Parenthood Illustrated: 35+ Hilarious Comics That Sum Up Family Life

Though you may not have heard her name before or seen any of her artwork, we assure you will adore what Adrienne Hedge draws and creates. Adrienne is an award-winning cartoonist who created a popular webcomic known as “Hedger Humor.” She is witty, smart, humorous, and extremely talented. That’s why today, we are going to share 45 of our favorite creations from her (digital) pen.

She shares her experience of being a parent and surviving in this new phase of her life she found herself in. Yes, there are struggles and turmoil, but what Adrienne wants us to remember is that parenting is, at the end of the day, extremely beautiful and rewarding. Even though your reward comes when you least expect it. To see what her little corner of the internet is all about, keep on scrollin’!

Chemistry issues

When we think of our childhood, sometimes we miss it so much. Then again, when we remember how powerless we felt and how much we were itching to grow up and finally graduate, we realize it’s a never-ending cycle of regret and nostalgia.

School gives such a unique opportunity to study — and not worry about bills and other adult responsibilities. However, some subjects are just so complicated that you just want to give up. A sentiment that this mom certainly relates to.

Dog Business

Dogs are like little pigs most of the time. They love getting down and dirty, playing in the mud outside, and carrying all that with them back inside — on your newest, beige couch, if possible! It’s a struggle being a parent, be it a human or pet parent.

Pet parenting means disciplining a being that has no critical thinking abilities. It means reasoning with them and loving them despite not being listened to. Yes, that’s it. Sounds about right. Look at this character’s dog! Such a bad boy!

She Needs Her Lawyer

Kids nowadays know exactly how to grind their parents’ gears. Even worse, they’re experts at evading trouble. They know exactly what to say, so they can get away with anything. Frankly, we are kind of envious of this girl. We could never say that to our parents!

You’d never hear us saying, “We did the BEST we could.” This is as mind-blowing as it gets! If our parents asked us that, and we, in fact, hadn’t done the cleaning, we would absolutely cave in and run back to scrub that room clean! Little Missy has guts!

Summer Fails

Now, we want to show you some summer fails that make us miss summer severely. Trust us, there is so much more to it than sweat spots, forgetting to shave above the knees, or applying deodorant after showering. Strap in, and enjoy!

These are pretty much self-explanatory. Not only can we refer to them as “fails,” but as deeply embarrassing, too. Imagine if this happened to you in front of your crush or a business client you are trying to impress. Yikes!

Ageism

Children can be cruel, man! Sometimes they’re way too raw and honest when you ask them a question. It’s absurd! We appreciate it, though. If it weren’t for our younger cousins, we would wear those stupid pants, even though, if we’re being honest, they are kinda embarrassing.

Now, ageism is a real thing! Someone discriminating against you based on your age is extremely cruel. Yet, people do it. And kids are especially great at it. Well, what goes around comes around, so it’s only a matter of time before these kids become parents themselves and become the butt of these jokes!

40 Something

Once you turn a certain age, birthdays and stuff like that all become one big blur. We can’t imagine turning 40 and still keeping track of each candle on the cake. More and more people are saying, “What’s the point of counting? Just enjoy your time,” and we love that philosophy.

This is another situation where a child says such a harsh truth that you are left speechless. It feels like we are watching a sitcom. Nonetheless, Adrienne will continue to make more relatable comics. Just keep scrolling for more of her on-point humor.

Marriage in a Nutshell

Marriage is not only a matter of love. Of course, love is involved, but it’s not the sole aspect. There has to be respect, tolerance, partnership, friendship, and compromise. It’s about motivating each other, helping one another, and being each other’s life companions.

But the special ingredient is undoubtedly love. But instead of mustard, which the comic husband was hoping for, we would say: mayo or ranch! We love those condiments! Although they are joking around, make sure to appreciate your partner, even on the days when there’s nothing special going on.

Bookworms

We love books! In fact, we would go so far as to say we are bookworms. In the age where TikTok is the new thing everyone is talking about, you should seriously consider a media that will keep your focus longer than a few seconds or minutes.

Reading books stops time, enriches your vocabulary, and develops your brain activity! Plus, nothing compares to the feeling of walking into a bookstore and coming out with a pile of books that were on your wishlist. It’s like having a crush admit they like you back!

Summer Mornings

This is an unwritten rule of children. And adults, now that we think about it. Getting up on school days was an impossible mission. The weekends were a tad better. And getting up in the summer, during summer break, was a piece of cake!

We really feel for this poor mom… What is there to say that will make all mothers and fathers around the world feel better? It will pass, and when it does, you will miss it! (At least, according to the empty-nesters…) So, hang in there.

Temper Tantrum

Children are known for throwing temper tantrums. We are not saying every child does it, but a lot of them do. It’s just because children don’t know how to regulate and express their strong emotions of anger, disappointment, anxiety, etc.

Keep in mind that children know exactly what they are doing when they are throwing a temper tantrum. That’s why this girl is slowly placing herself on the floor where she won’t get hurt and then continuing to throw a fit. It’s hilarious now, but it’s not as amusing when it happens.

Cool Ideas!

If you have a sibling, you know how awesome it is to annoy them. It’s a love language. For some reason, one of the best ways to show them you love them is being a pain. So, if you feel like you need to express your love for your siblings, here are some genius ideas.

Our personal favorite is the “lick your finger, then stick it in their ear.” That one just seems like pure chaos, and we love it! “When the driver turns the car, lean way into your sibling” is something we also did in our day. Cool ideas, Adrienne, thank you!

Mom’s Superpower

We are pretty sure moms have a sixth sense when it comes to you cleaning or not cleaning your room. Like Adrienne displayed in her digital comic, the mom here is not giving her child the benefit of the doubt this time!

Little miss, don’t underestimate your mom’s ability to see through the door and hear the “mess speaking” to her. It’s a real thing! We experienced it, too. And apparently, it’s one of those powers you can only get once you get your own mini-me. Guess we’ll have to wait and see!

Gen Z’s Way of Entertainment

The ways Gen Z-ers entertain themselves are mind-boggling to us. We love the centennials in our lives, and every now and then, we feel like them, too. But, to be frank, we don’t always understand them, their humor, and their pastimes.

Do you remember those random BuzzFeed quizzes, like “What Disney princess are you?” or “What pizza are you?” It is fun — we assume. But, things like what grape or toe you are are just too much. Good luck, parents. Stay strong!

Teaching Responsibility and Gratitude

We are certain that parents, especially dads, do some sort of the Ultimate Parent Course once they learn their wives are pregnant. Then afterwards, they take what they learned and repeat it to their children. This often entails recounting stories from “back in the day.”

Luckily for this little girl, her sibling warned her to get away just in time. Their dad was starting his heartbreaking story of walking miles and miles through 10 feet of snow with plastic bags over his shoes. Funny enough, our fathers had a similar story, too. Interesting.

Kid’s Sense of Style

When you think of it, kids are akin to the human-like Minions in the Despicable Me franchise. They are silly and clumsy (most of the time) but are somehow super intelligent and raw in the way they approach life. Yep, sounds about the same.

This is the best of toddler summer fashion. The bathing suit looks super familiar for some reason. To be honest, the flip-flop struggle is an issue we relate to to this day. It’s not our fault they are so confusing and uncomfortable! The big sunglasses are haute couture, though! Gucci, hello?!

Annoying Dot Com

Is there anything worse than being a driver and having an irritating passenger? Well, being the passenger and having an annoying driver, of course! Imagine someone constantly asking you to do something or look something up while they are driving.

The worst thing is you actually have to obey, especially if they are the ones doing you a favor by giving you a ride. So, what else can you do? You look it up but cuss the whole way regretting that you needed to go anywhere with them.

What Being a Dad is All About

Adrienne tends to show multiple perspectives in her comics. She loves to show the male side, the kids’ side, and the woman’s side. That way, we, as consumers, can get a full picture of her whole world and how she sees it.

She showed us in these four images what being a dad is all about! Giving you the best view, telling dad jokes, tossing you in the water, and falling asleep while watching TV. Do this, and you are a worthy contender for Father of the Year!

Teach Them While They’re Young

The existence of taxes drives us mad sometimes. They are everything we hate about this world. Paying a fee just because you live in a country is mind-boggling to us. Who do we owe money to? The aliens? What is an economy, even?!

On the other hand, mom and dad tax is the best thing we’ve seen in a while! If there is anyone you owe your life and money to, it’s your parents! So, mom tax and dad tax are something we will certainly consider in the future.

Gender Differences

The existence of differences between men and women is undeniable. Sure, there are some areas where we meet in the middle and are completely indistinguishable from one another. However, you can’t deny there are some areas that blatantly show gender opposites so clearly.

This comic is quite stereotypical. But we can’t deny that she has a point. How many men do you know that take hours to get ready or pick an outfit? We know 0. So many factors go into picking what to wear, but that seems to be a non-existent concept with guys!

Avoiding Housework

When you live with a partner or a roommate, it’s very important to set rules that both of you will follow. One of the most common ones involves dividing the workload. That makes life so much easier. But sometimes, the other side gets a bit lazy.

How often have you cleaned up after someone?! If your answer is never, you are a lucky one! This man is avoiding putting away CLEAN dishes! His wife needs to have a serious conversation with him. It was probably his turn to do it, but he didn’t.

Playing Dumb

We’ve all played dumb at least once in our lives. Pretending like you don’t know what’s going on and what’s expected from you can be a good tactic to get out of trouble. However, playing that game with your parents is not the best idea. Don’t ask us how we know…

This is exactly one of those situations where we tried — and failed miserably. When we suggested that you shouldn’t play this game with a parent, we specifically meant moms. Moms are a different breed. They smell your intentions right away. Well, it’s not like they gave you life or something!

Act Naturally!

Just the mere memory of school picture days gives us PTSD. We never looked good in them — not because we’re ugly, but because the photographers had some strange, confusing poses they wanted us to sit in and gave us bizarre instructions.

We’re glad we’re not the only ones who experienced this. It’s global, people! That makes us glad but also kind of sad. Why do these photographers do this? Let kids be kids; let them have fun memories of that day instead of making them pose like drunk camels!

Uncoordinated People Problems

Sometimes, you feel out of place in certain situations. You might feel like the weird one in your friend group or like you don’t belong. These are all very common sentiments. But it’s important not to let those moments define you.

This is one of those situations where you might think to yourself: “What is wrong with me?! Why is everyone able to do this properly, and I’m not?!” Don’t berate yourself. It’s okay for things to go wrong. You’re tired and a bit uncoordinated, but you’ll practice. Heads up, soldier!

The Mystery of Missing Cups and Bowls

We all know those people who just collect used bowls and cups and mugs. When we say collect, we mean they keep them on their desk until they start stinking up the whole place. They say they clean on the weekend, but by then, there are tens and dozens of cutlery missing from the cupboards.

We can safely say we are not those people, but are you?! You’ve been awfully quiet since we brought this up! The comic mom’s daughter is definitely that kind of person. We can’t say we judge her, but we can’t say we get it either. It’s much easier to clean regularly than all at once.

While Doing Math Homework, One Must Simply Dance

Tell us a better way of avoiding doing your homework than this. We’ll wait. This little girl has phenomenal ideas; we’ve gathered so much while scrolling through Adrienne’s Instagram. She made quite a cheeky, witty little girl boss in her comics.

She is sassy, crazy, and dynamic! We love her so much. However, we aren’t really sure her mom is as amused as us. She looks exhausted. It’s as if she’s so done and over whatever life’s offering at the moment.

Mistakes are a Part of Life

Making mistakes is completely fine! You shouldn’t feel too bad if you fail because these errors lead us to future solutions and successes. However, there are times when failure can be downright funny, and here, we want to show you some lessons that Adrienne drew from her own mistakes.

We don’t know which one is worse. Well, the fourth one is our actual nightmare. We love coffee, and we are not ashamed to admit that we are caffeine addicts. But covering your hands with a self-tanner must be the next best thing from this list! Hilarious!

M&M Monster

M&Ms are great! We adore them. Especially the kind with peanut butter! It’s chef’s kiss. However, there are people who don’t just like them but are obsessed with them! They swear by them. We don’t get that amount of hype, to be frank.

These girls will surely have some form of PTSD from their mother and her monster-like behavior! Although we know she doesn’t mean any harm, she still seems weirdly obsessed. She embodies that Grinch face too well for us to feel comfortable!

Tips on How to Dive Like a Kid

Kids are the best! Just observing their antics, their logic, and their behavior can be so entertaining! They have no idea what is going on, yet still, they manage to have a good freakin’ time! What champions. Now, here are a few tips on how to dive like a kid.

We hate to admit it, but this is how we still dive to this day! It’s a bit embarrassing, but more than that, it is plain sad. We are incompetent when it comes to these things. So if you see us by the pool, don’t laugh. Just wave and learn. And please don’t take pictures!

Haute Couture

Although you might not agree with us, kids have the best sense of authentic style ever! Yes, it’s not everyone’s taste, but that’s the thing about authenticity, it’s not supposed to be! They are their own bosses, and they can choose for themselves.

Sometimes, their combos are real haute couture. The one you see on the runway. Bella Hadid herself would be jealous if she encountered one of their shows! Our favorites are “layer” and “accessorize”! Do you have any that you prefer?

The Printer Show

Printers are super dramatic for no reason whatsoever. One time, we had a situation very similar to Adrienne’s character in these comics. The printer had been warning us for days about its low ink levels, only to find out it still had a half-full cartridge.

They act like teenagers! They are either too loud, dramatic, and panicky, or they play dead, pretend you don’t exist, and refuse to listen to you no matter how many times you give them an order. Just like real, human, rebellious teens.

Summer Rulez!

Although we are much happier when it’s fall or spring, we can’t deny summer has its charm in a way. It usually means a carefree attitude, nice evenings, and summer vacations. Here are some summer rules that show why summer rules! Get it? Never mind.

When someone asks you: “What’re you doing?” and you happen to be lying on the chair outside, you don’t have to say, “Oh, nothing…” You can say, “Well, I am sunbathing!” Isn’t that beautiful?! Don’t even get us started on not having to wear shoes or socks!

If It’s Small, It Doesn’t Count

There is this old saying that says: if the food is small, calories don’t count! We like to pretend that it’s true. Though we know it’s not how calories work, we still can’t help but hope it is. We are pretty sure this girl sub scribes to the same school of thought.

If the cookies are tiny, you can eat thousands of them, and it’ll be fine! At least, that’s what we want to believe. But despite our hopes (and irresistible love for all sweet things), the truth is far from that. Still, that won’t get in the way of snack time. Bring it on, blondie!

The Ones That Get It Get It

If you’re anything like us and Adrienne’s characters, you have your favorite bowl/mug/spoon/etc. You are just bound to it, and no matter how many new ones you get, you still end up using your worn-out favorite on a daily basis.

There are these kinds of people that we just explained. And then, there is the other kind. They don’t understand the passion and happiness of having coffee from that mug or eating cereal from that bowl. Their lives are so plain and boring!

Having a Pet Means…

…letting them drink water from wine glasses. Oh, what?! Sorry, did we get that right? Well, yes, we definitely did. Adrienne shared an experience of having a dog. It is all we expect from life with a pet and so much more!

We can’t give you a clear answer as to why this pupper drinks water from a wine glass, but dang right, he does. So posh, so extra. We also have a lot to share about our pets, but you know what they say: snitches get stitches…

Mom Got Some Flashbacks

Parents must get that feeling of instant gratification once their child experiences parenting for themselves and realizes what a nuisance they were at a certain age. They say toddlers are the worst. So, according to (TikTok) science, up until the pre-school years, children are to be avoided at all times! Just kidding…

A common question they ask is, “Why?” Children love to ask this question, especially at the age of four, or five, as soon as they develop consciousness and knowledge of the world around them. That’s amazing, but it means a daily headache for the parents.

It’s The Second Child

More often than not, a second child is a billion times more chaotic than the first. Parents usually try really hard with the first one and are much stricter and more careful. Not to say they neglect the second one, but they don’t put as much pressure on them as the one before.

The younger girl forgot to wear or bring any shoes. Okay, it’s fine if she didn’t bring any, but she went on this trip barefoot for hours?! And she didn’t say a thing until it was too late to turn around. That’s some next-level foolery.

When Nature Calls, You Answer

The title is meant for everybody. It is known that babies, toddlers, and children have trouble holding things in… but the same goes for grown-ups, too! Nonetheless, Adrienne took this and went full blast with it in her Hedger Humor.

The difference is adults are at least aware (for the most part), whereas toddlers aren’t. We cried our eyes out from laughter at this image. We can see this situation unfold in front of our eyes, and it’s so hilarious yet so realistic.

Dishwasher Quarrel

Arguing with inanimate objects might be our biggest hobby. It’s not as if we like it, but it’s something we often do around the house. That’s why we loved this comic we are about to show you. If there is something this artist does right, it’s depicting those little daily habits that we all have.

Look at her, arguing with a dishwasher! This scene should be in history books! It’s a war like no other. You always know that the beeping is not going to stop any time soon, but it’s worth a try. Get up, girlie, those dishes won’t unload themselves!

Laced With Good Intentions

One of the worst feelings in the world is when you have pure intentions, and when you try to do something nice for someone, something goes wrong, and your plan goes into shambles. When it falls apart, you can’t help but feel as if nothing makes sense.

That’s how this woman must have felt. She was trying her best to give her dog a proper meal, and this is how life circumstances repay her?! It’s unfair! But that’s why you must pay close attention when cooking something. God forbid she started a fire!

Ungrateful

Sometimes, household members can be ungrateful. They never see the work you do to keep the house clean and the home fresh, and cozy. It slowly becomes a struggle to stay motivated and willing to continue in the same fashion. But you have to.

There is no better feeling than having a clean kitchen! Sometimes, you just have to do it for yourself and your own mental stability and health. Then, when the others make a mess, take it out on them and make them clean as much as you did! There, we solved it!

Having a Teen Daughter

Teenagers are scary, man… They have so many emotions and are often like ticking bombs. Tall enough to be adults but irresponsible enough to be children. We can’t thank our families enough for putting up with us through this age stage.

What we find super funny about this comic, other than it being really relatable and true to character, is that the mom said the same thing to her daughter as her husband said to her: you’re strange. Well, ma’am, it seems to run in the family!

When Life Gets Fast

At the beginning of a new school year, or when the clock ticks midnight on the 31st of December, everyone gets obsessed with the idea of starting fresh and becoming a better person, whatever that might mean for each individual.

Then, as the days, weeks, and months pass, you realize you can’t escape from your true character. Sure, you can change some things about yourself, but some things will always stay the same. Or, maybe you just get tired. When you do, learn to rest rather than quit!

Mom’s Linguistic Genius

Some children are just gifted with different things. And just because you were good at English and art doesn’t mean your child will be, too. Take time to listen to your child’s interests. However, this girl is not only not gifted. She is something else.

If you believe in the right and left sides of the brain, you might defend her by saying: well, maybe her left side of the brain is more prominent. She could be a logical thinker, good at math, science, and numbers. Maybe, or perhaps she is just not good at playing Scrabble.

Is That Even a Language?

We are sure that parents of teenagers nowadays have trouble understanding them and their vocabulary. Technology developed so much in the past few decades that most parents can’t follow. That’s why, sometimes, it feels like they are speaking two different languages.

We imagine it’s like Simlish. Are you familiar with it? Simlish is a language developed for the game The Sims. This is a life simulation game where characters speak Simlish. These parents probably feel like that when topics like filters, emoji, and TikTok roll around.

Mixed Signals

The circle goes back around to the toddler topic. They are difficult, even we know that. If there is something scarier than a teenager, it would be a two-year-old. Want to know why? All you need to do is take a look at this last picture:

Adrienne put a nail in the coffin with this one. We are certain that some of her toddler-related comics serve as a good form of contraception. Some people might seriously consider having or not having kids after seeing this. It’s hilarious and concerning at the same time. Well done, Adrienne! Your comics slap!