children

Giving birth is without a doubt one of the most beautiful miracles to occur every single second in this life. Side-note: Isn't that crazy? However, even though it is a precious thing, it is uncomfortable, painful, and gooey. I don't know about you, but my mom loves to remind me of that too. I guess childbirth/raising children are both one of those things that you never fully understand until you give it a go.

When you spend too much time with people a lot starts to happen. You can predict their moods, memorize their sleep schedule, and of course, you develop some kind of a dialect that only becomes more and more abstract with time. Made-up words can definitely solidify a relationship. So, who do we spend the most time with growing up? Yep, our families. And some 'famiolects' just happen to go much farther than others.

I don't know about you, but when I was a child I had literally no concept of money whatsoever. Because my parents wouldn't let me eat Kraft Mac and Cheese, I assumed it was expensive, and thus too nice for us. Boy was I mistaken. Now that I'm an adult, I still feel luxurious every time I pour out the powdered bright yellow 'cheese' all over the little noods. Every time it makes me feel like I've really made it.

A child's job is basically to just make a mistake, then learn a lesson, then make a different mistake, and learn a different lesson. They are adorable little sponges that absorb everything around them and eventually gain enough confidence to make their own decisions. So sweet isn't it? Well, spoiler alert, the mistakes never really stop, it's kind of a central part of being a human. But if we're lucky they might be a little less silly than the ones we made we were itty bitty.

Kids are extremely curious. Sometimes it's rather unbearable. They will willingly ask 100+ questions a day until they exhaust every adult around them. Sometimes though, they will find the answer on their move on with their little lives. The only issue is that that answer may be complete nonsense, and eventually that little kid will grow up to be a big adult and they will have to actually understand what is going on around them. Hopefully, somebody corrects them before it's too late.

Let's be honest, children ask too many questions. It's a beautiful thing how creative they are, but it can also get freaking annoying to explain every single thing in the world to them. If you get them down the "why" train you'll never be able to escape.

 "Mommy, why can't I go outside?" 

"Because it's freezing"

 "Why?"

"Because temperature is under 30 degrees" 

"Why?" 

"Because it's winter" 

"Why?" 

"Because we're in the northern hemisphere of Earth"

"Why"

"AHHHHHHHHHHH"

Sometimes it's just easier to throw in a white lie.

Ah, the miracle of motherhood. Isn't it just the most magical thing? Every part of it is easy and fun! JUST KIDDING, all moms deserve a raise for putting up with it all. From pregnancy to birth, to... well forever. Homegirls really don't get a day off. Still, it's always possible to find humor in each phase of motherhood. Specifically during pregnancy. Sure there were sleepless nights, back pains, and the occasional low-key heat strokes, but there were also those hilarious pregnancy cravings.

As the eldest child in my family, I remember my childhood being full of restrictions and rules. I had curfews, my sugar intake was limited, and my mom knew every single one of my friends and where I was at all times. I assumed that was totally normal, but as I watched my younger siblings grow up, I realize that I suffered from oldest-child-syndrome. It turns out that the first-borns are just the guinea pigs for parents to figure out how relaxed they want to be in their parenting approach. That, or by the time they get to the youngest, they've given up caring. And these hilarious tweets from parents show just how true that is. 

Parenting can be fun, but sometimes it can be a real pain in the a**. Kids don't mean to push your buttons, but somehow they know exactly which ones to push and when. Sure, parenting is rewarding, but it can test your patience to its limit, and we feel your pain. These parents deserve a medal after what their kids have pulled on them. Check out these epic parenting fails and here are some more if you enjoyed them. 

I think I can probably speak for most people when I say that growing up, my sex ed was almost non-existent. I picked up everything I know now along the way, either through the garbage my friends told me or, as I got older, through some awkward trial and error experiences. I was that gullible kid who believed you could get pregnant from swimming in a pool and that my parents only had sex the same amount of times as the number of siblings I have (and even that was way too many for my liking). People on Reddit share some of the weirdest myths about sex they believed as kids, and they make me feel less alone, as that kid who believed anything and everything about the big, bad world of sex.

Parenting is a full-time job and a pretty relentless one at that. There's no clocking off or switching shifts; being a parent is a permanent position, which involves the good, the bad, and everything in between. From the mess to the permanently empty wallet, to the spit-up every three seconds, parenting has its trials and tribulations. Parents are sharing on TikTok how you can tell they have kids without actually saying they have kids, and their videos are the most relatable thing ever. The trend was started by TikTok user @mommacusse, who showed how people can tell she's a parent without her saying anything. So whether or not you have kids, you used to be one, so you will relate hard to these funny videos.

Us modern women are powerhouses; we do it all. But juggling motherhood, careers, husbands, boyfriends, and our own sanity can be draining, and it's not always easy to give everyone the undivided attention they deserve. And so, sometimes, a simple "good job" has to suffice, even when it does not deserve praise in the damn slightest. From reassuring our kids that their artwork is better than Picasso to convincing our husbands that we didn't fantasize about Brad Pitt when after our standard fortnightly missionary romp, we spend a lot of our lives saying "good job," even when the job was not a good one. Daniella London Dekel has captured the power of a woman's reassurance in this heartwarming and funny comic.

Having kids is a true blessing, but sometimes they can test our patience to unhealthy levels. For example, one thing that young children aren't so good at is understanding the value of money or valuables. So when they accidentally break something expensive or irreplaceable, unfortunately, you can't be too mad at them. Parents of Reddit have revealed the most expensive things their children ruined by mistake and I can only imagine the self-restraint they had to exercise in order to not kill their kids on the spot! 

That familiar feeling when the tiredness hits, your eyes start closing, and there's nothing you can do to fight it. We've all been there — most likely in the middle of a work meeting — and the struggle is real. If only we could take a quick ten-minute power nap to give us that energy booster necessary to see us through the rest of the day. But alas, napping is frowned upon in the workplace, and so coffee will have to suffice. But one of the perks of being a toddler includes being able to nap whenever the moment calls for it, and these kids show us how strong the force is! Whether you're lying in a pile of lego (ouch) or sitting on the toilet, once the sleepy's hit, there's nothing you can do about it.

Getting a tattoo means you have something meaningful that you want to be inked into your skin forever. It's something that requires a lot of thought (unless you decided to get a tattoo when you were drunk on a night out) because, after all, it will be there for a very long time. And what is more meaningful than getting a matching tattoo with your parents, which bonds you for life? It's an incredible way to show your love for one another and your special connection. Check out these people who got matching tattoos with their parents, because they're giving us all the feels.

If your kids love reading, it's essential to do everything you can to encourage that passion. But anyone with kids will know that anything they perceive to be your idea, they automatically don't want to be a part of, even if it will benefit them. So one dad, Professor. Robert McNees shared his trick on how to get his daughter to love reading, using reverse psychology. He Tweeted, "Somehow, I've lucked out and have an 8yo who thinks secretly reading under the covers past her bedtime is an act of rebellion, and it hasn't yet occurred to her that her flashlights never seem to run out of batteries."

This simple life hack inspired others to Tweet the ways their parents duped them into becoming bookworms too, and it seems like it's quite a common phenomenon. Kids love reading, and parents love it when their children read; if only they could work together towards a shared goal without the need for trickery!