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
Wild Nights Out
Last call, bad decisions and 3 a.m. texts you'll regret until noon. Cheers.
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)
heyLaddieHey 18
Well of course. The twelve-year-old isn't exhausted or frustrated by a fussy baby. You were probably stressed out and your kid picked up on it and kept crying.
Duoceros 22
I think that it just comes down to the fact that sometimes babies aren't comforted by a face they know well. Having a stranger be nice and distract them from whatever was upsetting works better than mom's efforts every once in a while. As much as it stings to not be able to comfort your own child you're not a failure as a mom for that.
ACCOUNTKILLER 18
have you tried dr. robert hamilton's hold?
fabulousfiasco 12
When my son was two, I took a flight with him and he was just awful. He wouldn't sit in his seat, even during take-off. He was screaming, fidgeting, and flailing. A woman across the aisle was able to engage him by talking to him, singing songs, and showing him pictures. I was 100% unable to do anything about him, but she not only calmed him down, she had him behaving and smiling the entire trip.
MoroseMoose 47
This! I have learned to let other people help me... Even if it's just a stranger distracting my toddler while I'm trying to pay for groceries. I try to enjoy the "break" they're giving me. You are still a good mom, OP. Hang in there.
danceinconverse 25
You should've asked her if she babysits!
meghanclean 17
Congratulations on your new baby :) that's completely normal, baby will react to your stress of trying to calm her down so some babies do better with other people in time of need. I don't think this is an FML but more of a relief that you no longer have a crying baby.
IorvethTheXolo 8
Don't sweat it, OP. Some people have a knack for calming babies and others don't. It doesn't mean you can't learn, but some people have "the gift" and kids seem to have a way of communicating with other babies. You even see it among different species. My puppies always had a way of gravitating toward smaller kids and their interactions were different than with adult. Babies know babies. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it. I'm terrible with kids (except those I am very close to like my brothers and their best friends across the street) and feel incredibly awkward when they ask me those intrusive questions kids ask and I panic when a baby starts to cry, but my husband is a natural with kids of all ages. It's hard to be the person who doesn't instinctively know what to do, but it doesn't mean you can't be a good parent and it doesn't mean you won't learn how to be able to calm your baby.
HawaiiThad 14
The way you've written it, the girl was better at calming down the baby than she was at calming you down. Obviously that's not what you meant. Next time try something like, "The girl on the bus was better at calming my child down than I was." Hopefully you're a better parent than grammarian, but to be fair, that's a somewhat challenging sentence to write.
southernsweety92 1
Don't feel to bad. Sometimes its just the "newness" of the person that keeps them entertained and quiet.
OtakuTaco 15
"I'm a terrible mother. FML"