We were interested to learn more about the idea behind the r/KidsAreCondomAds subreddit, and moderator u/neuroticsmurf told us all about it. According to them, the focus lies on learning to appreciate the humor in some of the toughest parenting moments you'll ever run into.

"Those moments when your kids exasperate you so much, you begin to question whether you made the right choice to become a parent in the first place," the mod told Bored Panda.

"When you look back on those moments with the benefit of hindsight, they’re usually pretty funny. They were awful at the time, but tragedy + time = comedy!" the redditor urged everyone to look at these sorts of situations from a broader perspective.

Humor is an incredibly powerful thing that can help turn even the gloomiest situation into something palatable. Moderator u/neuroticsmurf shared a story from their school days with us that shows this.

"When I was in high school, I had a friend who wasn't a great student. Each time our algebra teacher handed back our graded quizzes, my friend would take a look at his grade, let out a defeated chuckle, and just bury his head on his desk. Our teacher finally asked him why he always laughed. She didn't think his grades were very funny. In response, he said, 'Well, I can't cry about it.' No one is going to hate a kid for being a kid. But we can laugh about it," they told Bored Panda.

Meanwhile, the mod also had some advice for new parents who feel entirely overwhelmed, overstressed, and exhausted beyond belief. "When you have a moment as a parent that makes you question your decision not to wear a condom that time long ago, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and consider what a great story you’ll be able to tell at your kid's wedding someday," they pointed out that having a long-term view can help parents see the comedic aspect of it all.

"And remember: Stories are always best accompanied by pictures, so get that camera phone out!" they urged everyone to share these moments of others to help turn tension and stress into laughter. 

As we’ve covered on Bored Panda before, actually wanting to be a parent is one of the things that will help you get through the toughest of times. In other words, you have to enjoy the idea of being a mom or a dad. Otherwise, you might feel frustrated and even resent your kids for having to put them first, well, pretty much all of the time. To oversimplify things a tad, nobody enjoys being forced to do something that they dislike, whether it’s parenting or anything else.

And though parenting is incredibly rewarding, any of your bleary-eyed, tousle-haired friends will tell you that it can be beyond exhausting. They’re not just juggling parenting and housework. They’re also likely working, trying to maintain a semblance of social life, taking care of their health, and using the few moments of leisure they have to remind themselves that, hey, they have hobbies and passions like everyone else.

From a practical standpoint, what really helps is knowing how to ask for help. Talk to your partner about dividing up the housework more fairly or them looking after the kids while you take a half-day to unwind. You can then reciprocate once you’re feeling like a human being again. Remember, you're supposed to be a team, not a solo superhero.

If your partner is just as overwhelmed as you are, talk to your family and friends—maybe they could do a spot of babysitting so the both of you can get some well-deserved sleep or go on a date night. If everyone’s busy, consider hiring a nanny. It shouldn’t be seen as a weakness that you want a small break from being a mom or dad. You’re a parent, yes, but you’re not just a parent. And it bodes well to remember that you’re not doing anyone any favors if you’re sacrificing everything for the family and working yourself to exhaustion.

Originally founded in May 2020, the r/KidsAreCondomAds subreddit currently has 27.4k members. According to the information shared on the sub, the online group is now “under new management."

The group primarily focuses on showing the humorous side of misbehaving kids, and there’s plenty of that to go around. It can make you really respect the amount of patience and perseverance that parents have (or it can temporarily put you off from having kids at all).

Before you start posting random memes and screenshots, you’ve got to familiarize yourself with a few rules. Thankfully, there are only a few. The team running the ‘Living Condom Advertisements’ sub explains that the content that’s shared has to go beyond kids “just being stupid.”

“We want kids destroying people's things, making messes, misbehaving, etc. We want moments that make you not want kids/regret having them,” they point out.

Meanwhile, all the members of the community are urged to be kind to each other. There’s no need to be a jerk when there’s so much comical content to share. What’s more, you should strive to post original stuff—don’t share anything that’s already been posted within the last three months.

The moderators also stress the fact that the sub is all about humor. “Take the hatred elsewhere,” they point out that there’s a zero-tolerance approach to child hatred.

What really helps weather the jaw-droppingly awful moments featured in this list is shifting your perspective and focusing on the silver lining. Namely, the humorous side of things. Sure, you might have just realized that your munchkin is more like a goblin than an innocent angel, but if you manage to laugh when things get tough, you’re effectively saying ‘no’ to stress and anxiety.

What you do next will depend a lot on your parenting style. There are four main ones: authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and uninvolved. Though all families are unique and there are no one-size-fits-all answers, authoritative parenting is generally the best out of the four because it leads to kids growing up to be self-reliant, cooperative, friendly, and achievement-oriented.

This style focuses on moms and dads setting firm limits for children while also valuing being nurturing, responsive, and supportive. Authoritative parents explain what the rules are like and why they’re like that and they’re open to listening to their kids’ points of view (even if they might not accept it). Clarity and a mix between firmness and friendliness are key here.

Which of these pics made you laugh and cringe the hardest, Pandas? Do you have any kids of your own? What do you do when they make a massive mess? We'd love to hear your thoughts, so drop by the comment section. And feel free to vent or share some similar stories, too.