Every parent has been there -- you catch your kids doing something crafty to reach the cookies, or painting the dog’s fur, or cutting their younger sibling’s hair. You start disciplining them, but there’s one little thing that gets in your way: the fact that the situation -- and, more importantly, your kid -- is undeniably hilarious. So you lose it, struggling to keep it together or even erupting into laughter.
Fortunately for us, some parents don’t just focus on fighting the laughs; they also take the opportunity to film or photograph their kids after they’ve been caught red-handed. In the spirit of celebrating parents who are strong and soft, we’ve partnered with Angel Soft to compile our favorite sidesplitting parental moments -- the ones where the only thing harder than disciplining your kid is disciplining yourself to not burst out laughing.
1. The Lipstick Lovers
Image: Mackenzie Tims
This definitely isn’t what lipstick was made for, but good luck explaining that to a kid. One minute, everything is business as usual. The next, you find your kids covered in your favorite shade of rouge -- and you can bet they’re pretty proud of themselves. At least at first.
“They knew they were busted as soon as I caught them, red-handed at that!” says the children’s mom, Mackenzie Tims. “I managed to keep a straight face while scolding them for getting into makeup without asking, but I struggled to keep my composure once I put them in the tub and realized how hard it was going to be to get the lipstick off their faces.” The best part? Her 5-year-old sighed and told her, “I wish I didn't do this; I'm going to be stuck this color forever!”
“I had to bury my face in a towel every time I cracked a smile to keep from letting on that this was one of the most hilarious things they had ever done,” admits Tims.
2. The Applesauce Artist
Video: Jessica Cook
It was basically inevitable that this mom would let out some laughs as she gave her son a talking-to about his applesauce adventures. How can you keep it together when someone so small makes such a big mess (he even got applesauce on the dog) and then tries to negotiate his way out in that sweet little voice? It can’t be done; but this mom still manages to lay down some serious discipline, giggles aside. Pro tip: Blaming it on the dog never pans out -- and almost always leads to a timeout.
3. The Future Picassos
Video: Cheryl Edwards
What do you do when three little boys draw all over the walls? You make them scrub, of course. If you think cleaning constitutes punishment, though, think again; these brothers are having a little too much fun washing the walls after they used them as their personal canvases.
“It was a struggle to keep a straight face when they were covered in markers in a freshly 'decorated' room and working to clean it off,” says mom Cheryl Edwards. Still, she puts the boys to work cleaning while stifling a laugh, which earns her major bonus parent points in our book.
4. The Tornadoes
Image: @making our dream/@happy.healthy.mama/@kidsaretheworst
Lesson learned: Never trust a kid in a store. All it takes is an instant; and in that instant, whether you’re catching up with a friend or examining your next purchase, you’ll find that each and every item from the shelves is littered along the aisle, all thanks to your oh-so-happy toddler.
That’s exactly what moms Michelle Fontin and Sarah Mandel found when they ran into each other on a shopping trip. “We watched [our kids] out of the corner of our eye, but at some point, pure mayhem had happened in the ‘throw’ blanket aisle,” Fontin recalls. “The damage had already been done, and the kids were super happy tossing everything around. So we actually let them play a bit longer while we finished our conversation.” Taking a moment to appreciate the hilarity (and preserve it for posterity’s sake) is what it’s all about, after all. “When it was time to go, we made them put everything back,” she explains. “To be honest -- and I think most moms will agree -- this disaster was worth an uninterrupted time of adult conversation with a dear friend!”
5. The Tagger
Image: Knut Espen Bryhn
Sure, she doesn’t have a license to drive (give it another decade, maybe), but why should that stop her from claiming her wheels? After all, successfully spelling your name is cause for celebration -- and in this case, cause for graffiting the car.
“It was impossible to get angry about this, mainly because of that smile that met me, so proud,” explains Ella’s father, Knut Espen Bryhn, who Instagrammed the automobile art. “And second, because I knew it [was] easy to clean off. I just had to laugh at it and explain that this was not a good idea.” Way to go, patient parents who reiterate the rules and take advantage of photo ops. We’re forever impressed by your balancing act.
6. The Storyteller
Video: Sherrica Sims/Rumble
This little doughnut thief is adamant that she’s innocent until proven guilty -- despite that her half-eaten treat is hiding in plain sight. We’ve never seen a kid try to talk her way out of trouble quite as well as this smooth-talking storyteller, and her mom deserves some major kudos for keeping it together as she reminds Tiffany of the rules. Bonus points to Mom for playing along with the story -- and for poking holes in it when her daughter is clearly the culprit.
Angel Soft is proud to celebrate parents who can lay down the law, but still appreciate the humor in life’s little messes. Parents are both soft and strong, which is why Angel Soft products are too; learn more at AngelSoft.com.