stop_crying
United States
Today, a twelve year-old girl was better at calming down my six month-old baby on the bus than me. FML
Collection
Fall
Dead leaves, the first cold of the season and an umbrella flipped inside out: fall, the season of grace.
Same thing different taste
use condoms bro
Argentina
Thanks Teen Mom
Today, at 17 years-old, I discovered how embarrassing it is to have your kid scream on a flight and how hard it is to calm them down. FML
Ugh
Make it stop
Today, I was on the bus. I have a phobia of babies crying, and recently, whenever I've been on a long journey, there's been one and I've had an anxiety attack. There were no babies on this bus, just an old lady showing her friend videos of her screaming grandchild. FML
Unsanitary
United Kingdom
Today, my daughter spent three hours crying and having a temper tantrum over being forced to have a bath after four days without one. My daughter is 16. FML
Shoutout1011
Today, my 6-month-old daughter decided she'd scream every time I'd answer her cries instead of her daddy. He just left for a 12-hour shift at work. Only 11 more hours to go. FML
DocShadow
New York, United States
Today, my 4-year-old daughter stood up to a bully in the mall. I was the one who was getting bullied. FML
Anonymous
West Newton, United States
Today, I babysat a 10 year old from hell. She kept insulting me, saying I have tiny boobs, that boys must hate me, and that I'm ugly. I eventually got fed up and put her to bed. When her parents came back, she ran out of her room in tears and told them I'd beaten her. They believed it. FML
Anonymous
Flight from Hell
Today, I was sat next to a screaming baby on a 9-hour flight. Now before anyone has a go at me, I am in no way blaming the baby, I’m blaming the mother with her makeup hair and nails done perfectly, with her AirPods on, staring at her phone, and ignoring her screaming child the full 9 hours. FML
Anonymous
Los Angeles, United States
Today, my social anxiety got so bad that my 12 year-old daughter had to get in the driver's seat to order from the drive-thru. FML
UnpaidBabysitter
This FML is from back in 2019 but it's good stuff
New York, United States
Babysitter blues
Today, I was shut in a boiling hot room with six children: a ten year-old who kept shouting; a belligerent seven year-old; two five year-olds who thought hitting me was funny, and two two year-olds who wouldn't stop crying. Their parents were just outside, laughing away, ignoring me. FML
Anonymous
I blame the parents
Today, my tired son and I were riding a shuttle bus. An old lady got on, and I told him we needed to get up so she could have the seat. He started crying and screamed, "WHY? She's old, she's gonna die soon!" I wanted to melt into the ground. FML
Top comments
renrioku 15
In my experience it seems like its easier for kids to calm down infants than it is for adults. IDK, maybe kids know something we don't.
pom3440 22
of course she can.... she's not mom!
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Comments (41)
Rox22_fml 13
Bub was probably aware that you were getting stressed from his distress, they can sense these things so a distraction like a friendly stranger took his mind off things. It happens.
amsterdamgirl 20
I agree.
blackrose1996 11
Kids know kids better then us adults with my little cousins the older one translates her 1 and a half year old brother all the time and he does talk much
DoomedGemini 38
Very true. As a child I had to learn to pronounce over half of the alphabet, so before that it was nearly impossible for people to understand me. My brother, however, was able to understand what I wanted and usually had to translate. My mother usually had to get him whenever she couldn't understand me.
lovebooks07 15
It's often the face of a stranger that does the trick. The baby's curiosity often wins from their urge to cry or make a fuss. My grandfather always makes funny faces and noises to crying babies, and they always stop crying
more4me 27
Yup. I do it all the time and the babies stop crying right away because they dont know me so they are curious as to who is that new face and voice.
hoosiergirl94 31
Babies know what babies want
jdmthegreat 7
trust me these kind of people you meet are great, appreciate them don't feel threatened by them, they will buy you a few points on your blood pressure. it's a win win really, I as a parent understand the frustration you can go through at first but then you really start to enjoy it when other people can distract your kids.
lexos 16
She might have a younger sibling which gave her more experience with it. Try to remember what she did and use it the next time
saffy66 34
A tense mother is a paradox - the one who most wants to calm the child, yet the one least likely to be able to do so. Babies pick up on our tension, whereas a stranger won't be so anxious. It's no reflection on you, though it can feel like it at the time. I'm speaking from experience here.
Fufuboy 2
its the stranger effect nothing to do with your parenting skills
EvilLittleGirl 24
Don't beat yourself up OP, usually kids respond better to kids :)
Mr_Mole 24
It's no big deal. Babies pick up that you're stressed so a 12 year old who's relaxed and not had 6 months of crying to put up with will relax the baby easily.