43 Notable Parent Fails That Were Less Than Perfect

Some parents know what it takes to handle their children's tantrums like a pro, while others, like those mentioned in this article, don't see what is coming their way. These folks experienced embarrassing parenting fails that ultimately made it to Reddit.

Many dream of becoming parents and holding their little ones in their arms for the first time, but not everyone is ready for the rollercoaster ride ahead of them. Embarking on the journey of parenthood means people have to deal with their child's tantrums, unexpected senseless requests, and many other problems that seem to have no solutions.

A stressed woman sitting in a car with a little girl | Source: Shutterstock

Since everybody's parenthood journey is different, no universal parenting handbook can teach new parents how to deal with their children. The lessons come with experience as one's child grows up and comes up to them with new problems every day.

Many people experience some embarrassing moments during their parenthood journey. A few people on Reddit opened up about such parenthood fails, leaving other users wondering how to make sense of the situation.

Comments have been revised for clarity and grammatical accuracy.

1. The Accidental Pregnancy

A woman holding a pregnancy testing kit | Source: Pexels

u/ThrowAwayRagees: When I was in my early 20s, I accidentally got pregnant because my IUD failed to prevent it. At first, I planned on getting an abortion, but people around me suggested I should keep my baby.

Fast forward to now, my child is living a good life. He goes to school, wears nice clothes, gets his food on time, has friends, and goes on vacations frequently.

However, I agree that he thinks I should do better as a mother. I've been a terrible mother because of my mental health issues. I'm not good at this.

2. They Didn't Care

A woman and a young girl standing near the Colorado River | Source: Shutterstock

u/mauxly: I was assisting a commercial river trip in the Grand Canyon, and this one set of parents simply didn't seem to care what their kids did.

First instance: we warned them NOT to ever swim in the Colorado River because it would be instant death. We were sitting on the boats as the sun went down and saw a kid swimming past the boats in the middle of the river with no life jacket.

We freaked out, got the rescue line out, and started yelling at him to get out of the river. His parents didn't say a word to him. He did it again the next night.

Second instance: I told one of the kids NOT to climb up a dangerous slope and told him not to in front of his parents. The kid climbs up the dangerous slope in front of his parents. His dad looking on as though everything is fine.

Third and most infuriating instance: the kids were carving their names in the rock at a pristine and protected archaeological site on the river. Jesus Christ!

I had to regain my composure and tell them to stop nicely and why it was uncool for them to do that. I looked away, and they were right back at it, carving away.

If you are on an outdoor adventure, you should know that the guides are NOT BABYSITTERS. Kids are welcome on trips, but you must watch them.

3. The Unacceptable Behavior

A housemaid holding cleaning supplies | Source: Shutterstock

u/HallNum032: I noticed my 16-year-old daughter had been misbehaving, constantly commenting on other people's looks and belongings, calling them stuff that wasn't cool, and just being insensitive.

I've sat with my daughter and had many discussions about how her behavior has negatively affected everyone around her.

Our housemaid is the person most affected here, and my daughter has chosen her to be her target for hair, clothes, and "etiquette" criticism.

She has complained about our daughter calling her offensive names like "filthy" and "gross" for cleaning certain areas in our house.

I took a stand and explicitly told my daughter I'd punish her if she ever said stuff like that to our housemaid again.

Last week, my daughter had a party to go to. Earlier that day, she called our housemaid "filthy," so I grounded her by not letting her go to the party. She threw a fit and called our housemaid a liar, saying she never called her that. That was the end of it.

Days later, my daughter came to me saying she couldn't find her iPhone after looking everywhere. She asked me to call her number, and I did.

My wife and I were stunned to discover the iPhone ringing inside our housemaid's bag. I immediately confronted her, and she denied it and cried, saying she never touched the phone nor had any idea how it got there.

I noticed my daughter calling her thief repeatedly, so I told her to stop and go to her room. Before continuing the argument, I checked the indoor camera and saw my daughter place her iPhone inside our housemaid's bag. I was livid.

I apologized to the housemaid and gave her the rest of the day off. I then showed the video to my daughter, and she was absolutely speechless.

I told her she was grounded and would have to spend the night in the backyard (she is a germaphobe), but she cried, begging me not to make her sleep with the dirt, insects, and hot temperature. I refused to discuss it, or I'd make it two nights.

4. Blaming Me for My Health Problems

An angry man scolding a young child | Source: Shutterstock

u/wellgolly: My father used to blame my health problems on being lazy to avoid getting me to a doctor. I mean, he still does, but now I'm old enough to go myself.

To avoid sounding like a hypochondriac, I'll give the last one that happened: I lost hearing in my left ear for a couple of days. My dad said it's because I don't clean out my ears.

He also said I was just tired when I had breathing problems when I was 12. He genuinely seemed to think I didn't know what being tired felt like.

I didn't get to see a doctor until I got lightheaded and passed out. And then it was only because my sister was home. Thank God for her.

5. Things Went Out of Control

A woman walking with two children on leashes | Source: Shutterstock

u/rfunitshifter: My twin brother and I were leashed by my mom when we were young because we liked to run off in stores and such.

When we were three, we went to the zoo with our family. As usual, my mother leashed us so we wouldn't run around the zoo. Little did she know that she would soon regret her decision.

While walking in the zoo with our mother, we decided it would be fun to tie her up with our leashes. We ran in circles around her until she couldn't move.

My dad had to undo our leashes and take care of it while my mom practically had steam coming out of her ears. She was screaming in the middle of the zoo, tied up with our leashes.

6. I Forgot My Favorite Toy Inside!

A little girl in a library | Source: Shutterstock

u/pickleeater: I was working at a children's library when, one day, there was a small fire. We immediately asked everyone to leave the library and saw this 5-year-old girl's father run outside without her. She was hysterical.

We immediately held the girl's hand and took her outside. When we handed her to her father, she told him she had left her favorite stuffed animal inside.

He grabbed her hand, and they ran back into the building. We kept screaming that it wasn't just a drill, it was a real freaking fire.

7. The Thief

Silhouette of a woman | Source: Shutterstock

u/kozmicblues: My mom has a klepto cousin who trained her kids from a young age to steal. She uses them as decoys sometimes and other times, she lets them take the fall for what she does. She also fosters kids just to steal their money and have them clean her house.

My family has reported her a billion times, but nothing seems to come of it. The funniest part is that she's been incarcerated several times but is still allowed to have guardianship of foster kids. What a shame!

8. The Stingy Child

A woman scolding a young girl | Source: Shutterstock

u/nadjenn: So yesterday, I was on some urgent business and went to grab some cash from my wallet, only to find it empty, even to the pennies. But thanks to technology's power, I paid with a QR code, so it's all good.

Long story short, I asked my mom if she had taken some money off my wallet, and she said yes with no remorse. Then I nicely asked her to return it, but she said she had spent it already and not to make it a big deal since it was "only" 100 bucks.

I told her I needed it for my transportation fees (I fear telling her that I'm short on money for reasons that will shortly be clear), and she yelled at me for being wasteful and that I should save my money.

I once again asked her to return the money, and she said, "Later, I'll do it later," but when I had to transfer some money to her, she wanted me to pay up ASAP.

She returned the money, but since then, she has been calling me "a stingy child" who's "ungrateful to her mother who raised her" and that the fact that I asked for the money back (mind you, that MY MONEY that she STOLE from MY WALLET) makes me a sinful child with no faith in God.

9. The Inheritance Money

A woman arguing with a young girl | Source: Shutterstock

u/According-Fuel-2427: My mother and I have a rocky relationship. For background information, she tends to be emotionally manipulative and uses guilt-trip to her advantage whenever we argue.

When my Nana passed away, he left £8,000, split between his five grandchildren, including me. I was supposed to get £1,600, but I was informed I was given £1,000.

To make things short and easy, I confronted her about where the money was being kept, and it led to a massive argument as she refused to tell me. After two weeks, she confessed to spending £600 of my inheritance on "house bills."

I put quotes because my mom also has a strong tendency to lie, and it has gotten to the point where I can't trust anything that comes out of her mouth.

My dad was livid, and she eventually fessed up to spending all of the £1600, and that was when I found out the actual amount of money I was supposed to receive.

10. The Resentful Mother

A stressed mother holding a baby | Source: Shutterstock

u/bitchperfectx: I love my 2.5-year-old. I really do. However, I just can't help but feel a bit resentful every time there's a tantrum, wilful disobedience, smacking, kicking, punching. This isn't what I signed up for.

I feel guilty even for thinking that and for yelling every time I'm hit or punched. I'm at my wit's end, and I can't deal with the emotional damage that I experience.

I'm trying so hard to be a good mum, but it's so hard to deal with sometimes. I work full time, and my hubby works full time. Yet I'm the one who has to deal with the fallout.

When they get out of bed at 2 a.m. to come to our bed, I'm kept awake and then have to buy them back to bed an hour later.

When there's a meltdown over something or other, I have to deal with that and console. I'm so done. I'm so tired of life at the moment. It's full-on.

11. A Sudden Lifestyle Change

A man holding a bank card and a phone | Source: Shutterstock

u/inheritenceloss: My grandparents died three years ago, and my parents were left nothing in the will. The will specifically said they were to get land and nothing more.

As for me and my sister, we were set up to help avoid being taxed. I am unsure about the method used, but a trust was set up with annuities and interest payments.

The problem is my parents tricked us into setting up joint bank accounts with my mom as the second name on the account. We did not realize they would gain access to this money.

We knew something was not right when my parents paid for their house in one go and turned over seven cars in a year. They started living very lavishly while trying to lie to us about how impoverished they were.

We wondered where they got so much money to afford a lavish lifestyle when they claimed they didn't have much money. It turned out they were using our money when my grandparents' will stated they wouldn't get a single buck!

12. My Father's Bad Moves

Two rings on a divorce agreement document | Source: Shutterstock

u/[deleted]: I realized my parents were terrible people when they decided to divorce. My mom got bought out of a rental property they owned together (which was supposed to be sold when my brother and I got to college to pay for our schooling).

Instead, she got a house and a new car with the $100k+ she got bought out with, only to lose both within a year.

On the other hand, my dad was so caught up in trying to get my mom into trouble. He would come to me (the computer genius of the house, somehow, even though I was only 13) and ask me to teach him how to hack into my mom's e-mail account so he could use it as leverage in the divorce.

Then, he kept offering me a HUGE weekly allowance to testify against my mom in court so he could get full custody.

Needless to say, for anyone who's ever had their parents divorce, especially at such a critical age, it should always be the #1 rule of thumb to not ever get the kids that involved. Especially when it concerns trying to pin them against the other parent.

13. An Eye-Opening Visit to the Bank

A young girl sitting on a couch | Source: Shutterstock

u/SpunkyRat666: I will start with the fact that my dad and I have never had a good relationship and probably never will, but I never thought he'd do something like this.

So, in February of 2022, I discovered I was pregnant (I was 16). My dad expectedly took this horribly and didn't talk to me for eight months.

Fast forward to around October, my mom and I go to the bank to cash a check through my bank account.

My dad was adamant that I would cash this check through his account, which I didn't understand until I found out my account was closed in FEBRUARY when we told my dad I was pregnant.

I had over $6,000 in that account, including birthday and Christmas money and payments that I worked for. ALL OF IT was gone.

He had some excuse that said, "The bank was charging too much per month in that account." Fast forward to now, where my boyfriend, my baby, and I are stable and happy.

I catch wind that my dad is planning on taking my boyfriend to court, so he "gives me more money for the baby," even though I am doing just fine with the money he gives me. After stealing my money, he has the nerve to demand more from my boyfriend. He's so greedy.

14. My Mom Abandoned Us

A sad teenager | Source: Shutterstock

u/Same-Blackberry7135: When I was 18, I learned that my mother was in touch with someone online who lived in another state. One day, she went to meet him, and I was happy because I had the whole house to myself for a week.

But the one week turned into two, three, and eventually a month. Everyone kept asking when she would return, but she never gave a definitive answer.

After about two months, I got a call from her saying she was staying over there and that I was now in charge of the house, which meant I had to pay all the bills. I refused, but she insisted I pay them since she no longer lived there.

After that, she hung up on me and wouldn't answer my calls or text. I packed up and went to my dad's house in case she tried something.

It has been five years since then, and I recently got a message from my mom asking if she and her family can come to stay with me.

Apparently, she has no support system over there and needs help. She's a stay-at-home mom, and her husband got fired. They are having trouble making ends meet and want to stay with someone until they get back on their feet.

I rejected her, saying I had no room and wanted nothing to do with her. That didn't go over well, and now she's blasting the family on social media, saying we are abandoning her in her time of need. It's ridiculous that she doesn't see the irony in her words.

15. My Worst Fear

A man driving while a child sleeps in the backseat | Source: Shutterstock

u/[deleted]: My child's daycare is one light down from my office. I don't always do drop-off in the morning. On several occasions, I have automatically driven into work and quickly realized that I was in the wrong place, turned around, and went to the daycare.

Today, I got into a parking spot and unbuckled my seat belt. I looked over, saw the diaper bag, and went, "Oh, no! This is how you leave a baby in a car all day." From now on, I will put all my bags in the back seat, forcing me to look there.

16. Too Busy to Come

A woman talking on the phone | Source: Shutterstock

u/fluffyredcat: I work at a daycare, so I see a lot of this. One day, the daycare is closed at 6, and a child's parents come in at 6:05 and let their kid run around the daycare.

They are opening the bean bag chairs and pulling things from the shelf for half an hour while my boss is obviously closing up and telling the kids to stop. The dad goes, "Let her do what she wants."

A one-year-old kid has a fever of 103 and has to go home. My boss calls the mom and tells her to pick up her kid.

The mom says she's busy and she can't. She doesn't call the father because they're going through a really ugly divorce.

Then the kid has a seizure, so my boss calls his father after that, and he comes and gets the kid right away.

He informs us that the kid has a history of seizures, and so does his mother. What. She knew, didn't tell us, and didn't even try to pick up her kid.

17. What Was My Baby’s Name?

A woman hiding her face while sitting in front of her laptop | Source: Shutterstock

u/johannadipanda: I forgot my baby's name today. I didn't know that could happen. I was like, "Jake? Jasper? Jo... Nathan? Jerry? Uuhhhh...."

I need to write his name with a permanent marker on my hand so it doesn't happen in public. I will gift myself some extra sleep because these three first weeks are tough even with a good sleeper.

18. The Baby Shower

A sad pregnant woman | Source: Shutterstock

u/[deleted]: My mom is obsessed with my sister, who has never worked and has no car. My parents fully fund her life, although she is married and 27 years old.

I (30F) own two small businesses with my husband, and we work hard and long hours. My husband and I had a miscarriage last year and were overjoyed to find out we were pregnant again this fall.

My parents were so excited and were way more loving and attentive than they'd ever been. That is until my sister announced she was also pregnant with twins.

I have been supportive of my sister but was secretly devastated we'd be pregnant at the same time because I knew my parents would not care about my pregnancy and would compare my child to my sister's kids for his entire life.

My friends and husband thought I was overreacting until it was time for my baby shower. We live out of state, but my mom promised a virtual one, and we picked a date of April 11.

April 11 came, and nothing. And then, my mom texted me a beautiful, elaborate invitation to my sister's baby shower in a few weeks.

That's it. She never called me back or anything. I realized that she completely forgot about it altogether.

19. Return My Money!

A girl sitting on a couch | Source: Shutterstock

u/river_at_heart: I have a complicated relationship with my parents. As I've gotten older, it's gotten worse. Recently, I received a sum of money from my deceased grandpa (about 125k, all for college).

When I was told I had inherited it, I was excited that I would be able to afford my dream school. When I tried to get the money transferred to my college savings, I encountered a problem: My mother.

I went to ask her to transfer the money into my college savings account, but she refused, claiming that it was rightfully hers because of all that she had done for me.

To say I was mad was an understatement. All through my life, she would go into my room and steal whatever cash I had and even destroy the safe my grandfather had bought me.

When I was 13, I began recording the money I had earned. When I added it, including the money I received from my grandfather, the total was around 250k.

Three days ago, I went to her with my notebook and records of all transactions she made through my account. I went through everything with her.

At first, she was confused, but when I said the magical grand total, she started yelling that all of that was hers since she had spent more than that on my medical bills.

Two days ago, I sent her an email, laying out that I wanted everything that she had stolen from me, or I would be going the legal route, suing her for more than what she had stolen from me, which included all of my therapy.

20. My Baby Disappeared in the Middle of the Night

An angry woman on a call | Source: Shutterstock

u/Tw5676: I woke up panicking in the middle of the night and rushed to the nursery to check on my baby daughter. THE CRIB WAS EMPTY.

I ran to my phone to call the police, but I saw a text message with a photo of my daughter on the screen. I was furious and called the number back. I was immediately enraged. I screamed so hard I almost vomited.

The picture was sent by my mother-in-law with the caption, "Sleepover at Gamgam's." She entered our house with her spare key and secretly took my child to her place for the night.

I called her and said I was coming to get my baby. I also told her this was the last time she was seeing her grandchild. I won't tolerate her around my baby anymore.

21. My Mother Left Us

A man sitting in an office | Source: Shutterstock

u/[deleted]: My mom left me and my poor farmer dad for a wealthy man. I begged her not to do it, but she just laughed in my face and left. I never saw her again. My dad died three days later.

Ten years after that, I became the big boss of an IT company. A dirty, skinny woman comes in for an interview, and I recognize her as my mom. MY REVENGE WAS BRUTAL.

I looked her directly in the eyes and calmly said, "You don't qualify for this job, just like you didn't qualify to be a mother." The room fell silent as she realized the gravity of her past decisions. She left the building, defeated and ashamed, a shadow of the woman she once was.

22. It's a Family Thing

A man talking to a boy | Source: Shutterstock

u/[deleted]: My mom used my college fund to pay for her affair with another woman. My dad emotionally broke down and would come to me to backbite about my mom to make sure I didn't go with her.

Two years later, I realized my mom was trying to escape my dad's overbearing power fight. He always had to be right. He always knew better.

If we fought, it was because I was a bad son, not because I was already in tears as a 19-year-old, and he was still yelling the same stuff he was three hours ago.

It really disturbed me. On one hand, I have a liar and a cheat, and on the other, an emotionally manipulative control freak.

23. The Kiddie Jacket

A child's jacket with other accessories | Source: Shutterstock

u/MoShellshocker: When I was working at a school in rural Canada, the staff raised money to get an 8-year-old girl a winter coat.

The girl came to school the next day in a t-shirt in the dead of winter, her mom wearing the brand new, child-sized jacket. It didn't even cover her stomach or arms properly.

When the principal confronted the mother about it, she told her to mind her own business, explaining that she could do whatever she wanted with her kids' belongings.

After hearing her response, the Children's Aide was called, and the child was taken away from the mother. The girl now lives with a nice foster family.

24. Crazy Ex

A man with his finger on his lips | Source: Shutterstock

u/Deleted user: I love my 5-year-old son Walter to bits, but after myhusband and | split, he stayed with him. He rarely let me see him, but I cherished every chance I got. Then, out of the blue, | get this text from him:

He: "Our little angel, our son, has died." Me (in total shock): "WHAT? HOW?! I'm coming over!" He: "It doesn't matter, I've already cremated andburied him."I was about to pass out from such news, when suddenly his wife calls me.

She: "HE'S GOING CRAZY, GET OVER HERE NOW." Me: "He's grieving! The death of a child is a huge loss...be patient and respectful." She: "LISTEN TO ME!! HE'S LYING! He's the one who came up with this whole plan!

So, I rush over, my mind a total mess. As I get there, I see my son, Walter, just playing in the yard, totally fine. The relief I felt was unreal, but then confusion and anger hit me like a truck.I confront my ex, and man, does the truth come pouring out.

He had made up this insane story, trying to cut me out of our son's life, all because he was scared I'd take Walter and leave.What followed was just chaos.

We got tangled in legal battles, but let me tell you, the truth really does set you free. Justice won. Now, Walter splits his time between us, and my ex? He's in mandatory counseling.

25. The Intruder

Silhouette of a man in a room | Source: Shutterstock

u/[deleted]: In the middle of the night, I woke up and remembered that I hadn't locked the front door. Immediately, I heard a strange noise from the nursery where my little daughter sleeps.

Terrified, I ran up the stairs and opened the door to the nursery. In the darkness, I saw a silhouette looming over the crib. I shouted, "Oh no, please, anyone but you."

The silhouette turned, and the moonlight streaming through the window revealed my ex-husband's face. His eyes, filled with tears, met mine.

"I just wanted to see her one more time," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. We stood there for what felt like an eternity, our past conflicts overshadowed by the shared love for our daughter.

26. Revenge on the Husband

A woman crying | Source: Shutterstock

u/[deleted]: My husband comes home an hour early from work every day but never assists with our little triplets. He forces me to clean the whole house while he watches TV. My patience finally ran thin.

One day, I asked him, "Could you start helping out?" He replied, smirking, "I don't have time." I knew he was lying, so I decided it was time for payback.

The next day, he stormed into the house, his face red. He screamed, "What did you do? Why is everyone acting like that?"

I smiled, pointing to the TV where a video of him lazily watching shows while I toiled played on a loop for all our friends and family on social media. "Seems like everyone now knows how 'busy' you are," I said. He was mortified.

27. A Personality Disorder

A couple smiling at each other | Source: Shutterstock

u/[deleted]: My mother never got affection from my dad. When she complained, he withdrew, so she went out and found another man.

However, she didn't leave my father. Instead, she treated him better after feeling happy with another man. Meanwhile, my father recorded her calls, hired a private investigator to click her photos, and eventually filed for divorce with proof.

At that time, we thought our mother was a bad parent because she was involved with another man. Soon, my mother developed a paranoid personality disorder because she always felt someone was watching her.

As a result, she began sleeping in parking lots instead of going home. Dad destroyed mom. He ruined her reputation and ruined her as a person. All because she was denied the affection that she really needed.

28. My Father Took My Money

A man standing at a checkout counter | Source: Shutterstock

u/alexandercr8: My Dad has swindled quite a lot of money from me, either by stealing or other means. One time, I caught him using checking and routing numbers from one of my checkbooks to pay our cable bill.

It was months overdue and cost something like $400. My Dad said it was an accident and thought they were his checks.

I only got this money back because my bank could take care of it for me. Another time, he "forgot" to bring his wallet to the Verizon store and asked me to cover him real quick. He said he'd pay me back.

He allegedly placed a check on my desk one day (which I never actually saw), and it was reportedly stolen off of my desk and allegedly deposited by someone else. He refused to go into further detail or pay me $400.

The third time, a check I owed from an insurance adjuster randomly disappeared from my Dad's mailbox and was deposited by someone else. ($800.)

He also said he'd commit money to me for my college fund. I never believed I would get this, but he was adamant about investing in me. He didn't, and I paid for all of it myself.

It's a lot of little things, but I was 18-20 years old at the time, and when you add it all up, we're talking about thousands of dollars he has successfully conned me out of or promised and didn't deliver on.

He will never admit it, and I know I will never get my money back. Honestly, I blame myself for a lot of it and trusting in him. I should have known better.

29. A Life-Changing Surprise

An old man smiling | Source: Shutterstock

u/[deleted]: My father-in-law pretended he didn't know about my egg allergy and mixed some eggs into my food.

"Why did you do that? You know about my allergy!" I protested. "Oh, I just forgot," he smirked. As the doctors took me to the hospital, I devised a cunning revenge plan.

A few days later, my infuriated father-in-law burst into my room, yelling at me. I calmly held up a video clip on my phone showing him deliberately adding eggs to my food.

"I sent this to the whole family," I whispered. His face turned white, realizing his deceit was now public knowledge.

30. Looking after the Baby

A young woman reading a book with a girl | Source: Shutterstock

u/throwaway56997: I have had suspicions for four months since I hired this 17-year-old babysitter for my 3-year-old daughter.

I work full-time as a nurse, while my husband works three days a week and comes home to sleep during the day. I don't know why, but my gut feeling said something was going on between my husband and the babysitter.

I secretly installed a camera in the living room to clear my doubts and soon saw something that broke my trust. He and the babysitter were making out on the couch behind my daughter's back while she was watching TV.

I felt like my entire world came crashing to the ground. I fired the babysitter and left the house with my daughter to live at my mother's place. Meanwhile, my husband kept begging me for a second chance.

31. The Life-Changing Test Results

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u/fenqojfjnqe: Soon after my wife conceived our baby, I felt I was not the father. After the baby's birth, I was convinced the child was not mine, so I told my wife I would take a paternity test.

She was upset but allowed me to do it because she knew that was the only way to ease my mind. The results came back two weeks later. I was livid upon learning I was not the father. I stormed into our house and kicked her and the baby out, unaware I would soon regret it.

The following day, she called me and suggested I take another paternity test to prove the baby was mine. I agreed and took two paternity tests from different companies.

Soon, the results came in, and both said I was the father. I was so relieved and immediately told my wife about it, asking her to return home, but she refused.

She said she was disgusted at how I reacted to the first test results, adding that I could visit her to see my son, but she would be filing for divorce.

32. The Young Parents

A newborn baby | Source: Shutterstock

u/SweetBabyZ2020: I gave birth to my daughter six months ago, which should have been the happiest moment of my life, but it wasn't.

When my little girl was born, she had dark skin, which made it seem like she had parents of African descent. My husband, Jim, was furious upon seeing her and immediately accused me of cheating. He told everyone in the family that I was a cheater and left us in the hospital.

However, he soon agreed to take a paternity test, which proved he was the father. One of his cousins did an ancestry DNA test and discovered that they had 30% African ancestry, which explained why our daughter didn't resemble us.

At that point, Jim apologized to me, but it was too late. I didn't want to give him a second chance after witnessing how ruthless he had become while accusing me of cheating.

33. A Gift for My Father-in-Law

Paramedics giving first aid to a woman | Source: Shutterstock

u/[deleted]: My father-in-law always claimed he didn't know about my severe bee allergy and deliberately released a jar of bees near me during our family barbecue.

I spotted him laughing when doctors were taking me away in an ambulance. At that point, I knew it was time for payback.

My husband stormed into the room the next day and asked, "What did you swap in there?!" With a sly grin, I pointed to his freshly brewed morning coffee.

"It's a laxative, just a tiny bit. His morning ritual is about to get a lot more... unpredictable," I said. My husband sighed, "This family feud is going to a whole new level."

34. The Unexpected Outcome

A shocked woman | Source: Pexels

u/Help23andme: We've all been seeing the recent craze of DNA testing and whatnot, so my dad and I decided to jump on the bandwagon and bought two from 23andme.

We got our results back a few days ago, and I went into the DNA relatives section to check out my matches. At the top, it listed my dad as only sharing 29.2% of my DNA with me and being predicted to be a half-brother, which is impossible.

When I told her about the test results, she couldn't lie anymore and fell to the ground, begging me not to tell my father about it.

Instead of talking to Dad, I told my cousin (now half-sibling) about it, who hung up screaming. Then, Dad came home and asked me what had happened to Mom.

When I told him the truth, he silently left the room. Soon, my parents got into an argument, and I heard everything while sitting inside my room.

Uncle David (now my father) and his wife also came home, and I'm sure I heard my father and David get into a physical fight.

35. You Are the Mother Now!

A couple arguing | Source: Shutterstock

u/ThrowawayRunawayToot: My husband and I have been together for five years and married for two, but we couldn't have children because I was infertile.

I was saving up for IVF when I learned something that turned my world upside down. My husband, who is a pastor, confessed that he had an affair with one of the community members, and she fell pregnant with twins.

However, she and one of the kids passed away during childbirth. He cried as he told me we needed to care for the other baby. He believed God had chosen us to be the child's parents, asking me to set up a nursery in my home office.

I became distressed and told him I wanted some time to think. I was not sure I wanted to do this, but he kept forcing me to be the child's mother. I feel terrible and don't want to keep the baby. I want to abandon my husband and the child.

36. Project Partner

A person opening a door | Source: Shutterstock

u/[deleted]: On our wedding anniversary, I came home early to surprise my husband. However, at the entrance to the house, I noticed unfamiliar women's sneakers. I entered the house and heard a woman's voice coming from our bedroom. I quietly approached the bedroom door and opened it.

"What are you doing here?" I asked my husband. He replied, his eyes wide open, "Oh no, I didn't know you'd come home early." "And who is she?" I asked while pointing towards the woman.

"She's a coworker. We were working on a project together, and I thought we'd have more time before you came home," he replied. This was an anniversary surprise I could have done without.

37. Terrible Decision

A woman holding a baby in a diaper | Source: Shutterstock

u/[deleted]: I put my son, who was about eight months old at the time, onto our changing table, which is about waist high, and turned around to grab more diapers—terrible decision.

I caught him rolling off the table out of the corner of my eye, but it was too late. He fell three feet, landed directly on his face, and did a full scorpion.

He has never cried so hard in his life before or after. I held him and just started crying because I felt so guilty hurting him like that.

38. The Runaway Daughter

Mother and daughter | Shutterstock

u/[deleted]: My daughter ran away from home when she was 14. My husband, the police, and I searched for her day in and day out, but to no avail.

Eventually, I said to my husband, "Let's let her go. She doesn't want to be found." We then moved to a different city. 12 years later, as I was making breakfast, a sudden shout rang out, "DON'T DO IT! You can't just let her go! She's the one who found out about our secret."

I turned to see a familiar face, my daughter, with a bitter expression. "You left behind debts and people who were after you," she said coldly, holding up old documents and photos. "You thought you could escape, but now they've found me. It's time you face the consequences of your past."

39. The Greedy Stepmother

An angry woman | Shutterstock

u/[deleted]: My stepmother never cared for me while my dad worked hard to provide for us. Day by day, she exploited my financial successes.

When I landed a job with a hefty signing bonus of $100K, she convinced me to invest it with her. Instead, she used the money for a vacation with her lover behind my dad's back. MY REVENGE WAS BRUTAL.

A day later, she stormed into my apartment, furious, shouting, "I WILL DESTROY YOU." Keeping my composure, I calmly said, "You should check your bank accounts."

I had gathered evidence of her betrayal and reported her fraudulent activities to the bank and authorities. "You may have used me, but I made sure you won't benefit from your treachery," I added. Her face went pale as she realized the gravity of her impending downfall.

40. My Ultrasound

An ultrasound | Shutterstock

u/[deleted]: I was pregnant, and just a few days before my wedding, I felt a sharp pain in my belly. My mom insisted I urgently get an ultrasound and even paid for my visit to the doctor as a gift.

I decided not to worry my fiancé and went alone. When the doctor saw the ultrasound results, his face contorted with horror.

"How is this even possible?" the doctor asked. "Doctor, what's wrong?" I asked. Then, the doctor showed me the ultrasound results and I immediately understood what went wrong.

"OH NO! NOT THIS! THIS IS A NIGHTMARE!" I gasped. "I'm really sorry, but it seems your fiancé isn't the father." He pointed to the screen, showing markers that were consistent with a rare genetic condition, one that my ex-boyfriend had.

Memories of a one-time lapse months ago flooded back. The walls seemed to close in as I realized the complex web of truths and lies that now lay before me.

41. The DNA Test

A DNA test report under a stethoscope | Shutterstock

u/[deleted]: My wife and I have three kids and have been married for 15 years. Every day, when I see the skin color of my younger son, I think he's not mine.

Paranoia eats at me from the inside. I decided to get a paternity DNA test behind my wife's and children's backs. Today, I saw the result.

It read that the child was indeed a 99.9% match to my DNA. All the doubt and paranoia I had felt seemed foolish now. I realized that my insecurities had nearly jeopardized the love and trust in our family. I vowed never to let baseless doubts cloud my judgment again.

42. Mistaken DNA Test

DNA test result | Shutterstock

u/[deleted]: My wife told me she was pregnant, but she didn't know that | was infertile. I took a DNA test to ensure the child wasn't mine.

The results showed I wasn't the father. I kicked her out of the house in the freezing cold and pouring rain. Meanwhile, she swore she hadn't cheated and begged to retake the test.

I agreed, and my jaw dropped when I saw the results. The second test showed that I was indeed the father. It turned out the initial test had been a mix-up at the lab.

Overwhelmed with guilt and regret, I realized the depth of my mistrust and the pain I had caused her. We decided to seek couples therapy to rebuild the trust and foundation of our relationship.

43. A Family Secret

A DNA test report under a stethoscope and a pen | Shutterstock

u/[deleted]: My wife has given birth to three kids for us, with the youngest being just 3 months old. My two older sons are spitting images of me, but my newborn looks a lot like one of her coworkers – a blonde with green eyes.

I've been reluctant to even hold him and haven't truly accepted him as my own. I decided to get a paternity DNA test done, and the results blew me away.

Thinking it had to be a mistake, I did a second test. My jaw dropped when I saw the results again. Not only was the newborn mine, but I also discovered a family secret: my grandmother was a blonde with green eyes.

It turns out, the genes had skipped generations, and my youngest son had inherited those traits. I hugged my son, realizing I had almost missed out on cherishing precious moments with him due to unwarranted doubts.

A couple teaching a girl how to ride a bicycle | Source: Pexels

Becoming a parent comes with a lot of responsibilities, but not everyone is ready for it. These parenting stories show how people often mess up as parents and end up doing embarrassing things.