Sharp-witted parents flood the comment section of a mother asking for “unhinged” parenting hacks, and helpful hilarity ensues: ‘The weird. The chaotic. The slightly concerning…’

Do the parenting books bore you? You're not alone. Parenting doesn't need to be so serious all the time! You are allowed to have fun while you teach and morph your children into functioning human beings. 

Recently, a fun mother on TikTok posed a simple request: For other like-minded parents to share their most "unhinged" parenting hacks. "I'm not talking 'I let my kid watch my phone so they use the potty,'" she writes in her video. "I'm talking 'it works so well, but I'm a little embarrassed to share it' hack." Parenting doesn't have to be boring. It can be fun for everyone involved!… And sometimes it can be fun for just the parent and someone alarming for the kids, but that's what balance is all about. 

There is no "correct" way to parent. The only goal you should aim for is to keep your kid alive, healthy, and feeling loved. Everything else we can try our darnedest to instill in our kids, but there is no guarantee. How can you teach your kid to be confident when you struggle with self-confidence yourself? You don't just magically heal all of your inner demons the second you become a parent. You are still you, but now you have someone who looks up to you to figure out how to grow and survive. It's scary and a lot, but also profound and satisfying. You don't need to concentrate on doing everything "right" as a parent; just do the best you can. Sometimes that means telling a funny white lie to get your kids to be safe.