The Most Annoying Things A Child Can Possibly Do!

1. Cry on a plane

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A long-haul flight is never fun: the air is stale, the food is basically made of glue, and there's always a line for the bathrooms. Sometimes the best thing you can do is stick on your eye mask and catch some shut eye. But then you hear it: the screeching, ear-shattering wail of a young child. Looks like you're not sleeping until they do!

2. Talk in the movie theatre

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Popcorn: sweet, salty, or butter? It's an age old question amongst movie-goers but, once you've handled the concession. there's nothing better than sinking into your seat for some cinematic action. The lights go down, and your favorite film star makes their entrance- what could go wrong? I'll tell you what- a babbling kid in the row behind that hasn't yet learnt that when Ryan Gosling is on screen, that needs our full attention.

3. Throw food in restaurant

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At least half of a restaurant experience comes down to atmosphere and ambience- the mood, lightning and music all have to be just right so you can enjoy your food to the fullest. If you get seated next to a family with kids, this could all be shattered! Or if you try to bring your own little ones out for a meal, there's nothing more mortifying than your usually well behaved baby suddenly deciding they want to throw mashed potatoes all over the place!

4. Keep asking WHY

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Sometimes hanging out with kids can feel like you're being interrogated by the FBI. Why are we at the grocery store? Well why do we need food? Why do people need to eat? Why are we human beings? Why is the sky blue? Why are you tearing your hair out?

5. Make rude comments about your appearance

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Ok seriously, kids have no filter whatsoever. It might be your own child, or it might just be a random child out in street, they feel no shame saying things like "your eyes are red and puffy today" or "my mummy doesn't have hair on her legs like you do". A recent viral tiktok showed a Dad having to deal with the fallout of his little girl asking women around a pool if they had a baby in their bellies- cringe!

6. Make your friends boring

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If you don't have your own kids and you start hitting that age where sprogs are springing up like nobody's business, beware! You might be about to notice a horrifying trend in your friendship group. It will spreading like a virus, silent and deadly: being boring. Kids get people tied to schedules and plained old tired out, meaning your friends who become parents might never be up for a night out again.

7. Ignore simple requests

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Whether it's "can you please lie down and go to sleep" or "can you please go wash your hands", children seem to make a habit of ignoring simple requests. It's not like we're asking them to solve cold fusion, broker peace in the middle east or diffuse a bomb is it?!

8. Don’t listen

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Half the time you ask them something, they're not technically ignoring you, because they're not even aware you've said anything! They're off in their own world and, yes, we get that it's cute that they're so into their imaginations but sometimes they need to open up their ears a bit!

9. Interrupt your conversation

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Whether it's your own child, your friends kiddo, or a random sprog out in public, one of the most irritating habits children can pick up is interrupting. If they're going to make it as adults they're going to have to learn to wait their turn, let the grown ups finish talking!

10. Show you their art

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"Oh wow!" you say, feigning delight, "What a beautiful drawing of a....is that...? Um, it's very pretty!" You trail off because you're looking at what appears to be three blue splodges, a misshapen star and a sticker of a carton of milk. It is truly anyone's guess what the heck this is meant to be.

11. Leave stuff on the floor so you stand on it

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If the sole of your bare foot has ever come into contact with the business end of a lego, you have our deepest sympathies. It doesn't help that a lot of kids toys are shaped like implements specifically designed to torture you if you stand on them. That's why kids leaving all their stuff on the ground for your to trip over or accidentally trample is plain infuriating!

12. Whining about screen time rules

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All we can say is Peppa Pig has a lot to answer for! Kids need lots of fresh air and activity if they're going to fully develop, but it can be hard to get them outside into the sunshine if they're glues to their tablets. Then, the whining starts: five more minutes! SO exhausting!

13. Refuse to go to bed

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Dreaded by parents and babysitters alike, it rolls around every night: bed time. Sometimes kiddos will fight against bed time despite clearly being absolutely exhausted. And they'll try every trick in the book, asking for glass of water after glass of water, thinking up any excuse to delay their shut eye just a minute more. Do they not understand that when they get older, they'll be dying to go to bed as early as possible most of the time!

14. Being a picky eater

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When, on top of everything else you have going on in your life, you're the head chef of the household there's nothing more frustrating than a kid turning their nose up at their dinner for no reason. Chicken strips may have been their favorite last week, but that's no assurance they'll deign to eat them now...

15. Compare you to other moms

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If you're a mom you're already under a whole world of pressure, it's everywhere! The world has a bad habit of telling mom' they have to raise the perfect child, have the perfect work-home balance, and look perfect round the clock. It's unfair and exhausting! The last thing you need is your own kid adding to this by comparing you to all their friends' moms!

16. Refuse to wash

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Why are children so opposed to having a wash? There's a certain, very stinky, phase that they seem to go through where they'd rather touch molten lava than a bar of soap. Do they not understand the joy of a hot bath? Most adults would kill to have the time to sink into the tub every evening.

17. Loud singing

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Unless your kid is seriously talented, I do not want to hear them belt out 'Let it Go' from Frozen in the grocery store. Even if they're destined for The Voice Kids, I still need them to keep it zipped in public most of the time. Some of us are on the phone, or trying to talk or, hey, just enjoying the peace and quiet.

18. Repeat themselves

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When you finally reach the end of a child's random, rambling, story that you could barely follow in the first place, it can be a massive relief. They scamper off, and you can breathe easy that the nonsensical saga has come to an end. But, lo and behold, they're off again with the exact same anecdote. In the words of Taylor Swift, "I think I've seen this film before, and I didn't like the ending".

19. Tantrums

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Everyone loses their temper now and again right? Sure! It's a natural part of life. But at least in adults this is usually limited to a snappy comment or a barbed email, maybe a withering glare. But when kids meltdown, boy do they go big! We're talking screaming, crying, throwing themselves on the floor.

20. Licking random stuff

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Why are young children so obsessed with licking stuff? Why can't they just use their eyes, or even pick things up to inspect them, without feeling the seemingly overwhelming urge to finish the job by putting whatever it is onto or into their mouths?! I don't need to see your kid licking the mirror in the fitting rooms at Target, thanks.

21. Touch you with sticky hands

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A child reaches out his or her hand to you- what a beautiful moment! Those chubby little fingers are so cute! But don't be fooled- nine times out of ten, that little hand will be coated in something sticky. It could be jam, but it could be any number of much, much worse things. Yuck!

22. Crying for no reason

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The sound of a little one wailing in sadness can be a real heart-wrencher, you'd have to have a heart of stone not to be affected! However, when the histrionics go on and on and it turns out they're crying over literally nothing, it can get on your nerves. (Obviously, babies don't know any better and get a free pass on this one, but if you're aged 4 or up you better have a reason for turning on the waterworks!)

23. Constantly requesting snacks

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Who hasn't heard that little whining voice say "Mooooooooooooooom, I'm HUNGRY". If you just made your little prince or princess a snack, only to be hassled for more immediately, parenting can start to feel like a very boring video game with no way to actually complete the Snack-Time level.

24. Demand hours of bedtime stories

Image Source: Bright Side 

What was your favourite bed time story as a kid? Reading your little ones a lovely sleepy-time tale- whether it's Peter Pan, the Three Little Pigs, or (fittingly!) Sleeping Beauty- can be a real joy. But after the third time spinning a yarn in an evening, it can begin to feel like you've accidentally signed up to do a one woman Broadway show!

25. Fighting with siblings

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Brothers and sisters have been known to fight like cats and dogs! And the same goes for sister on sister scuffles, and brother on brother brawls- when it comes to siblings things can get pretty vicious, no matter how much they love each other really. This leaves you, the adult, to broker peace like you're a world politician.

26. Playing video games loud in public

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Whether they're addicted to Roblox, mad for Fortnite, or a massive Minecraft nerd, kids love their video games. Some of them are glued to their screens out and about in public and, hey, if it keeps them quiet we're all for it. But that's the crucial point: it's the quiet that we crave. No headphones = noisy sound effects and music blaring out!

27. Talking back

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Kids have some serious sass. But when kids talk back it's not always just to annoy you (believe it or not!) No, it can be a way of testing boundaries and asserting independence. So, even though it's super frustrating, it's also a natural part of their development.

28. Refusing to do chores

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Chores: no one like them, but we all gotta do them. Some people's nemesis is that pesky stack of washing up in the sink, and for others it's the laundry basket the causes the most dread and boredom. Sometimes you can trick kids into helping out by making a game out of clearing up, but others get wise to this and stubbornly refuse to be even a tiny bit of help.

29. Mimicking annoying noises

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For the love of all your hold dear, don't let a toddler hear a car alarm. They'll cry at first (adding to the din), but after a while they'll start to like the funny sounds. Before you know it the alarm has stopped, but those whoops and honks are still ringing in your ears. Parrot like, you toddler has a new fun fixation with mimicking that infuriating sound!!

30. Playing too rough

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Even when they're not fighting with siblings or warring with friends from school, things can still get dicey when kids play too rough. It's a nightmare: someone's got a scraped knee, another one has a bloody nose, you've got a headache trying to dry all the tears and make all the booboos better.