Parenting is kind of like improv theater. There’s no rehearsal, no script, and half the time, the cast refuses to wear pants. It's hilarious, unpredictable, and always full of surprises. You do your best to guide these tiny humans through life, and in return, they hand you a blooper reel of epic proportions.
Today’s blog post is nothing educational; it’s a tribute to all the weird, silly, chaotic, laugh-out-loud moments that make parenting unforgettable. I know that we are all our kids’ most enthusiastic cheerleaders, and we love to watch them meet each milestone, but let’s be honest: the really fun stuff lives in the outtakes.
Let’s laugh through the blooper reel together.
Batman Flies Commercial
There’s nothing quite like watching your kid fully commit to their superhero identity… even with TSA.
“My favorite was when my son was in preschool—he went through a whole phase where he dressed up like Batman every single day. We were flying to see my mom, and when we went through security, the agent asked him his name, to which he replied, ‘Batman.’ We had to tell him to tell the agent his secret identity. The guy was cracking up.”
—Anji
Beauty Parlor Gone Wrong
You think you're supervising a sweet little makeover party—until your kids emerge looking like they're ready for their mugshots.
“My girls decided to play beauty parlor when they were a little younger. Super cute, right? Until they came out and we realized they had found a bag of Sharpies, which is what they used as makeup. That was fun to try and get off—and then explain to their school why they looked like jailhouse residents.”
—Danny
Ore-Oh No!
Dads are usually known for their bad jokes and excellent pranking skills, but this time, the tables were turned…
“When I was younger, I got into clay sculpting and wanted to play a prank on my dad by making a fake Oreo and putting it in the cookie jar—made a mold from the cookie and everything so it looked legit. Well, one day I went to check and there were no cookies left and he had a handful sitting with him, already halfway through eating the fake one. I thought for sure he would have realized the moment he bit into it. Then I had to figure out how to let him down easy that he was basically eating plastic. He said he thought it was just ‘stale.’”
—Courtney
Pumpkin Decorating at Face Value
When you tell a toddler to “draw a face,” I guess you have to clarify where that face should go.
“We were decorating pumpkins at a party, and the kids were supposed to use Sharpies to draw the faces on them. We told my 3-year-old to "draw a face." When I checked back a couple minutes later, he had drawn a ‘face’ on his own face instead of on the pumpkin with the marker.”
—Anji
Cat’s In the Bag
You think the cat is missing…but your kid had a different idea of “keeping him safe.”
“Kids and mom left the house to run errands. After a while, I noticed that I had not seen our cat in a while. They get home about two hours later. I told them I could not find the cat and was worried he may have gotten out. My daughter tells us that he is not lost—she put him in her hamper so he would not leave her room while she was away. The poor cat was at the bottom of the hamper for hours.”
—Danny
Say it Loud and Proud!
Language development is a journey—that’s all I’ll say.
“My oldest used to not be able to pronounce /tr/ and would instead say /f/. At the park one day, he kept yelling ‘Truck,’ but of course everyone thought he was yelling ‘f**k.’ Got a lot of dirty looks!”
—Anji
Kids Say the Darndest Things!
Little kids repeat what they hear. Especially at the worst possible time and place.
“My niece was always very small and a picky eater, and her mom told her she wouldn’t grow if she didn’t eat her food. One day, we were out at the grocery and saw a little person, and my 3-year-old niece loudly proclaimed, ‘Her didn’t eat her food, did her?!’”
—Anonymous
Call of the Wild
I guess some kids just hear it more than others!
“My sisters and I caught and brought home a baby raccoon, covered in ticks (its mom had gotten killed by a dog), and had it in the house feeding it when my mom came home from work.”
—Jeremy
Poo-ray!
This one is a story of my own…you really do learn to love the little things in parenting.
My husband and I had just brought our newborn home from the hospital, and we were deep in the trenches of new parenthood. The baby had done most of his “business” during his first two days of life while we were at the hospital; once we brought him home, we didn’t see any action for a few days. By day 4 we were kind of panicking but by day 6 we were REALLY panicking; all we were told we could do is wait! Later that night, I noticed the baby making some grunting noises and wiggling motions…then I heard the most glorious sound I’d heard in days. I called my husband over, and we both cheered him on. Never had we been more excited about poop!! We waited for him to be done, opened up that diaper to see our prize…and then hauled him straight to the bathtub!
It’s Okay (and fun!) to Be Silly
These hilarious moments might leave you stunned in the moment but they’re also what makes parenting unforgettable. These stories live on at family dinners, graduation parties, and future wedding toasts. They’re like little time capsules of the comedic things kids do when they’re able to unapologetically be themselves.
We spend so much time and energy trying to get it right—healthy snacks, screen time limits, perfectly timed bedtimes. But you know what? No one tells stories about how they packed a balanced lunch; that would be a really boring story.
So go ahead and be silly with your kids; meet their chaos with your own playful energy. Say “yes” to the imaginary lava. Wear the paper crown and clown-adjacent makeup. Laugh when the cat meows from inside the hamper and then pull them out. As parents, the best thing we can do is just go with it; pull out the camera and snap a picture or take a video and pull it out someday when you need a laugh or a smile.
Read more about embracing shenanigans and having fun with your kids in our blog: The Importance of Joking Around with Your Kids
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About the Author:
Paige Whitley is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida. With over 3 years of dedicated experience, Paige has become a trusted ally for diverse populations, including the neurodivergent community, trauma survivors, substance abuse sufferers, and those navigating general mental health challenges. Since 2010, Paige has impacted young lives through her work as a lifeguard, swim teacher, behavior technician, nanny, and counselor. When not at work, she indulges in the magic of Disney Parks, enticing culinary adventures, and family time with her husband, fur babies, and baby Whitley. Passionate and empathetic, she's a catalyst for positive change, committed to making a difference in her community's mental health landscape.
