Parents Feel Like “Bad” Parents 156 Times a Year — And That’s Totally Normal

If you've ever found yourself hiding in the bathroom just to eat a snack in peace, or Googling “can a child survive on ketchup and Goldfish alone?” — congratulations, you’re a parent. A new report confirms what many of us already suspected: parents feel like they’re failing at this whole ‘raising tiny humans’ thing about 156 times a year.

That’s three guilt trips a week, minimum. Usually sparked by things like forgetting it’s “Crazy Hair Day” at school, not reading the full class email (again), or losing your cool when someone spills yogurt on the dog. Again.

RELATED: Mothers Spend 97 Hours Weekly on Parenting Tasks — Equivalent to Six-Figure Job!

Parenthood: Not Quite What We Signed Up For

According to the report:

• 45% of parents say parenting is way harder than they expected.
• The average parent runs into two kid-related situations a week that leave them completely baffled. (For example: “Why is there glitter in the toilet?”)
• Parents admit they need a break from parenting duties twice a week — though that’s cute, because when exactly? Between hockey practice and bedtime meltdowns?

But It’s Not All Chaos and Crayons

Despite the daily doubts, tantrums, and mystery stains, kids make their parents laugh about 12 times a day. Sometimes it’s their unfiltered honesty, sometimes it’s the way they mispronounce "spaghetti" as "buh-skeddy" — either way, it’s enough to keep us going.