Being a parent is hard enough, but to have to not laugh when your kids does something “bad” but funny seems like an especially cruel challenge.
Kids say some wild things and what’s the point of even having them if you can’t laugh when they do or say something hilarious?
Reddit user u/julita414 must have been holding back a belly buster when they asked parents:
“What was the first time you had to force yourself not to laugh when disciplining your children?”
And the answer’s probably won’t help any parents out there trying not to crack up but they’ll definitely make you smile.
Here are 20 stories from parents who tried hard not to laugh when disciplining their kids.
1.
“My then 5-year-old son and I were watching Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. During the part of the movie where the machine creates a spaghetti tornado hurling giant meatballs, my son’s facial expression completely changed as he watched his favorite food being thrown about. He turns to me, dead serious, and says “oh my f–king goodness.” I died.” –pnutbutterkellytime
2.
“Me: What were you thinking?
4 year old son: That I wouldn’t get caught.” –passwordsarehard_3
3.
“My husband yelled up from downstairs: “Why is there a bunch of water in the trashcan?”
My four year old proudly announced: “Because I peed in it!” –Konstantynopolitancz
4.
“Charging into their bedroom when they’re supposed to be sleeping and watching them scatter like cockroaches back to their beds. I die laughing inside EVERY time.” –Vierlind
5.
“I’m a parent, but this wasn’t with my son, it was my younger brother when we were 10 and 11. We had two older sisters who were drama queens and would always threaten to run away when they got in trouble. So this one day my brother and I got into trouble and as our Dad started scolding us my brother looked straight at him and in all seriousness said, “I won’t run away. I’m going to stay here forever and never leave. You’ll never get rid of me.” Our Dad turned around, walked out of the room and started laughing. He was laughing so much he couldn’t even explain to our Mom what was so funny. We only got grounded for the day. Thanks little bro!” –msjg
6.
“Not a parent but a career nanny. I had a kid come up and ask if he could have a snack. I said not right now, youre supposed to be in bed. Not 5 minutes later I see him Kronk-style tip toeing across the kitchen with a conspicuous bulge in his pajamas. He sees me watching him and startles, causing a blueberry muffin to fall out of the ankle of one pant leg. I was already close to laughing but I about died when he said “Cant I at least have it since it already touched my junk?” –dune_jhodacia
7.
“My wife and I and our 2-year-old son just got home from a long day of traveling, and he needs a diaper change. My wife is exhausted and not in the best mood. The TV is on playing the show Law and Order, on a cable network that had the tagline at the time of “We know drama.” (So for instance, when the commercials would segue back to the show, they would first say “the drama continues…”)
So he’s a happy little kid, getting his diaper changed, enjoying the attention, and got playful and silly and was kicking around and generally not cooperating with my wife. She lost her temper and snarled something like “I swear if you don’t stop squirming around so help me…”
There was a pause. Then he said: “The drama continues…” –TomK
8.
“I was reading my kids a bedtime story. When my youngest was about six, he had a habit of moving around and being disruptive during the story. So I asked him “How many times do I have to ask you to keep still during bedtime story?!”
Without missing a beat, completely straight faced, he said “About six more times.”
I swear he was born with comedic timing.” –MaxAmperage
9.
“I was telling my daughter who was 5 at the time she was being selfish for not sharing she burst out crying and said “I am not a shell fish!” Couldn’t stop laughing but she kept crying saying but I’m not a shell fish.” –RonaTheFerret
10.
“Definitely when my son was 3 and not terribly verbal (he had a somewhat bad speech delay/motor skills delay/ASD) SOMEONE let him watch the episode of South Park where Butters becomes a pimp. Fast forward a week and we are at occupational therapy and my son was not keen on whatever the therapist wanted him to do: “ma, what dis bitch doin?” –Maleficent_Mink