Instagram Account Shows the Unfiltered Reality of Parenting
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Parenting isn't all about having cute kids who say funny things that go viral. The popular Instagram page @AssholeParents highlights some of the less glamorous moments.
The account, which is run by Rage Against the Minivan blogger Kristen Howerton, shares photos of children having meltdowns over seemingly harmless decisions made by their parents.
“For example, new shoes that were missing a light-up feature, or a meal on a pink plate and a pink cup but with an errant yellow straw,” Howerton told The Huffington Post last year. "I think it’s a universal experience, having a small child be disappointed in something completely illogical."
The account's more than 400,000 followers suggests that many people seem to agree. The page sends the message that all parents make "mistakes," and that children can be very irrational, so you just have to roll with the punches and laugh.
"I put the groceries in the back of the SUV and not in the backseat with him so I'm an #assholeparent," mother Laura White wrote in the above Instagram photo caption.
The account proves that children are harsh critics.
"I'm an #assholeparent because I wouldn't let him drive the car," Instagram user @IndieBlakemore wrote in the above Instagram photo caption.
"I said she couldn't have a real baby bear as a pet so I'm an #assholeparent," Instagram user @FiestyFunSize wrote in the above Instagram photo caption.
"I wouldn't let him play with the Advil, so I'm an #assholeparent," Instagram user @Miss_Selena13 wrote in the above Instagram photo caption.
Howerton, a parent herself, hopes her Instagram page will allow other parents to “gain some levity over this phenomenon that can sometimes be really frustrating," she told The Huffington Post last year.
“Despite our best efforts, children are often disappointed, and I’m hoping it can be a humorous reminder that we’re all in this together,” she said.
Follow @AssholeParents on Instagram and Tumblr for more of Howerton's photos.
