Parents Everyone Was Talking About On The Internet In 2018

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Image: various

In 2018, these parents took the internet by storm. Sometimes their antics were so silly or funny that we couldn’t help but laugh at (and with) them. Other times, these parents served as protectors of their children, or proved that they would do anything to make them happy. Their stories””both heartwarming and heartbreaking””captured the Internet’s attention in small flashes of viral fame, but their time in the spotlight taught us so much: How to go the extra mile (sometimes literally) to support our loved ones, how to pull off the perfect prank, even how to be supportive when ”˜Baby Shark’ comes on for the twentieth time.

From a Twitter thread that shows off dads using baby carriers, to a dad who freaked out (and eventually came around) over a positive pregnancy test, almost every type of family is represented here: Fathers who change diapers, moms who breastfeed, daughters with a close relationship their fathers, and moms raising empowered young women. Some of these parents decided to get political (with varying degrees of success) but all of them ultimately proved that though parenting is tough it is well worth the effort.

This Dad Who Wrote Eloquently About Why Changing Tables Need To Be Available In Men’s Bathrooms

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Image: Instagram / @theshaderoom

While out to eat with his family, father of three Donte Palmer excused himself to change one of his son’s diaper. Once he got to the bathroom, though, he encountered a common problem: There were no changing tables available. So he sat down on the toilet in the larger handicapped stall, and laid the child across his lap, while his older son Isaiah snapped some photos.

Palmer had always shared parenting responsibilities with his wife, so he decided to post the pictures Isaiah took of him in the bathroom. In the caption, Palmer wrote that he often resorts to creating his own makeshift changing tables, using the hashtag #Fatherslivesmatter. When The Shade Room picked up his post, it quickly went viral, prompting fathers across Instagram to back up Palmer’s call for more changing tables in men’s bathrooms.

”My wife and I, we share everything equally. We cook and clean. We work hard ”” equally. Why do we share equal responsibility but society views us differently?” he later told Buzzfeed.

The Father Who Spent Christmas On A Plane With His Flight Attendant Daughter

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Image: Facebook / Mike Levy

Here’s a Christmas story that will warm your heart: A dedicated dad named Hal decided to bring the holiday spirit to his flight attendant daughter in an unusual way. He joined her (as a passenger) on all her flights on December 24 and 25. On one of those flights, his seatmate Mike, shared a selfie he took with Hal, alongside a photo of Hal’s daughter, Pierce. On Facebook, the photo quickly went viral. Hal ended up flying all over the country with Pierce. It might not have been a traditional Christmas, but it probably meant the world to Pierce to have a little bit of home by her side during the holidays.

All The Gullible Parents Who Fell For The #turkeychallenge Prank

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Image: Twitter / @_jlu__

Sometimes it’s just too tempting to prank our gullible parents. They can be so trusting and earnest, and their reactions to the joke are usually hilarious. That’s why when Butterball launched its #TurkeyChallenge on Twitter, kids in need of a good laugh jumped at the opportunity to poke fun at their parents.

All they had to do is text their parents and ask for ”advice” on how to microwave a turkey. Most of the parents on the other end of this request were shocked and confused. One even wrote back ”I will call the police,” while another commented that doing so could send someone to the ER. Basically moms and dads everywhere lost their minds at the prospect of eating microwaved turkey on Thanksgiving. Although to be fair, Butterball does argue that it is actually possible to microwave a (totally edible) nine-pound turkey.

The Parents Who Shared A Photo Of Their Son Alone At His Birthday Party–And Then Regretted It

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Image: Facebook / Nick VinZant

When Sil Mazzini, mom to then-6 year old Teddy, took a picture of her son alone at his birthday party, she did it in the heat of the moment. She felt for her child, who had invited many of his classmates to his party, only to show up and find out that no one would be coming. Though Teddy was disappointed in the turnout, he was quickly distracted by arcade games. Still, Mazzini decided to post the photo to Facebook, where it was picked up local news reporter Nick VinZant.

The Tucson-based family suddenly received an influx of sympathy from strangers on the Internet, who offered to send the little boy birthday cards and presents. They were even invited to attend a basketball game as a special guests of the Phoenix Suns. Soon after, Mazzini told the New York Post that she ultimately regretted posting the photo. She says her family wasn’t expecting and didn’t want all the attention, and that she won’t be throwing another birthday for Teddy anytime soon.

The Father Who Kept His Daughter Calm By Singing To Her During The California Wildfires

Fair warning: This one is a tear-jerker. As wildfires raged through California, most of America looked on in horror. One dad, who experienced the fires first hand, had a simple job in the midst of the chaos: Keep up his toddler’s spirits as they escaped the flames in their car. He did it by singing to her. Though the ash and smoke filled air made it difficult to drive on the crowded roads, Dad kept his cool. The situation must have been frightening, but the most stressful circumstances didn’t stop him from bringing a little joy to the moment. The family makes it out safely, by the way, and to show her appreciation, his daughter yells from the backseat, ”You did it! You did it!”

The Mom Who Protested A ”˜Poem’ About What To Do During A Lockdown Hanging In Her Kindergartner’s Classroom

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Image: Twitter / @radiofreegeorgy

In the past several year, there has been a disturbing increase in school shootings. Schools are now taking measures to protect and train their students in case of a lockdown situation, but not everyone is happy that young children are being exposed to messages that might make them afraid of going to school.

Georgy Cohen is one of those parents. In June of 2018, she discovered a poster in her child’s classroom. It contained a poem listing instructions for students in case of a lockdown, including ”lock the door,” and ”shut off the lights.” In her caption, Cohen wrote ”This should not be hanging in my soon-to-be-kindergartener’s classroom.”

In a subsequent tweet, Cohen clarified that she’s happy the school in taking steps to protect students, but that she only meant to protest, ”political & cultural factors that brought us to this sad state. Please talk to your legislators about the need for gun reform.”

This Mom Who Shared Her Daughter’s Motivational Words

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Image: Twitter / @jendziura

Ever feel like you need a pep talk? Look no further than this young girl’s take on her future career. Her mother, who goes by the name Jendziura on Twitter, shared that her daughter told her that she wanted to become an astronaut, to which she replied that she would first have to ”study hard, go to college, learn a lot of science, and take a physical fitness test.” Her daughter’s response? ”That’s only four things.” Now if only us adults could see the potential stresses of our lives with the same clarity and optimism.

Later, Jendziura shared a photo of her a daughter in a Wonder Woman costume. A very fitting outfit for a girl who will probably be president someday.

This Mom Who Helped Toddler Play ‘Baby Shark’ On Alexa

This mega-viral Internet phenomenon has by now lodged itself in all our brains, but especially those of the babies and toddlers among us. Kids go crazy for this song. They want to hear it non-stop, perhaps to the frustration of their caretakers. But one mom couldn’t deny her adorable toddler’s plea to hear ”˜Baby Shark’ (again).

The little girl in the video repeatedly asks Alexa to ”play ”˜Baby Shark’” but being a baby, she can’t quite enunciate the words properly. That’s when Mom, who is filming the exchange, swoops in to offer her assistance by giving the proper command to Alexa. As soon as the song begins playing, her daughter starts dancing joyfully.

This Father-Daughter Duo Engaged In A Questionable Conversation

https://twitter.com/gina_lolz/status/1060025820855590912

This video went viral twice: First when an onlooker recorded the awkward moment when an older man seems to approach a younger woman in a crowd and engage her in conversation. She gives him a ”talk to the hand” gesture and saunters away. The original poster demanded to know what he could have said to elicit such a response, and the internet went wild with speculation. Then, the girl in the video, Ellie Delgado, discovered she had gone viral.

Ellie reposted the original tweet, writing ”It’s just my dad…chill.” Comments in the tweets reveal that she and her dad had apparently been discussing a woman he wants to date. No wonder Ellie wanted no part of the conversation.

The Dad Who Surprised His Daughter With Her Dream Dress

https://www.facebook.com/addison.haury/videos/10105615366911875/

This heartwarming video doesn’t look like it will end with a happy ending, but it quickly becomes one of the sweetest viral videos of 2018. In it, a father meets his daughter at a fast food restaurant. He presents her with a garment bag, and inside is a dress. The girl springs to her feet and gives her father a long, tear-stained hug. After a while, she stops even caring about the dress, and just wants to hug her dad.

Apparently, this dad of the year works multiple jobs to support his family, and initially told his daughter that he wouldn’t be able to afford the dress she wanted for her 8th grade formal. Clearly, he worked overtime to make her dream come true, and she couldn’t have been more grateful for the thoughtful gesture.

The Mom Who Accidentally Made Her Son Go Viral With A Misguided #himtoo Post

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Image: Twitter / @Thatwasmymom

In this hilarious (and slightly disturbing) saga, a well-meaning mom ended up sending her son on an online apology tour. A Twitter user who goes by the name Bluestarnavymom3 (the account has since been deleted) posted a photo of her son in his Navy uniform alongside a rant that seemingly referenced the #MeToo movement. She wrote, ”[My son] is a gentleman who respects women. He won’t go on solo dates due to the current climate of false sexual accusations by radical feminists with an axe to grind. I VOTE. #HimToo.” The cringe worthy Tweet gained viral attention, eventually catching the eye of her actual son. He was so humiliated by his mother’s words that he felt compelled to post his own rebuttal. In it, he explains that he believes women and is their ally. All of our parents have embarrassed us at one time or another, but this is just next level.

This Hockey Mom Who Breastfeed Her Baby During A Break In The Game

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Image: Facebook / Milky Way Lactation Services

This mom, named Serah, reminds me of Wonder Woman. Just weeks after giving birth, she’s back to playing hockey, but that doesn’t mean she can’t also nurse her baby. Here, she’s pictured breastfeeding her baby during a break in the game, still decked out in her gear. Serah wants other moms in her position to know that they don’t have to give up their passions after they give birth, and they shouldn’t feel pressured to pick breastfeeding over their hobbies. She also calls women’s bodies ”amazing,” and encourages moms to ”do the things you love to do, and keep your baby close.”

The Dad Who Had A Panicked Reaction Upon Seeing His Wife’s Positive Pregnancy Test

Doesn’t matter how many times you’ve been through it. Having a baby is always a big deal. This father is proof that the thrill””and the fear””of becoming a parent never goes away. When Charles Stewart’s wife surprises him with a positive pregnancy test, he basically has a melt down. First he tries to deny that it’s real, accusing his wife, Jahann, of faking the test. Then he laments that they’re too old to have another baby (the couple already have three kids). Charles even balks at the idea of changing diapers. Jahann, to her credit, has a sense of humor about her husband’s freak out. On an appearance on The Ellen Show later that year, it’s clear Charles eventually came around on the idea of a new addition; the pair even argue over what to name him.

The Mother And Son Reunited At The Airport After Being Separated At The Texas Border

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Image :Facebook / CBS

In the wake of a judge’s ruling that President Trump’s separation of small children from their families at the border is unconstitutional, many parents and guardians have been fighting to be reunited with their children. This mother, a migrant from Guatemala, is just one example. She and her son have just been reunited at the Baltimore airport. While kneeling in front of him, she wraps him in a blanket, as the pair whisper ”Te amo” (”I love you”) over and over. It’s an incredibly heartbreaking moment, full of joy but also residual trauma. It’s impossible to not see just how inhumane family separations are in this short interaction between mother and son.

The Pregnant Mom Who Saved Her Husband’s Life Before Giving Birth

Speaking of superheroes: When Ashley Goette woke in the middle of the night, she knew something was wrong. So she turned over and saw that her husband couldn’t breathe. Of course, she called 911 immediately, and stayed on the line while the operator gave her instructions. The only problem? At the time, Ashley was 39 weeks pregnant. Not one to give up, Ashley performed CPR until the paramedics arrived. Just a short while later, Ashley was ready to give birth, and the hospital moved her husband’s bed into her room so they could be together for the momentous occasion. And yes, he did make a full recovery.

This Twitter Thread Of Dads Carrying Their Babies In Papoosesto

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Image: Twitter / @piersmorgan

Piers Morgan made a fatal error when he tried to argue that Daniel Craig (otherwise known as James Bond) had been ”emasculated” by wearing his daughter in a baby carrier. The Internet quickly leap not just to Craig’s defense, but that of all affectionate and attentive fathers out there. The original Twitter thread filled up with fathers posting their own proud photos of themselves carrying their own children. That’s right, it’s not just Mom’s job to hold the baby. Morgan’s rude comment proved that fathers who take equal ownership of their parenting duties are worthy of praise, not ridicule.

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