Family is difficult, perhaps even one of the most difficult things. Even when the relationships are fairly "traditional" and straightforward, let's be honest: what is straightforward? Is there even really a straightforward when it comes to family? The reality is that there hardly ever is, and the families that try and act like things are straightforward are the most likely to be hiding something. When families are more complex, mixed, or “blended” things get even further from simple. And who is…

Scam calls are nothing new, but in recent years, scammers have been getting more creative with their tactics... and creepier. One scam that's been on the rise involves someone pretending to be a family member in trouble, often a child or grandchild, needing urgent financial help. With AI now able to mimic voices, it's become even more unsettling. But for this childless man, who's been receiving the same scam call twice a year for the past seven years, it's less of a scare and more of a chance t…

Who will be the next Harry Potter? Such a question was unthinkable to anyone who grew up in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Harry Potter books, movies, merch, theme parks, and Halloween costumes, just to name a few, are among the highest-grossing media franchises of all time. Anyone from that era would’ve told you: “Harry Potter is Daniel Radcliffe.” Image via @gayrauder In the original film series, the young wizard Harry Potter is played by Daniel Radcliffe. His school friends were Emma Wa…

Sure, kids make mistakes, but some kids know exactly what they're doing. This 16-year-old, Sean , had a habit of playing innocent pranks on his stepfather, which were mostly allowed as long as they were minor and playful. At one point, he splashed cold water on his stepdad while he was sleeping, which only really became a problem when he posted footage of the prank on social media. His stepdad forced Sean to take down the video, and Sean never really got over it. That's when he decided to play…

Finders keepers! It's a rule that can be the best or the worst, depending on if you're the finder or the person who lost something valuable. Finding a $20 bill on the ground is amazing, because there's no way of proving who really lost it. But being the person who went to do laundry and suddenly realized that $20 bill had flown out of their pocket makes you really dislike the “finders keepers” rule. This 8-year-old found themselves on both sides of the rule, starting with a standoff with their…

Karens seem to go out of their way to make themselves known on public transportation. Whether it's starting an argument over an invasion of their personal space (they're usually in the wrong here) or talking loudly on the phone, these are people who feel compelled to make a scene wherever they go. Here , we have a parent who has clearly raised her perfectly healthy but endlessly annoying 8-year-old son to be just as entitled as she is. A passenger, the person who shared this Reddit thread, saw…

For all the parents out there, we understand that sometimes you need a break, even if it's just a nap. Of course, when you have a bunch of little kids screaming, running around, and making messes, it's hard to unwind and get a moment of peace. You probably tell yourself to power through the day, that you'll get some sleep once you put the kids to bed (if that ever ends up happening). Let's be honest, folks. Sometimes you have to get creative in order to take care of yourself and recharge. Somet…

Don't underestimate the kids! You know what they say: the hardest job is being a parent . If you've ever watched a child for an afternoon, or raised a couple on your own, you know just how true that is. Kids need near-constant attention to avoid getting into trouble, and that can be exhausting even when you have plenty of energy. This parent decided to take their 7-year-old to a fun toy event . They write that the kids were paired with an older veteran . However, their kid got paired with a vet…

There are always whispers of that one strict teacher in every school. It's the teacher who doesn't smile until May. Some of these teachers are the type who won't let students use the bathroom, or who punish the whole class for one kid's mistake. There are plenty of ways to be a strict teacher, and it often comes from years of frustration with students' behavior. It seems like some older teachers take this a bit too far, though. They start to barely tolerate any behavior that's outside their rul…

There's not much a deadbeat dad can do that'll make his children think less of him–except crawling out of the woodwork years after announcing he had a secret family only to ask them to share their college fund with his love child.

A not-so-gentle approach to mitigate a lack of parenting

This tow truck driver worked closely with local law enforcement after getting the catalytic converters stolen out of his car, converting thievery into cold, hard justice.

Family dynamics are always tough, even in the best of circumstances… Parenting teenagers is difficult enough when they're your own flesh and blood or they're otherwise your sole charge and are obligated to follow your direction. It gets infinitely more difficult when you have another adult who is influential in your life—especially one of their parents who is undermining you and just generally poisoning the well and encouraging them to be toxic towards you at every possible chance. You'd think…

When we were kids, we were constantly told to always listen to the adults in our lives, most importantly to our parents and teachers. We were raised in the belief that adults always knew what was right and wrong, so we should take their words as guidance through life. Unfortunately, that is often not the case, and surely now we can all think of examples of times adults were very much in the wrong, and went as far as taking advantage of their seniority over the kids in their lives, leading to ve…

When we're young, we assume that our parents and other adults in authority are infallible, generally taking them at their word and assuming that all adults conduct themselves in mature, non-biased, morally upright, and ethical ways. You come to find, as you age, that even the paragons of your youth are, in fact, fallible, imperfect people. This realization will often first cause you to feel resentment before you eventually come to accept as you age further that they were nothing more than peopl…

Things got weird fast when a man generously allowed his Karen neighbor and her kids to use his pool. At first, it was no big deal—she would ask, and he didn’t mind. But things took a turn when she started showing up unannounced, even using the pool when he wasn’t home. The final straw came when he returned from work one day to find Karen throwing a full-blown pool party with her friends, complete with floaties, snacks, and loud music. He confronted her, explaining that she couldn’t just use his…