
Selfless People Share The Best "Take One For The Team" Stories
[rebelmouse-image 18359639 is_animated_gif=One of he most difficult actions in life is to take action. To be able to stand up and admit defeat or guilt takes hutzpah. But taking credit when you're innocent for the sake of others? That takes character you don't see very often. Maybe if that sort of valor or humanity was on display more often we wouldn't be as divided as we are currently.
Redditor DevinTryan wanted to know What's the biggest "take one for the team" moment you've seen? Now not every tale will be life saving or Nobel Prize worthy -and some people are still shady- but a lot of responses are worthy of a clap.
BREAK THE KNOB...
From one of my friends, I heard that there was a huge party in one of the dorm rooms at a boarding school. It was one of the last nights and the teachers were going around hoping to catch people doing stuff they weren't supposed to be doing.
Apparently, when a teacher tried their best to open a door, senior held it down and had everyone else escape through the backdoor. Needless to say, he got kicked out and nobody else did. What a legend.
SOME PEOPLE ARE SAINTS AMONG US...
[rebelmouse-image 18359640 is_animated_gif=I thought it was noble how older Japanese people volunteered to help clean up the Fukushima reactor because they knew the horrors of radiation and that they wouldn't live as long as the younger generation who would have to worry about long term effects like cancer and leukemia. That takes a very deep understanding of the finite nature of your own life, and a strong sense of duty.
YOU STINK!!
[rebelmouse-image 18359641 is_animated_gif=So in high school there was this group of friends who decided to bring stink bombs to mess around with. However, one of them dropped a bomb by accident right in the middle of Math class, prompting the classroom and hallway to smell like death. Obviously, the class got questioned about it immediately, so one dude from the group that brought the stink bombs, and who wasn't the one who dropped it, made up a story on the spot so his friends could avoid punishment.
He basically said that he had this really bad intestinal infection that made him pass really bad gas. He couldn't hold it anymore so he farted. Thing is the teacher and prefects were actually believing him to the point where they were gonna call an ambulance, but somewhere along the conversation he slipped up and got caught in the lie. He was still determined to take one for the team so he said he was the only one who brought the stink bombs. So he got punished for lying about the smell and for bringing stink bombs to school.
A MORAL WIN MEANS MORE! RIGHT?
[rebelmouse-image 18359642 is_animated_gif=Got fired for reporting my employer to the authorities because he was knowingly poisoning the entire office with lead fumes. I had tried to work with him to solve the problem for 6 months. When he started ripping strips off of Jr employees for things out of their control I knew things had gone too far and I had no choice, knowing that despite the authorities promises that they would protect my job the reality was they would do stuff and I would lose my job.
FOLLOW MY LEAD...
[rebelmouse-image 18979894 is_animated_gif=Where I work we get audited by auditors every few years just so they can see we're following compliance laws and policies set forth by the company. I just joined in to the company less than 7 months and all the staff were playing hide and seek when the auditor stepped into the room. They wanted to observe and shadow an employee and no one volunteered or had the balls to show up. I eventually said f--- it and elected myself just so we could wrap that it up and the auditor could leave. Passed with flying colors and company got a bonus. Was too early to ask for a raise sadly.
I AM SPARTACUS!
[rebelmouse-image 18979895 is_animated_gif=This is mild but once someone pulled the fire alarm in school after hours had ended (we had supplementary classes)
The crazed middle aged demon of a teacher held an entire class of 25 (including some kids who weren't even in the class) back for over 2 and a half hours just because no one wanted to confess.
So then, my quiet, never-been-in-trouble classmate decided to get it over with and just said he did it and let the yelling commence.
There was no yelling, but teacher only allowed us to leave in groups according to their vision of who were the most well-behaved students in their eyes.
WAKE UP!!
[rebelmouse-image 18979896 is_animated_gif=During my time in the Navy I volunteered for the graveyard shift 2x because no one else wanted to do it. We weren't allowed to sleep during the day either.
N.A.V.Y. Never Again Volunteer Yourself
Lesson learned.
BLESS YOU FRIEND...
[rebelmouse-image 18979897 is_animated_gif=When I worked at the golden arches we had a customer... paint the stall in the men's room with... you know. I was heavily pregnant so I noped the heck out of that. I offered an incentive to whatever poor soul went in to clean it. Debates on who would do it lasted about 15 minutes and one of my more troublesome crew members decided he really wanted an hour break, paid, so he volunteered. He spent 2 hours doing the task, with repeated trips outside to puke. After he was done, I called my boss and explained, with photos, what happened and sent the guy home 4 hours early and paid his entire shift. I had to replace his uniform, just so he could drive home. We torched the old one.
TOO SAD...
[rebelmouse-image 18979898 is_animated_gif=When I was pretty young, like between the ages of 5-12 or something, me and my best friend were basically inseparable. The two of us used to be pretty mischievous, and got into a lot of trouble, especially in school. We'd spend a lot more time at my house than at his, and whenever one of my parents would get mad about something that we did, he would try to take all the blame himself. He told me years later that his parents were physically abusive behind closed doors, and he assumed the same of every family. The reason he took the blame for everything was because he thought everyone's parents would beat them fairly regularly, but he knew that my parents would never touch him, because he wasn't their kid.
I'LL DO IT... I'M SPECIAL...
[rebelmouse-image 18979899 is_animated_gif=Told my dad I was the one who dropped my brother, who was bleeding, instead of my sister because I was liked better and would've received a less severe punishment.
THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND...
[rebelmouse-image 18979901 is_animated_gif=When I was around 10 my friend and I were front flipping onto a mattress in my basement. My dad had just put wood panel on the walls to complete our basement renovation. My friend did a front flip and his foot went through the wall. My friend's dad was a big scary man who always yelled at him. So I told my dad it was me.
My dad ended up suuuuper pissed, went down the street to consult another Dad on what to do about the whole thing. I sat in my room bawling my eyes because I was so afraid of what was going to happen to me.
My dad came back, gave me a hug, and told me he loved me. He explained that people make mistakes, and turned it into a life lesson. In a way, it created a really good memory of my dad.
Heck, maybe my friends a-hole dad would've responded the same way, and created a bond with him, and I made him miss out on that.....probably not though.
SOUND THE TRUMPET!!
[rebelmouse-image 18979902 is_animated_gif=In high school I was the 1st Chair trumpet in band, along with one other experienced student, we had 2 new students one that transferred from a smaller school out of state and one who had been a suck up to the band teacher and got put in the advanced band class.
Our band teacher was an absolute witch, was to hard on every student and didn't properly lead the band, she was just there because we were a problem school and it looked good on her resume.
The student that had transferred from out of state was probably good at his old school but he didn't hold up to our standard, but he had 3 years of trumpet experience. But He made an effort every class to better him self, he would constantly ask for tips, help and practice sessions with me and the 2nd chair student.
But anytime he messed up during class practice the band teacher would slam her hands on the podium and scream at the trumpet section, she would ask who it was and even before he could answer the Kiss-butt would point him out. Me and 2nd chair student confronted the teacher about this problem and that the transfer student was doing so much to improve and that we felt the Kiss-ass should be sent back to beginning class as he had no prior experience with the trumpet and made no effort to improve himself.
She scoffed at us, brushed the problem off and didn't change a thing. So me and the 2nd chair knew what we had to do. Every time the Transfer student messed up we would immediately speak up and say that it was us. She never yelled at us like she did to the Transfer student but we didn't get off easy, but it was worth it.
She quit the next year, after I left Transfer student became first chair his Senior year and went on to join honor Band and then made it into college on his very impressive trumpet skills.
BRUNCH IS CUT THROAT!
[rebelmouse-image 18979904 is_animated_gif=It was a get-together with a bunch of coworkers on Friday night and we all decide to go to a nightclub. The bouncer denies the group and tells me the reason after I take him to the side. He thinks two of the women do not fit the club's ideal "image." He would let us in if we ditched the two girls.
One of the girls comes up to me and asks why they couldn't get in and half-jokingly accuses me. I say, "...umm yeah it's because of me." And then she proceeds to tell the group it's my fault they couldn't get in. I keep my mouth shut.
NO BEANS FOR YOU!
[rebelmouse-image 18979905 is_animated_gif=Very minor, but I found it funny.
I'm a nurse, and I was cleaning up a patient who had been incontinent of stool. Unfortunately, it was quite a significant amount and the smell in the room was very strong. The patient was super sweet, and I felt bad for how embarrassed they were.
As soon as I was done, the doctor and his group of residents came in. The younger ones couldn't hide the look on their faces as the smell hit them, and my poor patient looked absolutely mortified.
I piped up "I'm sorry guys, that was me, I've been farting all day. My god, the farting!." Everyone had a good laugh, the patient included.
SMOKE AND MIRRORS...
[rebelmouse-image 18979906 is_animated_gif=At my school somebody graffitied the boys bathrooms pretty badly and my teacher narrowed it down to a few people.
I asked her what the punishment was and i then made it obvious i was taking one for the team out of impatience. She decided i didn't do it and told me i was free to go, so i left.
And I was the one who graffitied the bathroom.
ANYTHING FOR FIDO...
[rebelmouse-image 18979907 is_animated_gif=My neighbor jumped in front of a bus because his dog got loose and ran onto the road where the bus was going to hit him. The dude is now paralyzed.
I GOT THIS ONE 'BUD'...
[rebelmouse-image 18979908 is_animated_gif=I took the blame for having weed at school. My friend who actually brought it was already in the care of child services and on the last line to go to juvi, the friend who was going to take the blame was in the same boat, then there was me, never so much as a detention. The school knew I was lying but couldn't prove it, had no choice but to expel me. The police didn't press charges because again, they knew it wasn't really me, I was the fall guy but nothing more. They felt bad for me I think, they could see I was a good person in with a crowd I had no business being with.
Looking back, I'm glad I did take the blame, not for my friends, they didn't deserve the fall I took for them, they just used me many many times over but because it got me away from those toxic friends and environment and I actually got to finish high school somewhere else with a much better outlook on life and actual true friends
WALK WITH ME...
[rebelmouse-image 18979909 is_animated_gif=In 7th grade we had a sub for last period. Someone did something right before the bell and the sub said he was going to keep the class there until whoever did it spoke up. I knew who did it, also knew he would not speak up. So I said I did it after sitting there 10 minutes after the bell rang. I needed to catch the bus and so did other people. She told the whole class to go except me. She said she was dissappointed because she knows I didn't do it and ask why I took blame. So I told her we all need to catch the bus. A lot of the kids caught the bus, about 10 kids waited for me to get out and we all missed the bus. We had to walk home, 5 mile walk for me.
I'LL KEEP SWINGIN'!!
[rebelmouse-image 18354745 is_animated_gif=I once took blame for a giant hole my older brother punched in a wall in our house on accident because I was already the black sheep and that kind of stuff was expected from me and my older brother was the perfect child.
TIME FOR SOME LONG OVERDUE PENANCE...
[rebelmouse-image 18979911 is_animated_gif=When I was in 3rd grade the teacher had walked out of the room to make some copies of worksheets. Of course, everyone took this as an opportunity to start talking and soon the class started to get louder and louder. For some reason I started making this "cackoo cackoo" noise like a bird. When the teacher got back to the room she was pissed because she could hear us down the hall in the copy room. She began reprimanding the people she could pick out from the crowd with no outside activities for the rest of the week. She asked who was making that loud squawking sound. I guess nobody knew it was me, and I sure as hell was not going to throw myself under the bus. She finally says "everyone will lose outside privileges if someone doesn't come forward." Everyone started blaming this other kid who denied it was him, but for some reason he admitted to it when the teacher warned again that everyone would lose outside time. Poor dude had to spend the rest of the week with no recess but was a class hero. I never told anyone it was me.
Being horny can lead to some questionable decision-making.
Something happens to the brain when blood is flowing to other regions of the body.
They should discuss this in health class.
It's perfectly normal, but we have to learn how to deal.
Redditor Sir_Baconstrips wanted to see who was willing to discuss actions made while randy, so they asked:
"What's the biggest mistake you've made because you were horny?"
I can't tell you mine, because my mom might read this. But Reddit was more than happy to share.
History Help
"I browsed porn and then I asked my mom how to delete the history."
Ramon80589
What was that?
"Probably my most embarrassing moment. Was on my work computer (family business so nothing locked) and it was a super slow day and I was alone. Anyways was doing a classic 3 min facebook check and scrolled down for a second and saw the news post about Adriana Chechik injuring her back in a foam pool. Figured top comments on that would be golden. Read one funny one that said 'her and her scene with [performer I can’t remember] is still goat.'"
"Never heard of said performer so I got curious and google her. Of course photos never do justice, had to see the performance ya know? So I clicked a random video, quick glance and thought 'meh' and was about to close the tab before I noticed my mouse twitch on the screen… What was that? No.. that wasn’t mouse error, that was someone… then within seconds I realized the accountant who taps in remotely to finish work came in at that exact moment that I had a browser open for less than 60 sec."
"The worst wart was I could have sworn I had all those remote services off, but she tried to tap in for over an hour and must of did something to wake splashtop (probably had it on some type of standby mode). She even called earlier but I saw a random number and was speaking with a client and ignored it."
"Anyways, decision time, do I call her and play it off as nothing or apologize? Naturally as a fearful 28 year old I play off as nothing. I call, no answer… then a few minutes later i get the call back and her words after exchanging 'hellos … are you finished with whatever you were doing…' still burns me."
Satmatzi
Years Later
"Let my (ex) boyfriend dry-hump me for an hour on a bench outside after summer school."
"The bad news: this bench behind our school was also beside a swimming pool. Where parents were taking their children for swim lessons. Eventually a staff member came out and yelled at us for being inappropriate."
"I still have shame flashbacks today, over 10 years later."
hannlouiseols
Size Issues
"I had a one night stand with a guy who was, in retrospect, seriously self-conscious about his penis size and kept going on about how if it was on the small size it was just because he has to have sex with it a few times and it would gradually get bigger until it was it’s 'true' size. I really didn’t care."
"But then to make himself feel better he turned it around and started talking about how big and wide my vagina was but kept reassuring me that it was ok because he liked the challenge. I wish I had snapped my legs shut and given him the boot right then and there."
bewarethes0ckm0nster
In San Diego
"Lost my entire tax refund and got my phone stolen at a strip club in San Diego."
BigFatPapaBear
Always check your pockets on the way out.
The Reward
"Hooked up with a girl at a party. Just kind of bored, drunk, and horny. Having to go to the doctor for a case of pubic lice was my reward for poor self-control."
No_External7289
Dedicated...
"I got my first serious gf in high school. She was two grades below me. So when I finished third year and moved 500 km south we was still a couple. I was so in love (and most of all horny) I commuted every. Single. Weekend. And I was poor. So I took the bus to the nearest station after school. Waited for the long distance bus for 4-5 hours."
"Went to a larger city to hitchhike my way there. I was there Friday night or Saturday morning. Locked ourselves in her bedroom and went at it until Sunday morning. I made my way down to school again and went to class straight from the bus Monday morning. This went on for almost a year…"
pelo_ensortijado
I'm Out
"Was trying to get with a girl in college. We were texting and I asked her what she was up to, she said she was training for a marathon and going to the gym and asked if I wanted to come."
"I ended up running 9 miles before I tagged out. So now I know how far I'd go to have sex it's up to 9 miles."
euesquecimeunome
Lord the things people will do when slightly turned on.
People Who Accidentally Sent A Family Member A Nude Picture Describe The Aftermath
Why in this day and age are people still taking nudie pics without triple-checking the recipient?
Why take the gamble?
And half of the time we hit send, mistakes get made.
One minute you're feeling sexy, the next minute grandpa is having a stroke.
Be careful.
Redditor Im_A_Freakin_Joke wanted to hear about the times people have sent photos to the family that left everyone SHOOK, so they asked:
"Redditors who accidental sent a family member a nude, what was the aftermath?"
I have done many things, but I never allow a snapshot.
Gross
"'You should clean your room before you take that.'"
Emergency_faceplant
What's What?!
"I meant to send it to someone on WhatsApp that I was dating at the time and didn’t realize I accidentally sent it to my brother, their names were next to each other in my chat list and I chose the wrong one. I frantically called my sister in law and told her what happened and begged her to go into his phone and delete the message with the photo."
"This is before WhatsApp added the functionality to delete your own messages. She was so sweet and understanding and deleted the message. I was so embarrassed. To this day she has kept my secret, this happened five years ago."
room_temp_butter
Bad Pics
"For context, my mom had some life-threatening medical issues when I was a kid, so there were a few month+ long periods where we rarely saw her. One night, I got a text from her that says 'send me a pic of u in bed."
"I thought she wanted a picture of me and my dog snuggling, as he slept with me and was the cutest sleeper. I usually sent her one every few days, even when she was home. It also doubled as her way to make sure I was following my bedtime."
"I was taking the picture, and I get a follow-up 'ignore that' text. At the same time, my dad opens my door so hard the hinges break. He says 'you get a text from mama?' I say yeah, and he says, 'it wasn't meant for you.' And leaves. I felt weird about it for days, even though it was years before I figured it out."
bleeding_inkheart
Leave it there...
"I happened to live across the street at the time and a dirty message meant for my now wife was sent to my mother! Luckily for me my mom is notorious for ignoring her phone so I sprinted across the street and said 'hey where is your phone' she told me it was on her desk so I calmly walked over unlocked it and deleted the message. In response to the look of confusion I told her 'deleted a message that was meant for now wife...' And left it at that."
Twandle_D-Vorago
AHHHH!!!! NO!
"One time my dad accidentally texted me 'sex if the Patriots win' and I still don’t believe I have recovered."
ayepeyday
Mom and dad have their own lives.
Disconnect
"I didn't accidentally send a nude, but my phone did auto upload ALL my pictures when I connected it to my mom's computer. I'm no longer allowed to connect hardware to my mom's computer."
teethalarm
Hey Sis...
"I gave my sister my old Iphone (I’m 25, she’s 22). She didn’t realize that her photos were uploading to my cloud and when I went to send a photo to a coworker, at work mind you, I see her pasty a**. I immediately text her and was like STOP TAKING PHOTOS. She called me and asked if I was okay and I told her what was happening. She responded with 'My a** look good though,' and I died laughing. Love my sis, but Christ."
PushingPepperoni
Shower Scene
"I didn’t sent a nude. I was in the shower, about age 15, and I heard the phone ring. My best friend had a habit of calling while I was showering. So, I bolted out naked as the day I was born to grab the phone before she hung up. I didn’t realize pretty much my entire dad’s side of the family was visiting my terminally ill mother."
"They saw it all. My aunt jokingly said, 'Well, dang, I didn’t know there was gonna be a show.' And someone said, 'we were just joking when we said you’d grow up to be a stripper.' I had to do a walk of shame back to the bathroom as well."
"It was laughed off and it hasn’t been brought up since."
TheSaltyMelon
Let me see...
"Sent a pic of my boobs to my mom. Managed to convince her I was trying to take a pic of what I thought was a lump but ended up dropping my phone and sent it while fumbling. Which has happened before. But then she made me show her where I thought the lump was so that was very awkward."
3milyBlazze
Recover Mode
"I once sent a pic to a GF in college when we were home for break… only I searched her contact by last name and accidentally sent it to her mom!"
"Thankfully it was late and she was able to sneak into her parents’ room and delete it before they saw."
BleekerTheBard
What have we learned?
At the very least, triple-check who you are sending it to one whichever app you use for that sort of thing.
People Share The Things They Learned Embarrassingly Late In Life
There is so much to learn in the world, it's impossible for one person to know absolutely everything there is to know.
But there are certain things, like common phrases and idioms, that everyone seems to use that might be a little embarrassing to not understand until later in life.
Redditor Curious-2577 asked:
"What's something you learned 'embarrassingly late' in life?"
Addictive Personality
"My sister was in her fifties when she found out the meaning of, 'You have an addictive personality.'"
"She thought after all these years of therapy that it meant that people were addicted to her personality."
"We laughed hysterically when we talked about this (in a very sad way)."
- casper02127
Horse Toes
"I thought that horses had toes until I was 22. I thought the hoof was a 'horseshoe' and the toes were tucked inside."
"How did I learn how wrong I was, you ask?"
"I was walking past a cavalry museum and saw a horse statue and loudly remarked, 'It must hurt so bad when they fold a horse’s toes to put them into the shoe!'"
"Dozens of horse enthusiasts turned and looked at me with wild bewilderment in their eyes."
- BronNatsPulisic
Referencing Flowers
"The saying is, in fact, 'Nip it in the bud' and not 'Nip it in the butt.'"
- too_sharp
Pastures New
"A few months ago, two of my colleagues both handed in their notice at around the same time."
"I kept reading/hearing the sentence, 'They’re both moving on to pastures new’ being thrown about the office in the weeks leading up to them leaving, and I hadn’t heard this phrase before and thought that was the name of the rival company that they were going to, like, 'Pastures New.'"
"I thought it was weird that nobody was talking about how they were both leaving for the same company."
"I was in the car with one of the two people who were leaving and said, 'So where is it that you and X are going to be working? Is it...’"
"And just before I could embarrass myself and say ‘Pastures New,' they interrupted me and said they’re not going to the same place and asked me where I had heard that."
"I think at that moment, I realized I was stupid and didn’t mention it again."
- WorriedSoft
Mario Brothers
"I think I was in college when I realized that Mario and Luigi are plumbers. I thought they just went and up down these tubes just because that was the theme of the game."
- dontbemystalker
Bonsai Trees
"That Bonsai are not a species of tree, but a way to grow them. Any tree can be a bonsai."
- ixent
Houston, We Have a Problem
"Houston is not the name of the guy astronauts talk to."
- vienna_versailles
Cowboy Beans
"I learned that pork and beans are not called 'cowboy beans.' I was 18 and asked a grocery store clerk to help me find the 'cowboy beans.'"
"We were looking everywhere and I was getting frustrated because I know that every store carries these beans. After a while, I picked up a pork and beans can with a picture and said, 'See, they look just like this!'"
"He said, 'You mean pork and beans?'"
"Then I realized that my mom called them that so that I would eat them."
"The look of disappointment from that grocery store clerk haunts me to this day."
- whyunoletmepost
The Pulitzer
"Let me tell you about how I thought you were awarded a 'Pullet Surprise.'"
- BendyBrains
Rum and Coke
"Not too late in life, but I thought my parents were making 'Roman Cokes' until I went to college."
"Which, I think is a much better name for the drink (Rum and Coke) anyway."
- Th3seViolentDelights
Oh No, Not Acoma!
"That a coma was 'A' coma. Until I was probably 19 or so, I thought it was 'acoma.'"
"I thought you fell into acoma."
- FightWithBrickWalls
It Must Have Been a One-Way Trip
"My parents were divorced the whole time and my mom was not, in fact, taking a vacation, lmao (laughing my a** off)."
- artemus_who
Multitasking
"I live near the Hospital for Joint Diseases… when I was a kid, I thought was a special hospital for people who had two or more different diseases at the same time."
- Baffhy_Duck
Ore-Ida Fries
"Moving cross-country, driving east to west, and crossing from Idaho to Oregon, I noticed huge fields with signs for the Ore-Ida Potato company."
"So I was in my early 20s when I figured out Ore-Ida wasn’t just a brand name but was because their potatoes came from Oregon and Idaho."
- Deadhawk142
Kid Logic
"When I was really young, my sister told me she threw her guts up. So I was really afraid of vomiting my entire insides up for years."
- Presitigious_Sweet_50
Some of these really had us laughing as we realized the revelations some of these Redditors were having.
But when we're really honest with ourselves, we probably didn't figure out some of these until later, too.
People Break Down The Absolute Worst Parts About Having A Child
While starting a family and having children is a goal that many people have, some do not realize that it's not easy, fun, and loving one-hundred percent of the time. Rather, it's expensive, exhausting, and hard, though it might be worth it in the end.
With this in mind, people shared what they felt were the hardest hurdles of their parenting.
Redditor ApprehensiveShock655 asked:
"What's the worst part of having a child?"
Fear of Not Doing Enough
"The constant anxiety that you’re doing enough to shape them to make good choices, a good life, be a good person and for them to have the life they deserve."
- nakedreturnsthe1st
Like the Energizer Bunny
"It's incessant. It never stops. You never get a day off."
"Going from having two days per week to relax and do whatever to literally never having a moment free from responsibility."
- mrbuh
No Break In Sight
"I’ve always wanted kids and still do, but this is the only thing that has come close to giving me pause."
"Both my siblings have young kids and I cannot get over how CONSTANT it is."
"From the second the kids wake up to when they finally shut their eyes, it’s non-stop. Then they get maybe an hour or two to themselves, which is mostly spent tidying up, etc., before the nighttime stuff starts with the baby crying, the toddler coming into bed, nightmares, etc."
"It requires years of not getting a full night's rest. You can never just go out whenever you want. No sleeping in, even on weekends because someone has to be up with them at 6 AM."
"Raising human children is an insane task."
- GirlisNo1
Mom's Body After Baby and Dad Bods
"The weight gain is the worst! During the pregnancy, I gained 35 pounds. My belly has stretch marks. My boobs are all saggy."
"And it’s not even fair because my wife only gained like 15."
- Wise-Reaction-7526
The Meal Planning
"Coming up with three meals to eat per day EVERY DAY stresses me out so bad."
"This sounds like such a small thing, but it really wears on you over time. You can’t just make something for yourself or something you and your spouse feel like eating: You have to constantly be thinking about if the kid is hungry and what they might be willing to eat."
- Ravenclaw79
Keeping Them Safe
"When people ask me this I say, 'do you know those video games where you have to escort a character to a destination without them being attacked?' That's parenting. Those missions are a pain in the a**."
- Infiniski_Gaming
Seriously, Keep Them Safe
"Having to deal with their total lack of self-preservation. They are creative and come up with all kinds of ways to try and kill themselves. Keeping ahead of the game is exhausting."
- Quizzical_Chimp
Constant Contact
"They’re just always there. On you, behind you, in front of you, just a little speed bump impeding every task."
- Tangboy500000
Letting Them Live Their Life Their Way
"Having a kid is like having a little piece of your heart running around in the world. When they're sick or get disappointed or just feel sad, it's worse than having it happen to you."
"Yet at the same time, you need to let your kids work through those things to learn to handle them. If you give into the worry and try to shield them from everything, you risk creating harmful co-dependence."
"So it's a constant struggle. But worth it!"
- um_chili
What Is "Sleep" Again?
"I'm only nine years in, but so far, it's been the sleep deprivation. Hands down."
- tessiegamgee
And What Are These "Sick Days" You Speak Of?
"Having to take care of a sick child when you are also sick. For me that has been the most challenging part so far."
- MrsLouisaMercury
Another Full-Time Job
"It's like taking a second job that lasts 18+ years with a 24/7 schedule with no holidays or sick days."
"…And no second paycheck. It's actually like YOU are paying your second salary instead of getting one."
- mouse_rat
Personal Freedom
"The loss of freedom. I can't just... go somewhere. Even with older kids, there's so much planning and thinking and getting ready."
"I miss being able to just decide to go somewhere, and go there."
- poetris
The Time Flies
"The best advice I got was from an ancient hospital security guard in an elevator. 'The days are long, the years are short, cherish them while you can.'"
- WayOfTheHouseHusband
So Unexpected
"The phrase I hate is, 'You don't know it, but one day you pick your kid up for the last time.'"
- 3_pac
There are all kinds of troubles that come from being a parent, many of which people don't necessarily think about until they already have a baby in the house.
But reassuringly, many people in the subReddit pointed out that no matter how hard some of these hurdles are to get over, it's still worth it in the end, and it goes by far too fast.