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You are at:Home»Articles from Our Contributors»Take a Minute to Laugh. A LOT.
By Christine Johnson on November 25, 2014 Articles from Our Contributors, News, Culture, and Fun, Tech Talk I try to review apps that make our lives easier by streamlining things we need to do, but once in a while, we just need a good laugh. I stumbled across a write-up on a hilarious Tumblr account the other day that can do just that for us: It’s Like They Know Us. Makeup, Fancy Hair, and Pearls: All for Housework!

If there’s one thing we can depend on as parents, it’s that entertainment and advertising companies don’t get what real parenthood looks like. Ever since Donna Reed did her housework in heels and pearls, normal parents have been shaking their heads at how anyone could think that was remotely realistic. Today’s ads aren’t a whole lot better, and It’s Like They Know Us lampoons the most ridiculous of photographs used to try to sell us things, from perfectly-quaffed families dressed in matching muted tones to babies being fed on white couches.

I sat with my iPad in my lap, laughing hysterically at pictures like this one: “Given how much my toddler loves wearing hats and having his hands restrained, this costume was a no-brainer.”

Readers submit captions lampooning the pictures, and they’re awesome! “I forget how fun these activities are each year! Everyone is a great listener as I explain how to clean the pumpkin and be safe with knives. They don’t say, ‘I KNOW, MOM, I KNOW’ and then indiscriminately hack and stab at the pumpkin while making the noise from ‘Psycho’ until they eventually lose interest and wander off to torture each other with pumpkin guts.” “I will just leave my baby in these dark bushes while I attend the gala. I’m sure it’s just like a Disney movie and some squirrels or an egret or whatever will nurture him as one of their own while I’m away.” “Brushing my toddler’s teeth is my favorite way to unwind. She never flops around like a deranged mackerel hell-bent on knocking herself unconscious on the nearest wall, counter, or tile floor. It’s our special time together.”

So, if you’re having a rough day and want some “parenting advice” from the advertising experts, have a look at It’s Like They Know Us. But don’t drink anything while you’re reading, or you’ll be likely to spit your coffee all over your pristine white couch! “You were right! Ever since we started White Couch Feeding with Emmett, he’s been eating like a champ.”

Read more of our Tech Talk columns.

Copyright 2014 Christine Johnson

 Christine Johnson

Christine Johnson has been married to Nathan since 1993 and has two daughters whom she homeschools. They live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia, where she tries to fit in as a transplanted Yank. She blogs at Domestic Vocation about her life as a wife, mother, homeschooler, and Lay Dominican.





