Parents Are Sharing the Most Ridiculous Things Their Kids Have Done — ‘He Missed His Flight Looking for Expedia Airlines’
Every parent has that one moment where they stare at their child and think, “There is no way you just did that.”
A viral thread asked moms, dads, and grandparents to spill their “I raised an idiot” moments… the times their smart, perfectly capable kids had a full-on brain glitch. The result isn’t a hit piece on “dumb kids,” though. It’s a very relatable collection of stories that prove nobody’s firing on all cylinders 100% of the time, no matter how old they are.
Here are some of the funniest, most harmlessly clueless moments parents shared.
1. The College Kid Who Missed His Flight Looking for “Expedia Airlines”
One proud parent watched their scholarship-winning son get into a competitive college… only to be immediately humbled at Christmas.
“My son got into a very competitive college and got a scholarship. We bought him a ticket to come home for Christmas. He missed his flight because he couldn’t find Expedia airlines.”
Plenty of commenters admitted they also paused for a second, like, *“Wait, does Expedia have an airline?” so he’s not alone.
2. The Teen Who Tried to Fill a Bucket From Ten Feet Away
Another parent watched their teen son attempt to wash the car. Emphasis on attempt.
“He set a bucket near the car and pulled the hose out as far as it would go. The hose wouldn’t reach the bucket, so he stood 10 feet away just blasting water over the bucket trying to fill it up. The pressure from the hose kept knocking it over.
It never dawned on him that he could just move the bucket to the hose and fill it up there. I watched through the window and was just like, d*mn.”
Somebody in the comments said it felt like a real-life “Taskmaster” challenge, and they’re right.
3. “360 Degree Heat” Does Not Mean What You Think It Means
One mom and her son went shopping for a space heater when their home’s heat went out. She grabbed a model that advertised “360 Degree Heat.”
“As I grabbed it off the shelf, my son says ‘Ugh. 360 degrees? Who would want it that hot?’”
If it had been a joke, it would’ve been A+ dad humor. Unfortunately for him, he was dead serious.
4. The Grandson Who Pulled the Drain Plug… While Still in the Boat
A grandparent shared this gem about their 10-year-old grandson and a jon boat:
“He took my jon boat out to fish on the lake. The boat had some water in the bottom. He removed the drain plug to let the water out. It was close to shore so I did get my boat back… It was funny and 11 years later I love telling this story, especially when he’s home.”
One commenter said they pictured him coming back to shore like Captain Jack Sparrow sailing in on a sinking ship.
5. Snow Shoveling Against the Wind — Literally
Sometimes the “idiot moment” is less about age and more about stubborn commitment.
“My son was shoveling snow off of our 40ft long driveway. We can put snow on either side of our driveway. He threw every shovel full into the 60kph wind. Every single time he got hit in the face with snow.
My wife and I kept thinking he would throw it with the wind at some point. He never did. He was 24 at the time.”
At least he finished the job.
6. Cardboard Armor vs. Gravity
One parent recalled the moment their kid learned the hard way that cartoons are not real life:
“When he fell 6ft off a shed roof wearing homemade cardboard armour. Broke both wrists.”
There were follow-up jokes about whether he had cardboard bracers on. The answer, tragically, was no.
7. The Job Interview Shirt That Said “I Got Out of Bed for This?”
Wardrobe choices also made an appearance.
“16 year old son went to a job interview wearing a T-shirt that said ‘I got out of bed for this?’”
Another commenter admitted they once wore a shirt that said “work ruined my life” to an interview after getting a last-minute call, and still got the job. Miracles happen.
8. The Kid Who Put Toast in the VCR to See How Bread Is Made
Some kids are just… experimental.
“According to my mom I once jammed a piece of toast into the VHS player cause I wanted to see how bread was made.”
Others chimed in to say they did the same with PB&J sandwiches. Somewhere out there, a whole generation had destroyed VCRs in the name of science.
9. Using the Litter Box “Because the Cat Does It”
Bathroom-related chaos showed up more than once, but one story summed it up neatly:
“My son peed and pooped in the litter box. He said that the kitty did it why couldn’t he? He was 4. We thought something was really wrong with the cat. He is now a productive member of society. He constantly made me wonder about his intelligence. Now he has a daughter just like him.”
Justice, as they say, was served.
10. “What’s My Maiden Name?”
Sometimes the brain just falls out for a second.
“My 19 year old recently asked me what his maiden name was while filling out a job application. His future is bright lol.”
Another commenter immediately said, “That’s a future lawyer.”
11. Two Kids, Two Houses, Zero Underwear Awareness
One parent told the story of their daughter coming home from school wearing two pairs of underwear and not noticing all day. On the same day, her stepsister had the opposite problem.
“Well, she’s only 6 but the day my daughter came home from school with two pairs of pants on (underwear for those not in the UK) and hadn’t noticed all day she had put them on twice.
That same day, we were talking to step daughter who is the same age. She had forgotten to put hers on and didn’t notice until bath time either.
Two tiny but well coordinated idiots. They got ready in two different houses that day for clarity.”
The coordination across households is almost impressive.
12. Backwards Hat, Hand Over Eyes
One dad’s son inadvertently joined a very specific club:
“My son, while wearing his baseball hat backwards, used his hand to block out the sun on a drive.”
Commenters pointed out that you see this guy at every outdoor event: hat backwards, sunglasses on top of the brim, still squinting into the sun.
13. “I’ve Never Eaten Buffalo”
A British mom confessed that her food-loving teenage son had a small blind spot:
“Ordering takeaway and my son asks for buffalo wings. I tell him I don’t think he’ll like it as he’s not a fan of spicy food. He tells me he still wants to try as he’s never eaten buffalo!
After I composed myself from the raucous laughter and his confused expression I asked him where on a buffalo are his wings? A pause and then realisation…”
He still hasn’t managed to try “buffalo” to this day.
14. The Gatorade Bottle, Used Completely Wrong
One road trip turned into a teachable moment about physics.
“My son really had to go while we were on a road trip, forever away from any place to stop on a long stretch of highway… so here’s an empty Gatorade bottle.
A few seconds later, ‘Mom this isn’t working!! It’s all leaking back out!’
Well yeah kid, you’re holding the bottle upside down above you, instead of using it like a teeny toilet.”
It could’ve been much worse – another commenter was fully expecting this story to involve something other than pee.
At the end of the day, most of these kids grew up to be totally functional adults: college students, camp counselors, job-holders, even parents themselves. The stories live on mostly as family lore and gentle blackmail material.
If anything, this thread is a good reminder that every brain has its off days. And if your kid just asked a truly ridiculous question or did something bafflingly impractical? Congratulations — you’ve got a story they’ll never live down at Thanksgiving.
If you love this kind of “what were you thinking?” chaos, you might also enjoy a story about a man who refused to cancel his vacation after being “volunteered” to pet-sit by his sister, and another roundup of couples sharing the ridiculous house rules they now enforce like law.
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Couples Are Sharing the ‘Dumb’ House Rules They Made as a Joke — and Now Enforce Like Federal Law
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Read more: Couples Are Sharing the ‘Dumb’ House Rules They Made as a Joke — and Now Enforce Like Federal Law
She Refused to Pay for Her Siblings’ Luxury Vacation Upgrades — Now Her Wealthy Brothers Say She’s Ruining the Trip
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Men Were Asked What They Only Learned After Dating or Marrying a Woman — The Answers Were Way More Insightful Than Expected
What started as a joke quickly became a surprisingly thoughtful look at everyday relationships.
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