid who won't eat it, it's worth a shot calling them that!
Doing Laundry... The RIGHT Way
Anyone who's had anyone else do the laundry knows that only they know how to run the laundry machine, and everyone else is wrong. OK, that might seem a bit paranoid and control-freakish to some, but for people with kids, it's doubly true. You want your children to learn to do this chore, but only the way that it's supposed to be done — you don't need your white dress shirt turning pink after being washed with red garments, after all.
So what can you do? Be like these parents: put post-it notes everywhere on the machine. No, really... EVERYWHERE. And you thought I was being paranoid and a control-freak?
Pranking Their Dorky Kid
Sometimes the kids haven't done anything wrong at all, and parents just got to have a little fun at their expense anyway. This is especially true when the parents in question have an incredibly arduous task ahead of them, like painting the house.
These parents had a lot of fun with the outside of the house by putting an arrow toward their kids window, and writing "dork" on the outside. To make it even more enjoyable, they took plenty of pictures so they could remember the moment. Sometimes, even parents have to let loose and do something crazy once in a while.
Keith Got The Message
Some of the items on this list are of parents trying to give their kids a gentle nudge in the right direction to do what's best for their lives. This cake, and it's message, likely reached "Keith" about 10 years too late. Hey, better late than never, we suppose.
Featuring a depiction of Marty McFly from the Back to the Future series of films, mom and dad don't make any attempts at being subtle with this one, telling their son, quite frankly, "It's time to move out, Keith." At least it was a delicious way to get the message... unless it was carrot cake.
Ruining Your Kids' Social Lives
If you're trying to put together a secret party that you don't want your parents knowing about, blasting it across Facebook isn't the best option for doing it, especially since parents also have Facebook, too. This kid didn't even make an attempt to privatize their post before putting it out there, which is "social media 101" really, making it all the more hilarious when mom found out about it.
When the mother of the kid saw the initial response, she accused her mom of "ruining" her social life. Mom had the best comeback: "I'll ruin much more than that!" Well said, mom.
Do Your Chores, Get The Wi-Fi
What's the best way to get your kids' attention? If you have a hard time getting them to do their chores, you might want to employ this strategy. This parent made out a simple card with a small list of demands: make your beds, vacuum downstairs, and walk the dog. Only then will the kids get the all-important Wi-Fi password.
Honestly, this is probably the bare-minimum my list would be for my kids, and these youngsters got off pretty easy, in my opinion. But it's also a method that probably works: after all, changing the Wi-Fi password is pretty simple. This can be done daily, if needed!
Does It Come With A Broken Toy?
Kids can be pretty gullible. Between the tooth fairy and other assorted characters we tell them about, it can be tempting to create our own stories to keep them in line. Case in point: the sad meal.
Look, I'm not saying it's not a tempting idea. I know I've had to turn my head around and tell my kid to quiet down more than a few times. And I'd love to just see their faces when I tell them what comes inside the sad meal. Hopefully, it never comes to that, but we'll have to see how well-behaved they are on our next venture to the golden arches...
Taking Things Literally
Kids get older, and as they do, they get wiser. Sometimes they get too wise and develop what professional parents might call a "smart mouth," which, if you're familiar with the colloquialism, is not something parents like to deal with. But sometimes, it can result in a good laugh.
The kid pictured above told his parents that, for Christmas that year, all he wanted was some "cold hard cash." Well, guess what? Ask, and ye shall receive it... in a literal sense. They froze his cash in ice, and he wasn't exactly thrilled with the results. Hey, the stores will still take wet cash!
The T-Shirt Method
Sometimes, siblings that don't get along with each other just need some time apart. At other times, however, when that doesn't work, you have to push things in the other direction: force them to be together until they figure out how to work out their differences.
This kind of shirt has been seen online in many instances, but the looks on the kids' faces give you a sense of what's going on here. The sister is clearly annoyed with the situation, while the brother is loving it. Wonder which one wanted time away from the other... and which one might have been the annoying sibling.
Don't Mess With Dad's Threats
Everyone loves the class clown — except for teachers. The only thing worse than a teacher dealing with a class clown is a parent having to get a call about their student misbehaving in class. This dad made the ultimate threat, and it's surprising his son didn't take him seriously. The end result was one of the most devastating things to ever happen to a teen.
Dad said that if his son kept acting up, he'd sit in class with him the day after his teacher sent back a complaint. Sure enough, the kid acted up. Dad kept up his end, and sat in class with his student. Of course, dad clicked a selfie, but isn't that a disruption of class, too? Oh well, it's not like dad can be sent to the principal's office.
That's One Kind Of Pop
The dad joke strikes again! The son of this dad wanted his dad to try listening to his favorite pop music tunes. But instead of listening to his iPod (or whatever it is that kids listen to these days), the dad took his son's headphones, and "plugged" them into the soda he was drinking. Now that's my kind of pop music!
Kids, it's nothing personal. We can't help that music from our time is just monumentally better than what you have access to right now. It's not your fault, and we don't blame you. But maybe ask your dad to listen to the classics with him once in a while?
Mom Shakes Her Head
Here's another Facebook post that kids should know better than to post, as their moms and dads will undoubtedly see them. "Gen" wanted to share a picture of clothes she was trying on at the department store, and it was a little too revealing for her mother's taste.
Gen's mom, Marlene, commented on the post. "Gen, why don't you just remove your blouse so everyone can really see what you are trying to show. SHM." Hey, props to mom for getting her internet acronyms down, and for getting more likes than the OP. Then again, are you going to "like" a post from a friend after her mother called her out for it? Probably not.
Think He'd Deliver To The Party?
"Taking full advantage" of a Friday night to a young person in college might mean going out to your best friend's party and having fun, maybe even having a drink or two (if you're of age, of course). To parents, it means studying and being responsible. I've said it once, and I'll say it again: kids, don't post on Facebook your plans for being irresponsible. Like...ever.
This parent put the passive-aggressiveness to full-steam, pointing out he was paying for his daughter's tuition by delivering pizzas while she seemingly planned to go out and party. Hopefully, Brittany got the message: only post about your study habits on Facebook from now on.
Locking Up The Fun
We saw one parent's method of getting her kids to do chores earlier, which involved holding the Wi-Fi hostage until the work around the house was completely done. That might seem extreme to some, but this parent took it even further.
Until their kids' chores were finished, they weren't going to be using electronics of any kind, it seemed. That's because this parent put a lock on the electric cord itself — preventing it from being plugged in at all. That's certainly creative...and a good way to make sure ALL the chores get done, and done right the first time!
This Kid Is Milk-Shook
We all have those awkward moments when we do something in public that's just absolutely embarrassing. Fortunately, for most of us, those moments, while witnessed perhaps by a crowd full of people, don't get uploaded onto the internet too often.
Unless you're this kid. If you're him, and you rely on your dad to drive you places, including to McDonald's and other dining establishments, chances are, when you do something awkward, he's going to upload it on Instagram... including when you spill your chocolate milkshake on the ground and it goes everywhere. Hey, gotta live for those likes, am I right?
Mom Calls Him Out
This guy told a bad joke on Facebook and involved his mom in the punchline. The joke involved where he was more likely to find a spoon — his bedroom or the kitchen — and saying that, like the spoon, women belong in the kitchen. Hmm...not cool, dude.
Luckily, mom was there to see it too — and have a brilliant comeback to it as well! It's pretty awful when your mom calls you out for your insensitive joke, but to have her do so while also saying you don't have any "game?" That's just downright hurtful... and probably deserving? We'll let you be the judge.
Parents Can Be Cruel
This list has a lot of things that children have done wrong in order to garner their parents' revenge, but this is just plain wrong. These parents apparently thought the best way to get their kids out of bed was to make the house smell like cinnamon rolls...only, they didn't bake the rolls in order to make the smell. No, they bought an air freshener to do the trick.
Maybe their kids deserved it. Who knows, maybe this was an amazing April Fool's Day prank. All I know is if the joke was being played on me, I'd be frowning most of the day.
Surprise!
The look of surprise in this kid's face says it all. He's doing three things he's not supposed to be doing. He's up at 3 a.m. He's eating junk food. He's watching cartoons without asking first. Clearly, this is the trifecta of wrongdoing, but we're guessing he was let off with a warning on this violation, given his young age (he probably didn't know better).
That said, that doesn't mean his parents can't have a little fun. Upon catching him, they surprised the heck out of him, and took a picture while doing it. Way to go, mom and dad.
Mom's Questionnaire
Kids who post their plans (including parties while their parents are out of town) on Facebook aren't thinking...but we have to wonder what this mother was thinking regarding this post to one of her children's newest friends. We get being safe and protective of your children's online presence, but this definitely DOES ruin one's social life, especially if this person is a real-life friend.
What makes this even wilder is that it appears to be a public post — the mother didn't message her child's friend, but made it public so that everyone could see it. Several people liked the post, in fact, likely laughing a little bit at this mother's actions. Say what you will, however: we know this mom loves her kid a lot.
Dad Ate All Of The Power Pellets
Pacman is considered one of the most iconic video games, but a lot of kids nowadays don't know what it's about. This dad made sure his kids would understand the reference in his joke before putting it on. That's not messy eating — that's just good parenting.
The dad in this picture waited a long time, it appears, before his joke paid off. But when it did, it was well worth the wait. The joke apparently made his kids laugh so hard that they took his picture, and put it on the internet as a meme of their own. That's also good parenting.
Even The Tooth Fairy's Handing Out Punishments These Days
Imagine being a child, being thrilled about losing a tooth and the prospects of being given some sort of monetary gift for your loss, and...waking up to find this letter. Either the tooth fairy is a neat-freak, or your parents had something to do with this.
Emily found out the hard way that, whoever was leaving that cash under her pillow, they weren't going to do it until she cleaned up her room. We wonder, however, if she did, in fact, ask her mother "NICELY" to help...we're betting a few crocodile tears were shed at first before the cleaning took place.
1- Year-Old's T-Shirt
I can only imagine what this dad said to his daughter when he found out she — at just 10 years old — was sneaking out, going on dates, and creating social media accounts, pretending to be a teenager. Yes, some kids at age 10 can be pretty tall, and his daughter, at 5'9" tall, is a tall 10-year-old!
To ensure that she wouldn't be doing any of the activities that broke his rules again, dad made a T-shirt for his daughter that said, "I am 10 years old." For good measure, he shared her pictures...on his social media accounts.
Can He Just Apologize Instead?
At some point, a kid starts to think that once they start doing something their parents are doing, that they've got it all figured out. This sometimes happens to teens who start working part-time. Suddenly, because they're making money, they think they're all that and a bag of chips.
In this picture, Aaron seems to think he doesn't need his mom's help for anything, and what's more, apparently has an attitude about all the money he's making. So mom wrote this letter, demanding that, if he's his own person now, he can start taking responsibility for himself — including rent, electricity, internet, and food costs.
Don't Mess With Mom. Ever.
Bullying is a big problem, but this kid's mom wasn't going to allow her son to be one. When she found out that her son was planning to make fun of another person online, she banned him from being able to log into Facebook completely. Much worse, she decided to provide his group of friends with the worst bit of information a mother can share.
"I thought he should know how it feels when the tables are turned," she wrote. "He wet the bed until he was 8." Harsh, but I guess you shouldn't play with fire if you don't want to get burned.
Make Sure You Shop In Well-Lit Areas With Dad, Or Else...
This person voluntarily decided to ruin their social lives. Or perhaps they just wanted to show how goofy their dad is! At Hollister, the retail stores across the country are typically dimmer than usually seen in other establishments. This dad wanted to make sure he got the best size and pricing he could, but couldn't read the labels in the dark light.
So what did he do? He took out the head torch in his pocket so he could see better. Which begs the question: are dads just prepared for every eventuality? The answer: Probably. At least, this dad was.
Dad Chimes In
Sometimes teens think they're being funny by posting lines that have been serious in the past, but in no way describe themselves. That's what this teenager tried to do, but apparently her dad didn't get the memo about it not being serious.
When she wrote that she "didn't choose the thug life" but it chose her instead, dad chimed in to remind his daughter that she's got a few strange phobias that probably disqualify her from being a true thug. Maybe the lesson we're learning is that teens should never be on Facebook, ever. Not for safety concerns, but in case their parents ever decide to "burn" them.
A Blanket For Breaking Curfew
Breaking curfew was definitely a no-no in my household. If you showed up even 15 minutes past time, you got an earful. In my opinion, this kid got off lucky. His mom or dad actually provided them with a blanket and the promise of not getting yelled at in the middle of the night.
Sure, they probably had a stern talking to the morning after, but when they got home, they had time to come up with a reasonable and possibly believable story for why they were late. Me? I had to get my punishment doled out to me then and there! This kid should be thankful.
Don't Lie To Dad
Some of the "shaming" signs we've seen on this list have been more cute than actual punishments — like when the toddler messed up by breaking the toilet. But this one is truly personal. If there's one bit of advice I can give to today's youth, it's don't lie to your dad.
I'm guessing this teenager, who was forced to hold up a sign in public by the family car which read "I Lied To My Dad," had much more to go through than just holding up the sign. The hardest part, of course, is regaining your parents' trust after lying in the first place.
Take Your Bath
The story behind this photo album will either have you aghast at what these parents did, or laughing alongside them. The mom and dad in this family apparently had a difficult time getting their kids to take baths. So they included a mushroom in their family picture book.
Why? As the story goes, the parents told their kids they had an older sibling who also hated taking baths. Being their first kid, they decided to let them not bathe. Eventually, they told their kids, the older sibling turned into a fungus after a while, and that's why they never saw him again. The "joke" worked, and their kids (their real ones) finally started taking baths.
Who Wear's Short-Shorts?
If you don't listen to your parents, or at least hear them out and plead your case in a thoughtful manner, they can take it out on you in the most embarrassing of ways. Case in point: this dad, who cut his jeans to make "short-shorts" to make his daughter turn red in the cheeks.
The story behind this picture is that Mom told her daughter to change out of her, shall we say, "risque" looking shorts. Daughter refused, so dad, backing mom up, ripped his shorts to be as short as his daughter's. The best part? This was on the way to a family outing at the mini-golf course. Both dad and daughter wore matching short-shorts.
Obsessed With Mom
When parents call themselves cool, it's rare that that's actually the case. But this mom is pretty cool, in my books. When her daughter kept texting her consistently (at least four times, according to the picture above), mom had the perfect response, doing a call-back to a popular teen movie, Mean Girls.
Mom responds to her daughter with a meme of one of the actresses, asking "Why are you so obsessed with me?" It's a good question: the daughter could have called her mom instead of texting her so much. As parents, our children are supposed to grow up and become more responsible. But when we give them devices like cell phones, sometimes it seems like they become more dependent on us...which can be annoying at times!
Grandpa Gets Even
If there's one thing we've learned from this list, you don't mess with mom and you don't mess with dad. Well, who do you think taught them? That's right — grandpa and grandma. This picture showcases some hooligans making fun of their grandpa for falling asleep on his favorite chair. They took a selfie of the occasion, but didn't expect the old guy to get them back.
Grandpa found one of them passed out on the couch later on. So he got some help, and took a picture of his own, noting the occasion. These kids should have learned to respect their elders, because if you don't, they'll just find ways to get back at you!
No Love Lost
Kids grow up to become teenagers, then move out as young adults, either to college or to their own apartments to take on jobs of their own. This young person, who recently moved out, probably worried that their parents would be sad without them.
It turns out the parents are doing just fine...with a new addition to the family. They decked their kid's old room out for the dog instead, and by all appearances, it looks like they've spoiled the pooch much more than they spoiled their own child. Ok, Ok, this pic is somewhat edited, possibly using Photoshop. But we think the kid gets the point.
The Setup Was There...
We're going to leave you with one last look here at another example of why you should never write anything on Facebook ever, if you have parents who are online, too. Almost anything you write is basically a set up for one of them to make a joke at your expense.
This status update was supposed to be inspirational — a call for others to see something that's "broken" in a different light, as something that can help create another thing that's better. But this person's parent couldn't help themselves, and suggested, "that's why you have a younger brother." Ouch.
Taylor Swift's Newest Single
Taylor Swift has some famous songs that speak to a lot of today's youth, but I don't think I've heard this song. Friends, we can say it over and over again, but you should never post on Facebook if you're still living in your parents' house or depending on them in some other way (or at the very least, be more selective about what you're writing).
This post seems innocuous enough. How could a parent possibly ruin it? By pointing out that your chores are still needing tending to, that's how. It's a small bit of embarrassment, to be sure, but probably enough to get the cat box cleaned up, too.
