Parenting is stressful, and if you don't find an outlet for that pent-up stress, you might be toast. Recent Yorkville University research shows that 90% of mental health experts in Canada are concerned about parents' mental health. And half say they're extremely worried. So, parents clearly need a break.
A break from worrying about family finances, their kids' mental well-being and academic performance, and what to have for dinner tonight. Letting themselves be silly is how some parents cope with all the impossible stressors. And we're highlighting these types of parents here today; the ones who manage to retain the humor and wholesomeness even when life throws them the biggest challenges.
#1 My Parents Befriended A Homeless War Vet. They Decided To Give Him One Of Their Work Suv’s, Complete With Sleeping Quarters
They included a bag of goodies and paid for the car to be insured and registered for one year. They also hired him.
He’s working and extremely happy. My parents made sure he’s getting food, which my mom makes for him. He’s a good worker, but he just has really bad PTSD, and it’s sad watching him go through an episode. However, he’s been doing great since this happened.
Image credits: Growdanielgrow
#2 My Dad And I Used To Get Milkshakes Together All The Time. My Daughter And I Sharing Our First Milkshake Together
Image credits: Hweb92
#3 Never Too Old To Have A Snuggle With Your Parents
My baby brother finished his last day of school today; he’ll be a senior in the fall. I walked into the living room, and they were both fast asleep.
Image credits: jaidagrace
There's nothing more important than a parent taking good care of themselves. After all, when a parent is not paying enough attention to their well-being, the well-being of the kids suffers. It might seem impossible for a parent to get even a minute to themselves. But here's one thing to remember: even a moment of decompression can help parents feel much better.
Simple ways to practice self-care can be making a cup of tea or coffee for yourself and taking five or 10 minutes to enjoy it. Taking a walk is also a good way to decompress, and bonus points for improved physical health. But self-care oftentimes can't be spontaneous. Parents may need to plan these activities beforehand, no matter how small they are. It may seem silly to put "go for a walk" on the calendar, but it increases commitment.
#4 Mom Is Proud
One of the best moments as a parent, seeing your kids graduate.
Image credits: CambodianDuck
#5 My Adoption Was Finalized Today! Those Two Lovely People Behind Me Are My New Parents! Couldn't Be Happier
Image credits: ShipperTheOne
#6 My Dad Was 57 When I Was Born, So I Always Assumed He Would Never Live To Meet My Kids. You Can Imagine How Special Moments Like These Are
92.5 years difference between these two.
Image credits: ThatDIYCouple
Pediatrician J. Michael Wertman, MD, notes that parents should seek opportunities to have fun. Essentially, try to incorporate the things you like into your daily activities that involve your children. If you like sports, coach their little league team or volunteer to help during soccer practice.
If you like reading, make it a tradition to read your kids a book every night before bed. Dedicate time to talk about the books with the children, too. "It's an opportunity to be positive, to encourage and to enjoy a unique closeness," Wertman points out.
#7 My Parents Sent Me This From Their Retirement Community Today
Image credits: Ace497
#8 My Father Made This From Scratch For My Niece’s 3rd Birthday
Mostly cardboard and popsicle sticks, with plaster for the base and some fire-proof material for the white chimney in the back (you can make it emit smoke!). Not sure what else he used, as he didn’t go into too much detail. Took him 2 months to finish, with quite a bit of trial and error along the way.
Image credits: PartySalad
#9 My Dad Was Admitted To The Hospital Right Before Christmas. We Didn't Know If He Would Make It Home At All And Especially Not For Christmas
This is my parents slow dancing to "I'll be home for Christmas" on Christmas Day.
Image credits: king12807
While exercising to de-stress may sound counterintuitive and not relaxing at all, it's almost the next best thing when it comes to taking a break. According to the Mayo Clinic, any form of physical exercise can act as a stress reliever. In a previous interview for Bored Panda, licensed psychologist Nathan Brandon explained how "jogging, cycling, or even walking, [releases] endorphins and helps to reduce stress hormones."
#10 I Am Lucky To Have A Korean Mother, Otherwise I Would Be So Dirty
Image credits: iJohnny0
#11 Found A Lost Dog, But Couldn't Keep Her At My Apartment. Convinced My Parents To Watch Her While We Look For Her Owner
An hour after dropping her off, my mom sends me this.
Image credits: mareish
#12 Parents Gave Me A Gift For College Today, Which Was All The Money That My Mom Found In My Pockets When Doing My Laundry
Mom collected money since I was in the 4th grade... $415.
Image credits: austronomer99
Dr. Brandon also shared other tips for relaxation with our readers.
- Breathing exercises
- Meditation
- Progressive muscle relaxation
- Setting realistic goals
- Prioritizing tasks
Socializing with the people we love matters a lot, too. "Spending time with friends or family, or even participating in community groups, can provide a sense of belonging and reduce feelings of isolation," Dr. Brandon pointed out. "Journaling can also be a therapeutic way to express and process emotions."
#13 Today, 25 Years Ago, My Mother Adopted Me
Image credits: ciana007
#14 My Dad Stops His Lawn Mower To Move Frogs On His Lawn
We did a walk around of the yard and moved 4-5 of them prior to him getting on the mower. He still had to stop it twice to move the little guys!
Image credits: mojoman13
According to Dr. Brandon, managing stress is not a one-size-fits-all approach. "It's essential to find what works best for you and to regularly practice these strategies," he said. "Self-care practices such as getting enough sleep, taking breaks when needed, and engaging in hobbies or activities that bring joy can also help to prevent stress from building up. Remember to be kind to yourself and prioritize your physical and mental well-being."
#15 My Dad Has Never Had A Cat But Loves Mine When He Comes Over. A Couple Days Ago He Found A Kitten Crying Outside Who Prefers Sleeping Like This. I Hope He Keeps It
Image credits: robcantplayhockey
#16 Parents Got Snowed In At The Lake House. Mom Sent Me This And Said "Your Father And His Friend Are Out Of Control"
Image credits: jaxonya
#17 My Mother, After Completing Her Round Of Chemo, Meeting Her New Puppy For The First Time
Image credits: Villalma
#18 My Mother And Father. Photos Taken 51 Years Apart
Image credits: shaka_sulu
Do you think parenting with humor is a good strategy to experience less stress, Pandas? Share your personal experiences with us in the comments, and let us know the funniest thing your parents ever did. And if you want to see even more parents being hilariously wholesome, check out our previous articles here, here, and here!
#19 Well, Its Not Like You Can Outrun A Missile. Might As Well Get A Last Meal In
Image credits: JasonMan811
#20 My Wonderful Parents
My parents would always get me and my brother chocolates on Valentine's Day. Came out as a lesbian to my family around that time several years ago. Now every V-Day, they get me chocolates with the pride flag on it.
Image credits: Forest_folf
#21 Father Has Proclaimed His Dislike For Cats For Years, But Then This Happened
Image credits: fyflate89
#22 Those Cats Are All Nope
Image credits: allieoets
#23 My Mother Made A Facebook Account, And This Was Her First Message To Me
Image credits: Safferso
#24 As A Kid, I Was Embarrassed When My Dad Would Hold My Mom's Bag For Her. Now Look At Them Go! Still Traveling The World, Strolling Arm In Arm
Image credits: reddit.com
#25 My Dad Got Married Today. His 80th Birthday Is Tomorrow
Image credits: lateralus1075
#26 I'm A Wheelchair User Who Just Started Seeing A Personal Trainer To Fine Tune My Upper Body Strength. My Parents Got Me This Shirt
I cope through humor. I think the shirt is hilarious. I am more than aware that my body is a hot mess.
Image credits: Technical-Prize-4840
#27 Over 3 Years Ago, My Dad Had A Major Stroke, Causing Paralysis On His Right Side. My Sister Sent Me A Picture This Weekend Of He And My Mother Dancing
I haven't seen him happier in a long time. 47 years of marriage, and still on their honeymoon.
Image credits: OhLookASquirrel
#28 This Picture Of My Parents Never Actually Happened, But Two Separate Photos That Fit Perfectly Together
Image credits: flowerboy00
#29 So Cute
Image credits: angel_s_tiger
#30 My 60-Year-Old Stepfather Asked The Cashier What He Should Get His Transgender Daughter As A Birthday Present. Probably The Best Gift I’ve Ever Been Given
Image credits: reddit.com
#31 Magnificent Dad
Image credits: GailMyerscough
#32 After 5+ Years Of Ivf And Fertility Challenges, Today I Became A Dad
Image credits: KowalRoyale
#33 After My Family Refused To Help Me Convince My Dad To Wear A Pickle Costume For Halloween, I Bought One And Sent It To Him Anyway. Meet My Dad, Rick
Image credits: Purple_Drank
#34 I Am Out To Lunch With My Parents. I Told My Parents To Look Happy When My Dad Turned To My Mom And Said, "Look Happy? All I Have To Do Is Look At You"
My parents didn't meet until they were both over 30. My mum actually kept turning my dad down, too. Love can happen at any time in your life. And I am sure my parents would be honored to be an inspiration for others.
Image credits: IRISistable
#35 Text From My 10-Year-Old, Who Has Been Being Bullied At School Lately
I didn’t have this kind of relationship with my own parents. Breaking generational trauma is hard, but worth it.
My kid had a sit-down with her teacher and the bully to confront them, and the meeting went badly. She was hysterically crying and wanted her mom. I’m glad she reached out. My parents definitely did not care about what was going on at all as long as I stayed out of their face.
Image credits: reddit.com
#36 I'm Pretty Lucky
Image credits: lucindreams
#37 My Dad Painted These Eggshells 35 Years Ago. Today I Thought Of A Safe Way To Pass Them On To My Kids
My father is a talented artist, and he painted these hollow eggshells 35 years ago. I've always been afraid to display them because they're very fragile, but a solution popped into my head today. I made a nest globe for each of my four kids, and now the eggs can (hopefully) stay safe for many more decades!
Image credits: johngrady77
#38 My Dad And The Yellow Finch Who Hurt Himself, Finally Let Go After Refusing To Stop Clinging Onto His Finger For 30 Minutes
Image credits: Stock_Machine8178
#39 One Of My Favorite Moments. My Dad Became Deaf And Confined To A Walker Last Year, But He Still Wanted To Do A Father/Daughter Dance
I told him to pick a song he could remember or hear in his head, so we danced to "Somewhere over the rainbow.
Image credits: bridalbar
#40 I'm A Disabled College Student Who Just Graduated... I Can't Decide If My Parents Are Hilarious Or Horrible Human Beings
I laughed for 10 minutes straight when they handed it to me.
Image credits: Technical-Prize-4840
#41 My Parents In Their Youth (1998)
Image credits: marshywoodlands
#42 My Hard-Working Parents
In their 34 years of marriage, my parents worked multiple jobs to support our family. Every summer, they would fill a small, round, inflatable pool with water from the garden hose for us kids. Yesterday, they had their first swim in their very own pool!
Image credits: katnatcatnap
#43 2-Year-Old Twins' Priceless Reaction To Their Parents Kissing
Image credits: alisd
#44 Been Really Stressed With My Classes Lately. Found This In My Textbook. I Am Lucky To Have Such An Amazing Father
My dad's great. He's an amazing father; he's been through so much to get to where he is today, and I'm lucky to have him.
Image credits: paiigelisa
#45 I Just Moved Away From Home For College And My Parents Hid 100 Ducks In My Dorm
Image credits: 0sha_n
#46 My Parents Started Running At The Age Of 30. Today, Being 50 Years Old, They’ve Finished Their 35th Marathon. My True Heroes
Image credits: bobathehut
#47 My Dad's Painting
My mum died late 2023 and my Dad's been a bit lost without her so I have started giving him little projects to do. I asked him to recreate a painting for Mr. This is the result.
Image credits: Emotional_Carrot8396
#48 My Mom Still Makes My Sister And I Do Easter Egg Hunts. I'm 25 Now
My parents are in their mid-50s now, and it's starting to hit home a bit. They do little baskets of sweets for Valentine's Day too, and my great aunt, who's in her 80s, always sends me, my sister, and my cousins each a nice crisp 5 dollar bill with a card for every holiday.
Image credits: NadaBurner
#49 My Father Hasn't Cooked Since His Alzheimer's Diagnosis About 2 Years Ago. Today, He Helped Make Hot Dogs
I'm so excited and proud, I'm telling everyone who will listen. He hasn't been able to work a stove in years, and he even figured out how to turn it off without my help!
Image credits: 12crowsinatrenchcoat
#50 My Mom Has Secretly Been Getting Me Uranium Glass
I absolutely love uranium glass. It’s so fascinating to me, anything radioactive really is. Maria Skłodowska-Curie has been such an inspiration to me for as long as I can remember, and inspired me to major in chemistry and hopefully work in some kind of nuclear chemistry field in the future.
I got my first piece of uranium glass a few months ago right before I went off to college. I finally had the opportunity to go back home for the weekend from college, and I found out my mom has secretly been getting me uranium glass to add to my collection! I can’t describe the joy I feel about this.
Image credits: Extension-Abies-6412
