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If you don't know what the "default parent" it is, it probably isn't you.

Kids, man. I'm not sure of the scientific way audacity is distributed, but kids have a lot of it and somehow manage to make it cute. That audacity overload is especially interesting when you're the default parent—you know, the parent kids go to for literally everything as if there's not another fully capable adult in the house. Chances are if your children haven't sought you out while you were taking a shower so you could open up a pack of fruit snacks, then you're not the default parental unit.

One parent captured exactly what it's like to be the default parent and shared it to TikTok, where the video has over 4 million views. Toniann Marchese went on a quick grocery run and *gasp* did not inform her children. Don't fret though, they're modern kids who know how to use modern means to get much-needed answers when mom is nowhere to be found. They went outside and rang the doorbell.

Back when we were children, this would've done nothing but make the dogs bark, but for Marchese's kids, who are 3 and 6 years old, it's as good as a phone call.


You may be questioning why this mom left her two young children home alone. She didn't. Their father was home, likely wondering why the children were playing so quietly. But. He. Was. Right. There. And the kids still bypassed him to talk to their mom through the Ring doorbell camera. It was pressing business, after all.

"My tablet is dead," the 3-year-old said.

The kids ignored Marchese's questions about where their dad was and continued to complain about their tablets. The entire situation is enough to make any default parent chuckle and maybe sob a little.

Watch the urgent doorbell call below:

@tinyann22

Moms can never get a minute of peace lol #momsoftiktok #momlife #ring #camera #kidsoftiktok

And if you're skeptical that dad was within shouting distance, the mom of two uploaded a part two where dad comes into the frame.

@tinyann22

Replying to @iustmerlp part 2… daddy was found! Lol #kidsoftiktok #momsoftiktok #parentsoftiktok #fyp #ring #prioritiesfirst

While we got a cute couple of videos out of it, being the default parent is a very real syndrome and can be exhausting. To help you handle (and eventually break out) of the role, Psychology Today offers some insight and solutions that will help you feel less alone.

This article originally appeared two years ago.

Joy

Single woman shares the hilarious 'deal breaker' she uses when she doesn't want a second date

Jo Brundza has mastered the art of painlessly getting out of a second date by making them reject her.

How Jo Brundza gets out of a date.

It's uncomfortable for people to tell someone they met for a first date that they aren’t interested in a second one because nobody enjoys hurting another person’s feelings. TikTokker Jo Brundza has mastered the art of painlessly getting out of a second date by making them reject her.

How does she do it? Once she realizes she doesn’t want to see them again, she rants about the moon.

“From that realization and on, I spend the rest of the date trying to convince the other person that I don’t think the moon is real,” she says. Now, many folks out there incorrectly believe that the moon landing was faked, but she goes a step further by saying the massive object doesn’t exist at all.


“They’re typically too stunned to argue back,” she says.

@jbrundz

They’re typically too stunned to argue back #fyp #dating #funny #bits

In a follow-up video, Brundza outlines the three arguments she uses to prove that the moon isn’t real:

1. If you know, you know

"I just think it's ridiculous that all these billionaires are going up into space. I mean, when they get up there, what do they expect to be there, or not be up there?"

2. False evidence

"Look, I'm just saying that if you look at the science of how light refraction works when it enters the atmosphere, it would bend it in a way that to the naked eye would look like solid mass, but it's not. Also, at the end of the day, do you know anyone who has actually been to the moon?"

3. Blame Greenland

"Eighty percent of the island is covered in ice and uninhabitable. You're really gonna tell me that's not where the projectors are? Actually, now that I think about it, do you personally know anyone who's ever been to Greenland?"

@jbrundz

Replying to @TySpice Bonus points if you can somehow work in that the sun is fake too #fyp #funny #bits

This article originally appeared on 9.28.23

Babysitting grandpa has the internet in stitches.

Good grandparents really are an important asset to young families just starting out. They can show you the ropes of parenthood, help entertain their grandkids, and probably most importantly, they know when you need a break because you're their baby and they can always tell when something's up with their child.

But sometimes, grandparents can be a little...uh...needy, even when they're the best grandparents in every other aspect. Technology has changed so much over the decades since they were raising children, and sometimes they need a little extra help with things that might seem simple. Soon-to-be mom of two, Molly Madfis, took to TikTok to share what happened when her 75-year-old dad, John, was babysitting her 5-year-old, Arlo, for a few days while she was on a "babymoon" with her husband.


In the viral TikTok, Madfis is seen with her husband with a text overlay that reads, "how to have a relaxing babymoon—don't ask your dad to babysit." Before you think Madfis is being mean to her sweet dad, you can clearly see through the text exchange that they love each other very much and her post seems to be in good fun.

"Arlo worships my dad, but I was a little nervous about leaving them alone together. My dad is pretty co-dependent—like, he’ll go to CVS and then call me eight times with different questions,” Madfis told Today.com.

The text exchanges that Madfis shared are pretty adorable, though I'm sure receiving them while you're trying to relax may have taken the cute factor down a notch. But let's be completely honest—do we think a nervous mom would've relaxed had grandpa not been sending random texts that let you know things are still going well? Probably not.

In the short clip, you see the door cam video that shows John, whom Arlo lovingly calls "Poppy," leaving to take the little guy to school without his backpack...and 30 minutes late. Then comes the text, "Hi, how do you toast," which John sent along with a picture of the options shown on the machine. Clearly, or at least clearly to his daughter and viewers, there was a picture of a piece of bread indicating the toasting option. When Madfis explained where the bread icon was located, there was still confusion, but he made it work.

"The one that looks like pizza worked," the grandpa replied.

@almostmakesperfect

never again #fyp

The texts continue to get more comical as they go on. At one point, he asked if he should refrigerate the leftover pizza, complete with a photo of a half-empty pizza box. But the kicker was when Madfis asked for a picture of her child. John's response was a classic dad move: "Why? You already know what he looks like."

The comment section was filled with people relating and laughing at the video.

"I asked my FIL [father-in-law] for a pic of my baby so he sent me the pic that I sent him of her last week," one mom commented.

"Love how he didn't mind sending you pictures of the toaster and pizza but was confused on why you wanted one of the kid," another person wrote, complete with a crying laughing emoji.

Others commented that the little boy probably had the best week of his life with his Poppy. Listen, even people who take their kids to school every day forget backpacks sometimes, so we can cut grandpa some slack there. As for the rest of it—keep being you, Poppy. Memories are certainly being made.


This article originally appeared on 3.17.23

Joy

Husband shows the 'romantic' texts sent from his wife of 25 years, and it's a laugh riot

Nothing says I love you quite like "don't put the ornaments in stupid places."

@the_leightonshow/Instagram

who says romance is dead?

There comes a point in every long term relationship when the romance doesn’t necessarily wane, per se, but certainly shifts. There's just a certain comfortability that comes from living together, raising a family together, going through life’s many ups and downs together, that absolutely destroys whatever filter we previously had while dating.

And that’s not a bad thing! Not only can it lead to plenty of laughs, but a whole new relationship layer to appreciate.

Just take this guy’s word for it.


Chip Leighton, who previously gave us all a good chuckle by sharing the “dumb questions” his college-aged kids have asked, recently went viral once again by sharing the “romantic,” or maybe not-so-romantic texts he gets from his wife of 25 years on a daily basis.

As Taylor Swift’s Love Story plays in the background, we see that Leighton’s wife tends to stick to more practical matters in her communication, like “I was going to make chicken tortilla soup tonight but now don’t feel like it” or “send me the code.”

But she certainly doesn’t shy away from…ahem…blunter messages as well. Examples include “I can hear you peeing from every room in the house,” and “don’t put the ornaments in stupid places.”

It just goes to show that happy, long lasting marriages have a healthy dose of humor.

This was apparently the sound advice Leighton received from the officiant on his wedding day, who encouraged the couple to not let the little things “become big things.” (Newsweek)

“I think if you can laugh at the little things, it defuses them and takes away their importance. It's tough to be mad about something you're laughing about," said Leighton.

The sentiment seemed to resonate with viewers, who could more than relate to Leighton’s relationship dynamic.

“I’m going to show this to my husband so he realizes that I’m actually quite normal as far as wives go.”

“My husband told me a strong stream is a sign of a healthy prostate and I should be happy for him.”

“The ‘send me the code’ took me out 😂”

“We all married the same guy. 🤷♀️”

“I feel the ornament one deep in my soul.”

One person even chimed in to remind us all that even these seemingly mundane interaction won’t last forever.

“Treasure those texts….one of the ‘little things’ I miss so much since losing my husband nine months ago. 💔”

So for couples who have made it to this particular stage of the relationship, congratulations. There’s something wonderful to be gleaned from it.

And if you’re looking for more of Leighton’s awesome funny content—great news! Not only did he make a follow-up video with even more “romantic” wifey texts, he also has a new book! Preorder What Time is Noon: Hilarious Texts, Ridiculous Feedback, and Not-So-Subtle Advice from Teenagers here.

Plus you can follow him on Instagram for more relatable married life humor.