Our lives completely change once we become a parent because it means we are no longer only responsible for just ourselves. Now, we have to make sure another living, breathing person is able to eat, sleep, and simply survive this crazy world and make it out in one piece.
Parenting is a lot of work, but our kids make every struggle worth it. These parents are proof that no matter what, no one can love us like mom or dad can.
He Turned His Daughter's Drawing Into A Tattoo
Most parents will take their child's drawings and hang them up on the fridge for a couple of days before they 'mysteriously' disappear in place of the next drawing. Well, this isn't your typical drawing so this proud papa wanted to commemorate it forever.
Instead of leaving it up on the fridge or getting it framed, after a quick vote on Reddit, this dad went and got it tattooed onto his body for the rest of his life. We respect the commitment.
Dad Was Very Emotional During After His Son's Graduation
Graduation is an important milestone for so many people, but it doesn't happen for everyone. This young man was the first in his family to graduate with a Master's degree, which is an incredible achievement.
Naturally, with his family watching him cross the stage to accept his diploma, emotions were running high. According to this graduate's brother, his dad couldn't stop crying, and neither can we. It takes a lot of time, effort, and sacrifice to raise a child, and it's amazing to see them reach such incredible heights.
This Mom Isn't Exactly A Helicopter Parent...
When your child reaches a certain age, every parent has to make that decision on when to let go and allow your kid to make their own choices. That means giving them the space to make their own mistakes and letting go of their hands as they run around the soccer field.
Even though this mom let her son play, she was not about to let the sunburn his skin. Honestly, playing goalie can be pretty boring, so having someone block out the sun can really help pass the time.
Make Sure To Text Your Mom
Our parents do so much for us and often, all it takes is a small gesture to make their day. Pick your mom a flower, tell your dad you changed the oil in the car, just find a way to get in touch with them to show them you're alive and thinking about them.
This mom clearly gets a kick out of her daughter's messages and is even in touch with memes enough to pass along one of her favorites to her daughter.
Mom Dresses Up For 'Donuts With Dad' Day
It's tough raising a child, but it's even more difficult when you're a single parent. This mother has had to raise her son by herself, and despite the difficulties, she's made it work.
When it was time for the school to have their 'Donuts With Dad' day, she didn't want her son to miss out. So she went to work constructing a dad disguise so that her son had someone to eat with.
This Dad Shared A Message From The Heart
Graduation is a big day for us, but it's also a big day for our parents. After years of raising us, grooming us, and preparing us for the great big world out there, graduation is the culmination of all of that.
This dad had to share not only his words but also the words of his son's mother who had passed away. This was surely an emotional message for this dad to pass along, but now his son has this message that he can hold and read again and again.
Only Mom Can Defeat The Final Boss
Any parent with children who play video games knows how frustrating they can be. Everything starts off so easy and your child is flying through level after level, then suddenly things get tricky.
It won't take long for them to get so frustrated that they come to you for help. What are you supposed to do? You grab that GameBoy, do your best to figure out the controls, and you take down that final boss so your kids can rescue the princess.
When Your Dad Becomes A Grandpa
They say that a dad who spoils his kid has to raise his grandkid, but this granddad looks like he did a great job raising his son. The look on his face as his son raises his young child really shows just how much our parents go through to raise us.
Now, it might seem like this granddad's job is done, but because he raised his son right, he gets to spoil his grandchild. Those are just the rules.
Not Just Anyone Can Go Out With His Daughter
Parents can be notoriously protective when their children enter the dating world. Some parents will go to great lengths to keep their children from dating altogether, but this dad's a bit more realistic.
Instead of simply banning his daughter from dating, this dad instead challenges these prospective boyfriends to a game of chess to make sure they are competent enough to date his daughter. This is a much better way to weed out any bad seeds and a great way to make these boyfriends sweat.
This Dad Wanted His Daughter's Stepfather To Be There Too
It is customary for the father of the bride to walk the bride down the aisle, but this dad knew that he wasn't the only one to help raise his daughter. As he was walker the bride down the aisle, he made sure to stop and grab his daughter's stepfather so he could partake as well.
This is an incredible display of empathy on the part of this father. While he couldn't always be there for his little girl, he knew how important it was for both he and her stepfather to be there on her special day.
This Grow-A-Pony Really Worked!
If you give your little girl a Grow-A-Pony, you had better be ready for her to be very disappointed unless you're ready to 'pony' up. This parent saw the opportunity to make their daughter's day and took it.
After their daughter dropped their Grow-A-Pony in a bowl of water before going to bed for the night, this parent made sure to replace the little foal with a much larger pony, and even left a hoof in the bowl for that extra attention to detail.
If You Didn't Win A Prize, Did You Even Go To The Fair?
If there is one thing the parenting books don't teach you, it's how to knock over all of those bottles when you're playing the games at the local fair. Diapers and tying shoelaces are simple compared to the stress of winning that one stuffed animal that is somehow different from all the rest.
This dad was fortunate enough to not only win one for his daughter but to also have a random photographer captured this moment of the two of them to cherish this memory.
Grandpa Wanted His Grandson To Feel Comfortable
None of us remember our time in the crib, but that doesn't mean our parents (or in this case our grandparents) should skimp on our surroundings. Instead of getting the customary cube-shaped crib, this grandfather custom-made this crib in the shape of a boat.
Clearly, this grandfather has a knack for this sort of thing, and showed how important it was to put his heart out there to make something special, unique, and beautiful for his grandson to enjoy.
This Used To Be A Staple Of Every Summer Vacation
Summer vacation sure has changed over the years. Before, it used to be a time when kids were out of school and away from their classmates, and summer break consisted of camp, cottages, and traveling across the country to visit national parks.
That's exactly what this family was doing, and it shows just what our parents were willing to go through to make summers as enjoyable as possible. Renting an RV and traveling across the country with nothing but a map sounds terrifying now that we have Uber and Google Maps.
This Dad Gave Out Free Dad Hugs
One thing that you learn when you become a parent is that not every parent is the same. This dad was at the Pittsburgh Pride Parade handing out 'free dad hugs' while his wife gave out 'free mom hugs.'
The reason they were doing this was that there are, unfortunately, far too many people there who were rejected by their families for coming out. The duo gave out over 700 free hugs, and showed that everyone needs a good ol' mom and dad hug every once in a while.
Sometimes We Need Dad To Open A Jar
We all reach a point in our lives where we can't count on our parents to help us with every little problem, but for this girl and a stubborn jar, today is not that day. This girl was on a cooking show, and when she was strapped for time, she ran to her father to help open a stubborn jar.
Naturally, dad sprang into action and ripped that lid off in record time. It's amazing to see these parents out supporting their child as she puts her talents in the kitchen on display.
She Took A Photo With Her Parents In The Fields They Worked In
Far too often, the work our parents do to help provide for us is done in the shadows. We often have no idea where our parents work, or even exactly what they do to help provide for us and our family.
This graduate made sure to capture a picture with her parents in the fruit fields that they worked after immigrating here in order to better provide for her. It was their sacrifices in those fields that helped her become the person she is today.
This Mom Brought Her Kids Along For The Ride
One thing a lot of parents will say is that you have to put your own dreams aside once you have children. Well, that's not totally true, but there are definite sacrifices along the way as the needs of your children take the spot of your own needs.
Even with a six, four, and one-year-old, this mom still trained and maintained a sub 7:20 pace during this marathon. Sure, her kids don't look thrilled, but it's clear she found a balance between raising them and maintaining her fitness goals.
These Parents Listening To Their Child's Heartbeat
Unfortunately, this shows how tough it can be for parents who lose their children. These parents are listening to the heart of their son beating within this man, who received it after their son overdosed. Even more unfortunate is that their son was only 23 when he passed.
It's difficult to see how pained these parents are but at least they get to see that their son was able to help another person continue to live their life.
A Final Tribute To His Son
Raising a child with a physical disability is rewarding but can have its difficult moments. Still, nothing compares to the love and bond between a parent and their child no matter what obstacles are in the way. When this ten-year-old boy lost his life, his father decided to create this tombstone as a tribute to his lost son.
This is a heartbreaking reminder for any parent to cherish the moments you have with your child while you can.
