Sharing Is Caring
When we get home each evening, we love sharing our experiences and the events of the day with our loved ones. It’s how we unwind and relax. After all, it's with them that we feel most comfortable and free to express our feelings and sentiments openly. They understand us and this is how we bond and learn about each other’s work or education environment and daily connections.
Similarly, little kids want to share their experiences this way too. So even if you are frazzled after a hectic day, it’s important to exercise patience and listen attentively to their story however long it may take. It’s how they develop confidence and learn how to communicate with others. Just give your kid the time and listen like this mom is doing. Besides, it strengthens family bonds. And, sharing shows caring.
Watch Your Language
Most parents try to watch their language when their kids are around. They might think that when a word, usually a profanity accidentally uttered on the spur of the moment, slips out, that this has gone unheard by their kids. But, it’s amazing how kids never fail to pick this up and very often shock and embarrass their parents by repeating and blabbing this out at the most inappropriate moment
Nowadays, music lyrics are full of bad language and very explicit. Parents are grateful to Kidz Bop—an American children's music group, that produces versions of current popular pop songs that are kid-friendly by removing any inappropriate or obscene lyrics. But, this smart 4-year-old has listened to this song with his parents and knows that the Kidz Bop version is different. Although he’s not allowed to say the word, he’s quite surprised it’s been edited.
The Wrong Order
It’s not unexpected if we mispronounce words in a foreign language. Sometimes we even mispronounce words in our own language because we can’t be expected to know the correct pronunciation for every word. Sometimes we accidentally choose the wrong word—usually one that sounds similar to the one we should have used. At times this may be rather embarrassing but it can also be extremely funny.
It’s not surprising that this kid chose the wrong word when placing her order. She’s only five after all. But kudos go to the waiter who did not break out laughing, did not correct her, but politely kept a straight face. He certainly impressed the child’s mother. But we’re sure that his recounting of the story to everyone in the kitchen was met with much laughter. We know we’d have been in stitches!
Curious Kid
Children can be very exhausting with their endless curiosity and their questioning of everything around them. Sometimes it is hard to know the answer to their questions because it might be something we never thought of or don’t know much about. From why a certain thing is like that, how it works, to how it originated—there seems to be no end to their inquisitiveness!
Sometimes their questions can lead to very amusing conversations and, of course, there are those times when they ask some pretty awkward questions. We can just imagine what thoughts are running around in this kid's head now. Unless he has more questions and gets more clarity on this before bedtime, we think he might have a nightmare or two about being eaten and swallowed up by his mother.
Superstitious Beliefs
Many people are superstitious. They believe in doing things a certain way to keep themselves safe and avoid any disasters. It gives them some sense of control over their environment and makes them feel luck is on their side. Some of the common superstitions are avoiding anything with the number thirteen, walking under ladders, breaking a mirror, or seeing a black cat. Even some professional athletes display superstitious behavior prior to competing.
Mostly it is thought that it’s the older folk who hold superstitious beliefs, but not in this case. This teenager likes to jump and touch the doorframe before entering through any doorway. Only this time he forgot. His mother obviously shares the same superstitious belief and is concerned that some sinister fate might happen to him as a result. So, she posts and beseeches everyone to pray for his safety!
Same Way Always!
Kids are very observant. They watch and study everything we do. If we do something regularly and we always do it a certain way, then some of the very particular ones may expect it to be done this way every time from then on without any deviation. If you don’t follow the norm then we may be surprised and amused at how really emotional and upset they may get.
This mother did not follow her normal way of cutting her toddler's pancakes. Instead, she cut the left pancake before she cut the right pancake. The toddler saw this and had a real meltdown. We think her mother posted this formal apology on Twitter to boast about how fanatical her toddler is and because she knew this was the only way her kiddie could be pacified. There’s only one way to cut pancakes, right?
Rap Battling
In our lifetime we will meet lots of different people from varying walks of life. Some we will like immensely and others we won’t be able to tolerate. We mostly dislike people because of their attitude, their lifestyle, or because our personalities are simply incompatible. At times our personalities will clash even with someone we usually like and we need to resolve this quickly and constructively.
Just as adults occasionally encounter co-workers that they do not get along with the same happens with kids at school. Although impressed, this mother finds it hilarious that her daughter has arranged to resolve her differences with a boy at school by having a rap battle. Bet she’d love to be a fly on the wall at that battle to hear them spittin’ out their boasts and insults. We know we would!
Doing Her Level Best
It doesn’t matter whether we are parents or not, we’ve all heard of the Terrible Threes. It’s that stage in children’s development when they suddenly display changes in their behavior. They become defiant and less manageable, and when misunderstood they show signs of frustration and throw tantrums. It is quite overwhelming and a very trying stage for parents who may find it hard to keep their cool and stay calm.
So, this mom is clearly a gamer. She thinks in terms of gaming even in her parenting role. Her child is at that Terrible Threes stage and she is finding it hard to cope. She wants some help and, just like in her video games, needs a cheat code to help her get past this phase to the next. Sorry, Mom, this is reality, not a video game. There are no cheat codes in parenting!
A Waiting Game
What is it that makes receiving parcels, especially lovely surprise packages, exciting? Is it perhaps the pleasure of unwrapping and opening them, or inspecting their contents, or is it both? But, when you have ordered something special by mail or online and are expecting its imminent delivery, it can be torture waiting for it to arrive.
These kids are determined to wait it out and want to be the first to receive the delivery. It seems they have been stationed there for quite a while. Whether their anticipation has rubbed off onto the dogs or they are being guarded by the dogs, we’re not quite sure. But, like their mom, we’re amazed by their endurance and self-control!
The Invisible Friend
Having imaginary friends is pretty normal for kids. These pretend friends provide companionship in lonely times and comfort when they are stressed. They can take the form of things like other children, animals, toys, or magical creatures. Kids will grow out of this in their own time so it’s nothing to be concerned about.
Parents should accept the imaginary friend, include this friend in the family, ask their kids questions about what their friend is doing, and go along with their stories about their friend. Here these good parents are indulging their four-year-old, who is in tears because her imaginary dog has gone missing. It seems their patience is starting to wear a bit thin!
The Spanish Conversion
It’s easy to see why technological gadgets grab the attention of and appeal to young kids. It’s normal in their development for them to respond to visual stimuli like bright lights, colors, pictures, movement, and sounds. To us, it’s amazing and surprising how quickly they become proficient and skillful at swiping and tapping away on those touchscreens.
To distract your toddler from bawling and grizzling and making a scene, it’s tempting to give them a gadget to play with. This toddler was given her mom’s smartphone. In two ticks he had converted all the text into Spanish and taken 273 pictures of his left hand. A real little Speedy Gonzalez! Perhaps his mom will be looking for a different distraction next time!
Artful Manipulation
Lots of people struggle with having a sweet tooth and find sugary treats addictive and hard to resist. Some will even go out of their way to get their hands on any available sweet delicacy. Put out a packet of candies or a decorative iced cake, and you will soon see who smiles and shows a lot of interest. Yes, that’s right - the sweet tooth!
Most children also love sweet-flavored foods. This clever, wily kid knows just how to manipulate her mother into getting what she wants. Perhaps she’s picked this up from watching TV because she certainly knows how to use it effectively. Her mother was too stunned to argue and gave her more than what she wanted - not just one brownie before dinner but brownies for dinner! Silly mom!
Upping the Fee
For children, losing their baby teeth can be quite an ordeal and sometimes rather painful. To ease this experience and make it more fun parents often use the popular tooth fairy myth. They suggest their children leave the lost tooth by their bedside or under their pillow so that while they are asleep the tooth fairy will replace the lost tooth with a small amount of cash.
Perhaps, this cute kid has her heart set on purchasing something she knows will cost $100. Or she knows all about inflation or exactly how to manipulate her parents! She is shrewd, takes a chance, and in her winning way with her delightful smile justifies her reason for raising the amount. Such a charming little Miss! Now, who would be able to resist her and ignore her request?
A Hairy Situation
There are times when we see a hairstyle on someone else and just love it. Oh, how dearly we might wish to have the same style ourselves! But, as we are not quite sure how it would look on us we are too scared to take the plunge. How nice it would be to have a look-alike model to test it out on first?
This mother wanted bangs so she first cut bangs for her daughter - her ‘mini-me’! Luckily she thought she looked dreadful, so she spared herself the embarrassment but, obviously, not her daughter’s! Then, somewhat cruelly we feel, she posted this picture with her sentiments on Twitter. We wonder why she didn’t just use one of the free hairstyle try-on apps to test bangs on her own image! That would have been much kinder!
Forgiven, Thanks to Fries
Not all kids will happily share their belongings with their friends. Some are just plain selfish, and others feel threatened or that their friends will ‘steal’ their belongings. They hang onto their possessions possessively especially when it comes to food. This mom is lucky as her daughter wants her to finish her plate of fries.
Very few people dislike fries. They are easily the most popular lunch or dinner side dishes, are not expensive, and are quick to make and sell. This mother is clearly a huge lover of fries. So, it’s no wonder she was so blown away by her daughter’s generosity that she has forgiven her for the pain her birth had caused!
With Apologies!
When you misbehave or become aware of hurting someone or breaking their trust in you, it is worthwhile to apologize to them. How to do this best will be for you to decide. It could be in person, with a gift, or with a pretty handmade card but your choice will probably depend on the seriousness of your misdemeanor and your relationship with that person.
This proud mother feels it necessary to post how her kids said sorry. They slid their hand-written apologies under her bedroom door as well as some bucks and urged her to buy herself a little pretty gift. Of course, we wonder what they did and where they found the money. Was it their pocket money, or in the tea canister perhaps, or did they raid their piggy banks?
A Mini Matchmaker
When little children begin developing ideas and opinions of their own; it can be either a very difficult or a very pleasing and interesting time for the parents. These days young children learn a lot from digital screen media but are not always able to separate reality from fantasy very well. So often they play between the two worlds.
This kid has got love on her mind. She thinks life is about love connections and is hoping that one will develop between the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy if she puts her lost tooth under her pillow. Her mother says she is “Here For It” so we are wondering just how she plans to display that this love connection did happen and not disappoint her kid!
Don’t Sleep Too Tight
Getting enough quality sleep is very important for everyone. It’s when our bodies and brains repair and reenergize so that we keep healthy and functioning well. New parents experience a phase of seldom getting a chance to sleep soundly at night with all the interruptions for regular feedings, diaper changes, and trying to calm a fussy baby. It’s a tough, sleepless time for them!
New parents rarely get the opportunity to catch some extra ZZZs so when they do get this precious time and it’s interrupted at such an early hour it’s annoying—especially with cute little hands tugging open your eyelid! This kid is hungry; she can’t wait and allow her mom some extra sleep. She doesn’t understand. She just wants her breakfast cereal and her beloved Peppa Pig, and now!
Why at 2 Am?
We’ve already mentioned how important quality sleep is for keeping us healthy and functioning well. Our bodies cannot repair properly or be reenergized if we are constantly being woken up at the ungodly hour of two in the morning. It’s not surprising that this mom is complaining! With several nights of irregular sleep, she must be battling to keep awake during daylight hours.
We find it rather strange that an 8-year-old is often up at two in the morning, so we feel the child should be thoroughly examined for any medical issues. Also, was it really necessary to text her mother at that hour? It does seem rather selfish. Hopefully, her mother didn’t answer. In fact, we hope she will keep her phone on silent or switched off at night in the future.
Stretching the Imagination
Young children are not always able to distinguish between what’s real and what is fantasy. They can have a very active imagination and can envisage a picture in their mind’s eye of something that doesn’t exist, still has to occur, or that one has not experienced as yet. Their imagination allows them to cross over the threshold to what’s possible just for a short while.
The “shadowman” could be a figment of this 6-year-old’s imagination or he could be something the kiddie has spotted on TV or on the internet that has grabbed his attention. That’s why he repeatedly draws him! Understandably, this parent is unnerved by these scary drawings! While it may be unexpected, it’s not necessarily a reason for parents to worry as it’s probably just a passing phase.
Reality or Fantasy?
If adults have difficulty realizing the difference between reality and what they see on digital media sometimes then it must seem even more complicated and confusing for young children. They are still in their early development stage and are still learning the difference between the two. Some kids even believe that TV characters actually live inside the TV set.
This kid is not fooled by TV characters any longer because he’s already got it worked out. Once, when he was watching the animated educational children's television series, Blue's Clues, he responded to the host’s question but received such an obscure return response that it got him thinking. He soon realized that TV characters are not real. This is one smart 5-year-old!
Private and Confidential
Often it is only after being embarrassed in public that we learn how very careful we must be with the information whom we share with, or discuss in front of, or within hearing distance of our kids. They blurt out private information because they don’t know any better and have no concept of what should be kept private and not publicized!
This kid is playing intently in the skatepark and wants to try out a risky maneuver. It’s great she is concerned her parents have up-to-date health insurance but inappropriate for her to scream this confidential information out in front of other parents. Her poor mom! We feel sure she must have wished right then that the ground could open up and swallow her!
Glass Half Full
As we get older, it seems our responsibilities get heavier and life seems so much harder that it’s not always easy to see things positively. But kids see every day as a new day and seldom ponder, and reflect on the days gone passed. Life is exciting for them, with new things to explore and learn and new adventures to experience each day. Lucky them!
This little girl is having such fun blowing bubbles in the garden. She observes that although it is cold, it is still a beautiful day. We guess she is a glass-half-full kind of kid. Her mom is feeling the strain of her financial commitments and comments that only people without any bills to pay can be positive. We hope that nothing shatters this kid’s positive outlook any time soon!
Dropping a Truth Bomb
Many parents prefer to teach their children that physical violence is not the ideal way to sort out their problems. Instead, they advocate to calmly consider the pros and cons of other methods to solve their issues. Parents are prepared to offer guidance and will then proudly praise them for not resorting to any physical assault.
Like adults, children also experience moments of anger and must learn to handle these emotions and feelings. This is part of their personality development. Very often these moments happen at home when there is a conflict with their siblings. Here, this mom offers praise and a reward to her kid for not hitting her brother. We can’t condone her truth-bomb response but love how candid she is.
History Repeats Itself
Mothers are often so busy running around and organizing all their kids, their husbands, and the household that their heads are full of everything they still have to do. They are not always fully conscious of the things they say, the responses they give, and how often they say the same things because they are always operating on auto-pilot. It’s a non-stop, on-the-go, rushed life for mothers.
When she heard her teenage daughter rebuke her for moving her hairbrush and not putting it back in place, this mom could only break down laughing. It was strange, and yet hilarious, to hear her own words played back to her by her daughter. After all, how many times over the years had she asked her to put things back in place—towels, books, milk cartons, bread, knives, her hoodie—the list is endless!
The Honest Truth
Sometimes adults find it hard to refuse to do something for someone, as they don’t want to offend them or hurt their feelings. So they end up agreeing and doing what they didn’t want to do in the first place. It sounds quite silly because we know it would be easier to be honest and refuse in the first place, but we just don’t!
On the other hand, children tend to be much more honest and direct. This 6-year-old kid has already learned the art of diplomacy and looking her in the eye earnestly professes to both wanting, and simultaneously not wanting, to help her mother plant some flowers in the garden. Isn’t that just too cute? Honest to goodness, we hope she always stays this honest!
Sibling Relationships
The dynamics between an older sister and a younger brother are quite interesting. Being an older sister often causes girls, and women, to feel a motherly and protective responsibility towards their little brothers. Little brothers come to rely a lot on their older sisters and this relationship shapes the way they will always treat and respect other women throughout their lives.
It seems that this little kid has already adopted a motherly role with her little brother. She is being quite tolerant of his crying. She comforts him and kindly encourages him to express his feelings and sadness. But, he’s not sad, he’s hurting and offended because she hit him. Was that being motherly too? At least she answered honestly when her mother asked her why he was crying.
Bad Timing
Sometimes while growing up kids hear phrases that appeal to them or that they feel have a nice catchy ring to them. They remember and store them for future use. They may not really understand what they mean, but that doesn’t stop them from dropping them unexpectedly into adult conversations at the most inappropriate moments. It can be quite embarrassing!
This mother did not know what to do when her teenager dropped her bombshell by asking for an explanation about the carpet matching the curtains. If she was busy drinking at the time we’re sure she would have been doing a spit take all over that carpet. No doubt she had passed this comment earlier. But a teenager should have known to show better tact!
Little Copycat
We do try to be careful about what we say or discuss in front of our kids because we know how quickly they pick up those inappropriate things we let slip inadvertently on occasion. But when they suddenly throw one of our own favorite expressions or comeback lines at us, we realize just what little sponges they are soaking up our words, expressions, and mannerisms.
This parent realized how often she must have used her favorite comeback line “That seems like a you problem” when her little boy, in quite a huff, retorted with the same comeback line. What a saucy little 5-year-old! We bet he loved seeing his mother’s stunned reaction. We guess he’ll be saying it frequently now while his mother will avoid using it, and will look for a new rejoinder instead!
Gender Differences
Kids are still pretty young when they begin to develop a deeper understanding of how different the world can be for different people. Children soon learn that they are treated differently based on their gender. From simple things like the color choices for their clothing to the type of toys they are given; it soon becomes obvious to them that boys and girls are different.
This is particularly noticeable to this 6-year-old, who has brothers. She accepted her mother’s answer to her question, mulled over it for a bit, and then wanted to know in what way it would be different for her brothers. She’s certainly a smart kid who has already wised up to the fact that boys and girls won’t be dealing with the same issues as they grow up.
Mom’s Brilliant Idea
Even though everyone warns you in infinite detail, the reality of how your life has changed only kicks in when it’s too late to change your mind—when you’ve already started a family. Then, you opt for a bigger family so the single offspring won’t be lonely. Instead of running around all day attending to and caring for one, now it’s several. Life becomes all about family.
Her life is hectic and stressful and this mom is plainly exhausted. She knows lots of other moms are feeling the same so she has come up with an innovative solution to their problem. Not only will this give them some well-deserved peace and rest time but it will also keep all their kids together, safe, and entertained. Wow! A party bus. We think it’s a brilliant idea!
Not in Public, Mom!
Little kids accept their mom hanging around them and giving them hugs and kisses in public but this becomes less wanted and liked as they grow older. When they’re teenagers they don’t even want people to know they have a mom let alone be seen out in public with her or admit that it’s their mom standing way over there—but even still too close for comfort!
While posting a pic on Twitter of her publicly fussing over her young son in a typical motherly fashion, this mother is sending an early warning to her teenage daughter. She warns her teenager to expect that she will be getting hugs from her mother at the bus stop daily for a long while. Yes, that’s right! Get used to the public displays of affection, kiddo!
Why So Many?
The annual Picture Day at school was always an important occasion. Not only did it mean a bit of a break from classes and the classroom, but we enjoyed the chance to create some permanent memories of that school year in photographs. Students made sure they took great care with their appearance on that day so that they would look their very best in their photos.
Parents could buy these photographic memories of their children by choosing from a series of packages. Often a package would contain one larger portrait with several smaller versions ideal for keeping in a wallet. This Tweeter is complaining that no one needs 52 wallet-sized photos as no one owns 52 wallets or has 52 different kids. We quite agree— 52 is far too many!
Mindfulness Meditation
While stress has become an everyday part of our lives, it is important that we learn how to manage this. Regular mindfulness practices can help with conditioning our minds and bodies to handle our daily stress better. These are therapeutic techniques that focus our awareness on the immediate moment while we calmly reflect on our thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations so we can relax, have clearer thoughts, and be less emotional.
It’s obvious this young kid has been taught these mindfulness techniques. He is aware that whenever he feels it necessary he should find a comfortable place to sit for about three to five minutes. The back garden is his ideal spot, he puts on a helmet so that he can concentrate and focus and gets into the correct position. To him, it’s practicing namaste. To Mom, it’s something new. What a savvy young kid!
Put Your Eyes In
Children do not see the world in the same way as we adults do. They see it as a wondrous place because they haven’t been exposed to as much of it as we have. They are not yet aware of how big and wide a world it is. They only know what is in their immediate surroundings and naturally, they can only judge things in the light of this knowledge.
Because this toddler’s mother wears contact lenses and watches her mother put them in each day, she thinks everyone wears contact lenses to improve their vision. So, when she has something she wants to show someone else, she is concerned that they might not be able to see it well enough; she checks whether they have their “eyes in.” Well, they might have forgotten, you know! Such a kind, thoughtful kid!
Killer Heels
Little kids don’t know how vast our world is yet and how much there is to explore. They only know what they have been exposed to and seen in their immediate vicinity, so they only understand and remember things that they have seen. When they refer to and repeat things that they have seen on digital media, it’s often because they find them new and strange, and different.
We would love to know why this kid refers to his mom’s black stiletto heels as “mean shoes.” Did he observe an incident on TV or in real life when someone used stiletto heels as a weapon to injure someone? Did his mother defend herself with these stilettos perhaps? Stilettos aren’t only called “killer heels” because wearing them can damage your body or they could make you trip, you know!
Empowering Your Kids
It’s a good idea to assign regular chores to your kids as it teaches them responsibility and to do their share towards the upkeep of the household. Initially, parents should guide and show them how to do the chores properly, and give them more advanced chores as they get older. Being responsible for cleaning their room at any age will teach them to keep it tidy and orderly at all times.
When your kids take the initiative and take on a new, more challenging chore without being asked, without explaining, and without being shown; parents are not quite sure how to react. It’s not something this kid has done before so it’s not surprising that this parent is skeptical and wondering why her son washed his own sheets. Perhaps it’s because he has something to hide! Or could he just be doing an extra bit to help?
Sing Together
Lots of children love to hum or sing. They may sing songs they know or they may make up their own songs—maybe with a different tune and different words each time. Sometimes they may sing the same song continually for hours on end and drive everyone crazy. Really, they are simply drowning out other noises or in deep concentration, without realizing what they are doing.
Like adults, children sing because it makes them happy. It isn’t intended to offend or annoy anyone, but it is extremely annoying if it’s in your ears too early in the morning and wakes you up. When his mother tried to show him how wrong it was to sing her awake so early, she realized she’d misunderstood his intentions all along. He’d just wanted her to be his singing partner!
Here’s Smarty Pants
Many kids go through a know-it-all phase. Often it’s because they’ve gained a better understanding of things around them and want to show off this knowledge and their skills. They’re proud of themselves and want to be praised for how much they know. But, it can become a problem when a kid corrects people too often and other adults and kids begin to change their opinion about him.
Parents will have to handle know-it-all kids very delicately and carefully. It will take lots of patience and effort to show your kids how their actions hurt, offend, and are perceived. This mother should find questions that she is quite sure her son cannot answer and ask them occasionally and subtly so he begins to realize he does not know everything. No one said parenting was easy. She needs lots of luck!
No Way, Not Mine!
When very young kids don’t know any better, or how to address people, they use the only terms they know and are familiar with. Simply put, if they know their mom is a woman, they may call all the women they see “Mom.” Likewise with all men! They could not possibly know or understand the kind of trouble they might be causing.
Judging from his reaction when this kid pointed at him and called him “dada”, we can only guess this man thought his worst nightmare had come true. Clearly, he has a guilty conscience and has been up to no good. He will have some explaining to do when he and his wife get home. In her shoes, we don’t think we’d believe anything he might say. Oh yeah! He’s busted alright!