30 Hilarious Tweets That Capture The Most Relatable School Pick-Up Experiences Shared By Parents
Sometimes kids don’t even know how funny they are; at times they don’t realize how cruel they are, either. The fun part about it all is that, as a parent, you can never know which of their sides you get to deal with next; and they can reveal it at times when you expect it the least.
Take picking them up from school, for instance. You, as a mom or a dad, are there to bring your little one home, excited to see them, when they open the car door and express their great disappointment that it’s you and not the other parent here today. While that might not seem like much to others, it feels like a little—uncalled for, I might add—dagger to your heart.
This is just one of the many scenarios of what happens when it’s pick up hour. Today we have an entire list of them, as described by the parents themselves, so scroll down to find them and see for yourself what the often surprising reality of life with children looks like.
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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.
I hate saying my name out loud. My name is unusual, and I don’t dislike my name, I just don’t like saying it out loud. Don’t ask me why, it’s one of those things that I’m uncomfortable with for absolutely no reason at all, lol 😂
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.
I ended up 2 hours away from home on a train that day. Turns out it was the wrong train
My favorite was almost getting clean away but just as they were getting out of the care,it was proportional to the busyness of my day the urgency of the next statement. " oh yeah, mom, I forgot, you need to come on in and talk to my teacher / principal/guidance person/ etc and no I have no clue about what. "
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.
Sounds reasonable. However, I am confused why so many have to go to school for pickup. Here the kids either take school bus or school taxi depending on age and distance to school. Only time my kids dont get home in a (free) taxi is if they get sick and need a puck up early.
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.
I'm like this if I'm stuck in a line of traffic. For example, I live in a very popular tourist destination and there are only 2 bridges to get here. So in the summer, especially, traffic can be backed up for miles and you think that you're special or your time is more valuable, fùck you. I will gladly let you hit my car before you think you're going to cut in, I am not the one. Then they want to sit there and be mad at me, laying on the horn because how dare I not them get their way. It would be great if they built another bridge or a tunnel or something, that can only be accessed by locals, those that live here year round. Every year I look forward to but also dread the summer time.
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.
Better than Uranus in Gatorade, no? [my abject apologies]
This often applies to both the child and adult in question as well.
I don’t get driving kids to and from school. I’ve seen no statistics proving that kids walking or taking the bus (or other transit) are more likely to be harmed now than when I was a kid in the 70s. There weren’t lines of idling gas guzzlers waiting at schools back then. We walked, we explored, and we got some exercise. It was a good thing.
Same here. Who drives their kids to school? My parents didn't have the time, or a car. I walked, and later took the subway.
Load More Replies...Is walking to school not a thing then? My daughter walked to Primary School, 5-10 year olds and now gets the bus to High School 11-15 year olds as her school is a lot further away. We live in a slightly rural location so there’s a few who have to get a lift into school but the vast majority walk or get the bus.
Some (a lot?) of these might be pick up line for preschool and kindergarten which generally requires kids to be picked up. That can be anywhere from 3 or 4 to 6 years old.
Load More Replies...For people who are saying 'why don't kids walk to school?' - I live an hour's walk away from my school. My dad drives everyone in in the morning, and then my brother and I take the bus back after. It's just more efficient.
But we're not asking about exceptional situations like that. We're asking about the majority of situations where, were it 20-30 years ago, the kids would be walking or taking the bus, and now they're being driven both ways by their parents.
Load More Replies...I don’t get driving kids to and from school. I’ve seen no statistics proving that kids walking or taking the bus (or other transit) are more likely to be harmed now than when I was a kid in the 70s. There weren’t lines of idling gas guzzlers waiting at schools back then. We walked, we explored, and we got some exercise. It was a good thing.
Same here. Who drives their kids to school? My parents didn't have the time, or a car. I walked, and later took the subway.
Load More Replies...Is walking to school not a thing then? My daughter walked to Primary School, 5-10 year olds and now gets the bus to High School 11-15 year olds as her school is a lot further away. We live in a slightly rural location so there’s a few who have to get a lift into school but the vast majority walk or get the bus.
Some (a lot?) of these might be pick up line for preschool and kindergarten which generally requires kids to be picked up. That can be anywhere from 3 or 4 to 6 years old.
Load More Replies...For people who are saying 'why don't kids walk to school?' - I live an hour's walk away from my school. My dad drives everyone in in the morning, and then my brother and I take the bus back after. It's just more efficient.
But we're not asking about exceptional situations like that. We're asking about the majority of situations where, were it 20-30 years ago, the kids would be walking or taking the bus, and now they're being driven both ways by their parents.
Load More Replies...