How parents embrace when things get ‘real’

A little more than three in five parents are ditching filters and unrealistic aesthetics and are looking to embrace more “real” parenting moments this year, according to new research.

A survey of 2,000 parents of kids ages 2-18 revealed that in order to appear like the “perfect” parents, 60% admit that they carefully curate their social media accounts.

In 2025, 62% are looking to leave old habits in the past and embrace a candid reality, rather than a filtered and tweaked feed.

In fact, more than half of parents (53%) feel that it’s impossible to measure up to the “perfect” parents they see on social media.

But today, things are changing: nearly half (48%) are looking to portray themselves, and their kids, in a not-so-perfect — but very real — light.

Another third would be more likely to do so if they knew others could relate or if they saw other parents posting more candid moments (23%).

Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Mrs. T’s Pierogies, the survey asked parents to remove that “perfect” social media mask and explored a realistic picture of their everyday chaos, shenanigans and real-life moments.

According to the results, parents find their child doing something funny or strange an average of three times per day or a little more than 1,000 funny moments per year. These instances include, “having an intense conversation with a stuffed animal, treating it like a counselor,” or “acting out a skit with our cat” and even “dancing around the room and singing in a silly voice.”

Beyond these shenanigans, 94% of parents experience an average of seven instances of chaos on a daily basis, by either what their kid says or does.

The most common forms of chaos include hiding things that aren’t theirs, such as car keys or the TV remote (31%), going on “adventures” or escaping parents’ eyesight (30%). Others say their child is a pro at hiding things that are theirs such as toys or clothing (28%) and even throwing food (17%).

But that’s not all. At the dinner table specifically, parents have experienced further chaos. One parent said their child poured garlic powder on his head, while another fed the dog the vegetables off her plate when they weren't looking. One tired child was even guilty of falling asleep face first in their spaghetti.

“The pressure to appear ‘perfect’ on social media is astounding and when it comes to parents, that pressure is turned up even higher, with 60% of parents feeling that pressure. Being a parent is messy and imperfect but it’s also rewarding and humorous,” said Alyssa Panzarella, Director of Marketing at Mrs. T’s Pierogies. “It’s refreshing to see that so many parents are ready to remove that mask, embrace the very real picture of being a parent and share their funny experiences around the dinner table.”

But the mayhem doesn’t stop there. The toughest arena parents face include disagreements about going to bed (46%), homework or schoolwork (38%) and getting out of bed (36%).

Arguments centered around food, such as what’s for dinner and clearing their plate, are also common for one in five (18%) and happen four times every week.

In fact, the biggest “food fight” parents encounter is about trying new foods (55%).

Half found that re-framing foods, such as saying “calzones are inside out pizza,” have been successful in getting their child to eat a new food.

Others have tried different ways to get their child to either try a new food or finish their place, such as blending vegetables into spaghetti and simply adding cheese to it.

Parents estimate that they only win an average of 61% of their battles with their child, though 83% emphasize the importance of their child just being happy at the dinner table.

And at the end of the chaotic, shenanigan-filled day, 82% of parents believe that there is comedic relief in the imperfect moments.

“With so many battles and chaos to face, it’s important that parents look for the humor in those moments,” said Panzarella. “Results found that 79% of parents find relief in venting to a friend about stressful parenting moments, underscoring the importance of allowing less-than-perfect instances see the light of day and to help build a community.”

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 parents of kids ages 2 to 18; the survey was commissioned by Mrs. T’s Pierogies and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Jan. 29 and Feb. 4, 2025.

We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:

• Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
• Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in

Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.

Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.

Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.

Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:

• Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
• Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
• Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
• Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once

It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.