Kids behave badly sometimes. It’s just part of being a kid. They’re constantly testing boundaries to figure out the rules and to learn how much they can get away with.
Unfortunately, this can often cause some frustration for the adults who are tasked with taking care of them. There’s still this idea that caretakers should never express when their kiddos are being jerks.
I mean, obviously we’re not going to call them jerks to their faces! But it’s totally normal to think it, feel it, or even say it under your breath.
1. When Malieka Roman tweeted about her daughter’s blatant disobedience and how she felt about it, she hit gold.
People started sharing their own examples of kids who weren’t even trying to hide their bad behavior. FYI, Malieka clarified that she watches what she says around her kids, even if she thinks they’re being jerks sometimes.
2. “Today my 7yo rolled her eyes at me. Twice. That’s JERK behaviour right there.”
The attitude starts so young! I haven’t experienced an eye roll yet, but my daughter started talking back to me around the same time she started school. I’m still trying to sniff out the little “friend” who taught her such bad manners!
3. Nooo! This would be the worst to clean up!
I’m just hoping this kid is beyond the car seat stage, because trying to clean anything off a car seat is pretty much the seventh ring of hell.
4. Pretty sure this child just achieved alpha status in his house.
But there’s also a definite possibility that karma will deliver some swift justice in the form of a wicked stomachache. Chugging chocolate milk can do that to ya.
5. This power move says, “what are you gonna do about it?!”
“Sounds like someone I know, she was holding a bottle of bubbles and I said don’t spill them, she gave me a special look and turned the bottle upside down.”
6. Ugh! The dreaded “cause and effect” stage!
“What happens if I drop this bowl of food on the floor? Hahaha! Mommy’s making some funny faces right now, let’s do it again!”
7. Doesn’t telling him kind of defeat the purpose of sneaking around?
I’m on the fence about this one. Obviously eating some candy is allowed in this household, so he wasn’t technically doing anything wrong, but sneaking around isn’t a good habit.
8. This is the epitome of testing boundaries.
I have a toddler who’s in this stage right now. She gives this mischievous grin as she disobeys and I end up experiencing this weird combo of frustration and laughter.
9. It’s not just parents who have to deal with unruly kid behavior.
Aunts and uncles get their share, too. There’s something about a kid staring you right in the eyes as they do something bad that lets you know they’re competing for top dog status.
10. Some commenters recalled their own history as tiny terrors.
“I was about 3 years old and I had gone into my mom’s room, taken my shoes off, and poured the sand from my shoes into my mom’s CD player. I did it right in front of her and I remember doing it too! I don’t remember why though!”
11. Kids are the ultimate food thieves.
It’s already a rare occasion when a parent has time to sit down and eat their meal while it’s still warm. So there’s an extra sting when that opportunity finally arrives and your kid steals your food!
12. That’s a lot of nerve for such tiny hands!
I have to admit though, I’d be so caught off guard if my kid had the balls to do this. I’d probably laugh, too.
13. This is why we can’t have nice things.
I remember when my first kid was born, my partner said with such optimism, “I think we should invest in some nicer furniture.” I laughed because at that same moment our kiddo was gnawing on the baseboards.
14. Toddler days can push even the most stoic parent to the brink.
“My kid has spent the ENTIRE day screaming at everything. Today, even favorite movies and toys were screamed at and thrown away. The little asshole is now asleep after saying no maybe 1000 times. I can go eat dinner, at 9:31pm, as my first meal of the day…”
15. Well, so much for nap time.
As a chronically sleep-deprived mom, this situation definitely wouldn’t elicit laughter from me. The problem is trying to stay calm and quiet when you’re frustrated with one child, just in case that door slam didn’t manage wake the other kiddo up.
16. That’s coming out of your allowance, kid!
Those things aren’t cheap! I want to know how old this little terror is. Playing with something they shouldn’t is one thing, but destroying stuff is next level. Throwing it in your face is beyond.