'Kids have too much energy': 22 parenting memes for all devoted parents who desperatley need a vacation after summer break

Giuliana Tiscioni • Writer

Sep 20, 2026 2:00 PM EDT

Let's give a round of applause to all parents doing a terrific job!

Parenting is not appreciated enough. It is one of the hardest jobs in existence, and it is for life. There's no quitting, no getting fired, no paid leave. In fact, there's no pay at all. Parents just get paid in gratitude from their children and the satisfaction of raising the next generation of adults. Yeah… where is the check?

In all fairness, dealing with toddlers, babies, teenagers, or whatever stage of life your kid is going through has its own problems and challenges. My grandmother used to say, "Small children, small problems; big children, big problems," and even though this doesn't mean having kids is a problem in itself, it does mean that each kid and each stage brings a new set of challenges for the parents. After all, the kids of today are the adults of tomorrow (we're doomed), and getting them to grow up right is a task as hard as it can be.

Now, I don't have children of my own, but I have a niece, and I have many friends who are actually parents. I've seen firsthand how hard they work, how much effort they put into raising their kids, and how much their kids resist being raised. Yeah, they have wills of their own. Most of the time they are exhausted, and it's completely understandable. That's when we, aunts and uncles, can come in handy. We're never going to replace the parents, and we can't take responsibility for other people's children, but we sure can make their work a little bit easier.

My niece just started walking, and she's quickly becoming a pocket-sized earthquake. She's the most adorable and happy child ever, and she's on the verge of discovering a whole new world of possibilities while gaining her independence bit by bit. It's wonderful to see her, but her mom is going crazy having to fish her out of a bunch of dangerous situations, and I think that sums up parenthood really well. As long as the kid is happy, healthy, and still alive, you're doing a great job. Besides, you're going to end up having an endless list of funny stories to tell at the family table when they're older, and for now, you can laugh and decompress while your kids are distracted with their list of relatable parenting memes!