There’s no such thing as boredom when you become a parent; hours of playtime are followed by naptime, interrupted with cries of anger, hunger, or even joy at times, not to mention the bathing, feeding, and other day-to-day activities. But even with such an intense agenda, for those with kids, there might be nothing more rewarding than being a mom or a dad to their ‘mini-me’s’, even on the most tiring of days.
Pew Research Center revealed that 33% of parents admit that their role can be tiring; 25% say that it gets stressful as well. However, the absolute majority of them consider being a parent a rewarding experience—nine out of ten of them agree with such a statement. They also believe it’s an enjoyable one; all of the time for 43% of them and most of the time for an additional 47%.
The challenges parents face might differ depending on the age of their offspring. Those with newborns are presented with sleepless nights and an entire array of new challenges as they’re getting used to a completely new and—in the case of firstborns—unfamiliar lifestyle.
The toddler stage means jumping through hoops evoked by their rapid development as they learn to walk (and bolt the second they’re up on those little feet), talk, and figure out what food looks best splattered all over the kitchen floor. As kids get older, the hurdles parents face alter as well, but every stage becomes an adventure of its own, to put it mildly.
A common challenge that parents of children of different ages face is misbehavior. There can be numerous reasons for it, but a lot of times it’s kids’ way of exploring the world and familiarizing themselves with how it works. Whether it’s permanent marker artwork on the bedroom wall, spilling juice all over the kitchen counter, or something else completely, children execute their actions and wait to see what happens, which allows them to draw conclusions.
In an article for Psychology Today, psychologist, author, and parent coach, Erica Reischer, Ph.D., compared the little ones to scientists in a lab. She suggested viewing their at times challenging behavior as part of an experiment that allows them to gain useful information about how people and the world work.
Allowing children to learn from natural consequences is a common disciplinary method in positive parenting. Based on children learning new behaviors by evaluating the outcome of their actions—both good and bad—such a method can be difficult for some parents to embrace. As pointed out by Parenting For Brain, it often means allowing the child to face certain risks (only when they don’t pose a serious threat to their well-being, of course), which might not be easy for moms and dads to do.
Parenting For Brain emphasized that there are numerous benefits of using natural consequences as a disciplinary method. It allows kids to learn critical thinking and develop problem solving and coping skills. It also makes the parent more of a teacher, who allows them to explore the world, rather than an ‘enemy’, who imposes strict rules and restrictions; that can have a positive effect on the parent-child relationship.
Parents witness hundreds of ways their kids explore the world that often result in one too many broken vases or palettes of ruined makeup, among other things. But in addition to being curious and adventurous, children are also very creative and surprisingly funny, especially when they need to cheer their parents up after that vase is broken.
Surprisingly witty comments coming from a five-year old or jokes told by a school-aged child can be a good sign, as research shows there’s a positive link between kids’ ability to be funny and intelligence. And if you need more proof that kids can indeed be funny—even if in their own, peculiar way—than you found on this list, browse this collection of jokes written by children that ought to make you giggle.