Let’s face it, parenting is one of the biggest challenges that we’ll ever have to face in our lives. It’s right up there alongside fighting off an alien invasion, surviving a zombie apocalypse, rocket science, and plugging in a USB cable on the first try. So it’s no wonder that most parents are less than perfect. In fact, it’s pretty much the norm.

However, they’re nowhere near the level that some of the parents featured on the ‘Parents Are Effing Dumb’ subreddit are. There, you’ll find some of the biggest fails that will make you gasp, shout “think of the children!”, and think about taking these people’s parenting license away. Remember to buckle up and upvote the pics that made your jaw drop as you scroll down the rollercoaster that is this descent into parenting weirdness.

When it comes to parenting, both extremes—absolute perfectionism/trying to be a ‘perfect’ parent and not trying hard enough—can be harmful to the family. And while it’s very clear what bad parenting is, perfectionism is more insidious and sneaky and can actually end up being just as harmful as actual neglect or ignorance, though in a very different way. We spoke about the pitfalls of this with an expert in the field of psychology.

#1 I'm Sorry, What??

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#2 He’s Not Wrong

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#3 And I Know That From Home

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Emma Morton, a researcher at the University of British Columbia, explained to Bored Panda the pitfalls of perfectionist thinking and how it spreads to many areas of a person’s life, contributing to poor mental health and even depression.

Believing that you should (or even that you can) be a so-called ‘perfect’ parent is actually detrimental to your health. What’s more, the belief that you can control every single outcome can spread to other areas of your life, not just parenting.

#4 Me Getting My Vaccinations After My Mother Refused For Me To Have Them

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#5 Actually What The F**k

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#6 How Could She Not Know How Antlers Work?

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“When we set excessive and inflexible high standards for ourselves and become self-critical about not meeting those, perfectionism can become a problem for our mental health and potentially contribute to depression or suicidal thoughts,” researcher Morton said.

#7 My Family Does This To Me All The Time, And Each Time I Tell Them It Discourages Me But They Still Do It

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#8 She Is Insane

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#9 Oh Dear Mom

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“Perfectionism is a very insidious problem—even if someone achieves great success in their personal or professional life, negative thinking patterns lead them to be highly self-critical, focus on perceived mistakes, or mentally discount their achievements,” Morton detailed that a perfectionist mindset dims even the biggest victories when we tend to laser-in on the various real and imagined flaws.

#10 Tweet Says It All

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#11 What If The Neighbors Had Dogs

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#12 Please Show Support To The Op On His Post Since His Parents Surely Won't

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The anxiety surrounding perfectionism is just as much about personal pride as it is about the desire to be respected and liked by others. “People who struggle with perfectionism may worry that they will be judged for their perceived failures, feel that they are inadequate for needing help, or assume they will be a burden on their family and friends,” she said, adding that this can make perfectionists especially vulnerable mentally and emotionally.

#13 Can’t Imagine What That Kid Has To Deal With

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#14 Very Not Cool

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#15 Imagine... Uggh

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As such, it’s very important that parents who make mistakes with their kids don’t overcorrect and land in the ‘perfectionist’ zone. Similarly, any parents who realize that they’re being inflexible with their standards and are overly critical of their and their kids’ (real or perceived) faults need to learn to hold back and allow room for (at least some) failure. After all, learning to deal with failure and drawing wisdom from our mistakes is what being human is all about. One thing's for sure, though: nobody wants to be that parent who ends up on 'Parents Are Effing Dumb.'

#16 Parents Theory

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#17 Bad Parenting

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#18 Florida Teen Dies From Covid-19 After Mom Takes Her To Church “Covid Party”

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#19 Wow Just Wow

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#20 Wtf

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#21 Mum Is Angry At Her Child For Growing

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#22 Taking A Picture Instead Of Saving Your Child

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#23 Found This On Facebook

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#24 Another Great Example Of Dumb Parents

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#25 Woke Up And Saw My Door Removed By My Parents. I Asked Them "Why?" And They Replied With "Privacy Isn't Necessary"

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#26 Family Had Symptoms Of Covid But Sent Child To School Regardless

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#27 It's A Repost

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#28 Well, He Tried

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#29 Tell Me Why

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#30 Big Brain Logic

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#31 Modern Names From Modern Parents... Parent Stupidity

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#32 Mint Drugs

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#33 Let Me Just Punish My Kid For Being Depressed Instead Of Trying To Deal With It

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#34 Atleast One Person In The Comments Had The Sense To Tell Her To Call A Doctor! This Is Too Much

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#35 My Dad Needs To Stay Off The Internet

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#36 We Know Everything About You

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#37 Sad We Have To Create Something So We Don’t Forget Children

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#38 We’re In A Crowded Terminal And This Toddler Wouldn’t Stop Crying And Screaming, So Her Mom Gave Her A Whistle To Play With

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#39 7yo Gets Bullied At School For Sitting In A Car Seat, So Mom Waits Until He's Asleep, Takes A Photo Of Him, And Posts It On The Official Parents Magazine Instagram Page (855k Followers)

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#40 Everyone Is Fine Today And No Bad Habits Were Formed

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#41 This Mom Be Like "I Wonder Why My Kids Don't Confide In Me For Anything?"

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#42 Yes, The Problem Is Definitely Not That You Gave A Phone To A 2 Year Old!

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#43 Nice Name

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#44 Ou Mama!

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#45 Poor Thing Just Didn't Have A Choice

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#46 My Son Likes To Do Something He Likes And He Deserves It, But Doesn't Need It. What Should I Do?

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#47 Sorry If Repost

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#48 I Did It

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#49 Drip Or Drown

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#50 Do I Need To Explain This? No

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#51 They'd Better Not Sue When That Child Is Yeeted Off A Ride Like A Drunken Flea

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#52 People Don't Believe In God Because It's True, But Because They Were The Victims Of Early Childhood Indoctrination

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#53 Hopefully Her Daughter Learns More Than Her

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#54 A Parent Who Wont Love Their Son Because He’s Gay

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#55 Parents Encouraging Kids To Burn Masks On Idaho Capitol Steps Indoctrination Worse Than Taking Your Kid To Church

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#56 Punishing Your Kids By Destroying Their Stuff For Not Giving Up Their Privacy

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#57 On A Post About Someone Losing Their Dog During Spay Operation

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#58 That Kid Is Like 1

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#59 Why Would You Turn The Light On?!

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#60 Ah Yes Looking For Something To Be Mad About

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#61 Yes, That's A Birthing Pool, And Yes, The Toddler Is Having A Slurp

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#62 Parenting Quora Is... A Trip

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#63 Me: Mom Do You Go Through My Phone? My Mom: No. Also My Mom:

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#64 Issa Routine Nowadays

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#65 Nobody Is Allowed To Have Back Pain But Me

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#66 Not Only Teaching The Kid Racism, But Also Documenting It For The Internet

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#67 20f. Mother And Stepfather Told Me: Take This Or You'll Have Nothing To Sleep On. Gave A Normal Mattress To My Stepfather's Son And Didnt Even Tell Me He'll Be Coming. F**k Them All

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#68 Parents In China Drag Their Child On Edge Of Hill Just To Take Photos

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#69 How Hard Is It To Tell Someone To Get Off The Forbidden Area

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#70 I Want To Show My 4 Year Old An R Rated Movie. Should I Do It?

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#71 "L-Like This, Mommy?"

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#72 Stupid Parent In So Many Ways

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#73 Parents Changed Their Kid And Left The Diaper And Empty Wet Wipes Pack In The Middle Of H&ms Kids Section

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#74 They Had Their 12-15yo Boys In The Bed Of The Truck, Sitting On Dining Room Chairs, Holding Their New Glass Dining Room Table Facing The Wind For Maximum Drag On A 6 Lane Blvd

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#75 I Hate Parents That Don't Care About Their Children's Health

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#76 Not Forcing Your Toddler To Drink Beer Totally Makes You A Sissy

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#77 Why Just... Have This In The Open?

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#78 Leaving A Burning Candle In Front Of A Toddler

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#79 Gee I Wonder Why People Were Being Rude?

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#80 ???

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#81 Poor Kid

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#82 Coder Mom Gets Mad At Her Son For Using His Resources

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#83 Why Ride A Bike Inside Church?

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#84 Not Only That, But Those Quotations Too!!

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#85 Do Idiots In Truck Beds Count?

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#86 Yes Please

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#87 Got This Beauty From A Parenting Sub!

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#88 Ghost Baby

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#89 I Watched The Sonic Movie And There Was No "D**n S**t Bast**d" In It Parents Need To Stop Lying

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#90 Man Straps Baby To Lawnmower

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#91 Leaving A 2 Year Old Unattended To Play Office With Your Old Computer That Still Works

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#92 Lmao

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#93 My Parents Think This Is A Cute Decoration

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#94 I'll Take "Things Kids Didn't Say For 2000, Alex"

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#95 Buying Brand New White Furniture When You Have A Toddler

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