To give these tweets a little context, we can take a look at some numbers. A 2025 survey of 2,000 parents of kids ages 2–18 revealed that, on average, they find their child doing something funny or strange three times per day — or a little more than 1,000 funny moments per year.
However, those shenanigans are outweighed by an average of seven daily instances of chaos, with the most common forms being hiding things that don’t belong to them, such as car keys or the TV remote (31%), and going on adventures that take them out of their parents’ sight (30%).
But the challenges don’t stop there. When it comes to disagreements, the toughest issues for parents appear to be going to bed (46%), homework (38%), and getting out of bed (36%).
Arguments centered around food — such as what’s for dinner and clearing their plate — are also common for one in five parents (18%) and happen, on average, four times every week.
At the dinner table, the biggest “fight” parents encounter is over trying new foods (55%).
Parents estimate that they only win an average of 61% of their “battles” with their child, but they don’t sweat it too much — 83% say the most important thing is that their child is happy.
And at the end of a chaotic, shenanigan-filled day, 82% of parents believe there’s comedic relief in these imperfect moments.
Commenting on the survey’s results, licensed psychologist Nina Kaiser, PhD, said she was happy that parents are, more or less, rejecting the idyllic and embracing the real.
She explained, “When we isolate ourselves from other parents—or assume that we’re the only ones who are struggling with parenting—we’re much more likely to take parenting challenges personally and to experience feelings of shame and guilt, [which can lead to] difficulty regulating our emotions in our interactions with our kids.”
Kaiser added that when parents talk openly with others about how hard things can be, they often learn they’re not alone in their struggles.
"This allows us to take those moments of difficulty less personally and with more equanimity, in a way that allows us to feel less stressed and to actually parent more effectively," she said.
"If we feel confident in ourselves as parents, we're more likely to be consistent and effective with our kids. And we're also more likely to enjoy the parenting experience."
