It’s clear to any parent—or anyone who’s spent more than 20 minutes with a child, for that matter—that there’s never a dull moment with kids. That’s why the internet is brimming with heartwarming parenting stories, funny posts on X (formerly Twitter), and messages in family group chats, too, regarding the latest adventures of the littlest ones in the clan.
And while the seemingly never-ending state of disarray typically entails the good, the bad, and the ugly, it’s a reality many parents wouldn’t change for anything.
According to Pew Research Center, the absolute majority of parents find such a role to be rewarding. Though, moms and dads seem to view parenting differently in regards to how difficult it is, as 30% of the former say that it’s been a lot harder than they thought it would be vs. 20% of dads saying the same thing. Mothers seem to find it more tiring and stressful, too.
There can be many reasons for the differences between how moms and dads see their role as a parent, which is why it’s difficult to determine why women find it all more stressful than their male counterparts.
And while the reasons are unclear, the proof speaks for itself. Take the parent behind ‘On Adventure With Dad’, for instance: while his partner—the mother of their child—was worried about the little one, the dad was busy working with Photoshop, creating funny (maybe not at first sight) images of their baby (while making sure that the latter was safe and sound, of course).
His works grew into quite an impressive—and adorable—collection over time, as did his family, which now has two main stars featured in pictures regularly sent to their worrying mom.
(Read more about the dad, Kenny Deuss from Antwerp, Belgium, here, here, or here.)
It’s clear that dads always find a way to keep themselves and others entertained. So, unsurprisingly, dad jokes have imperceptibly become a thing. But as painful or cringe as their jokes sometimes are, being exposed to dad humor at an early age can arguably have a positive effect on a child.
Studies suggest that since dad jokes rarely fail to embarrass their offspring, they can actually work to the latter’s advantage, as they build up a strong immunity to judgment and embarrassment, which consequently makes the kids feel empowered to be themselves.
According to the aforementioned research, fathers seem to enjoy embarrassing their kids to some extent, which, in an unexpected way, makes it a win-win for both the child with a strong immunity to awkwardness and judgment and the dad who’s just made their own day a little bit more fun.
“Dad jokes are aimed at evoking embarrassment, but the children cringing at the joke are not its ultimate audience. The real audience of a dad joke is in fact the joke-teller, the dad, who suffers no cringe but rather delights in the embarrassment of his offspring,” the study read in part.
In one of his pieces, titled ‘A Dad Defends Dad Jokes’, an author and a critic at large for the Culture section of The Times, Jason Zinoman, suggested that the reason kids tend to roll their eyes at their fathers’ jokes—especially at an older age—is because dads get somewhat stuck in time. They find something that works when their offspring is little and more or less stick to it; and while it doesn't change much over time, their kids obviously do. “Like so many lazy comics, we parents pander. If jokes work, they stay in the set,” Zinoman wrote.
Whether it’s dad jokes or kids creating comical situations themselves, it all boils down to the fact that life with children is indeed a seemingly never ending state of disarray; however, it’s definitely not all struggles and sleepless nights. If you need more proof, check out this list of some of the most hilarious things children have ever said or browse this one featuring little ones who don’t know how funny they are.