Parents Are Ditching ‘Perfect’ Social Media Feeds in Favor of Real Life

A new survey reveals that parents are increasingly abandoning the pressure to present picture-perfect parenting on social media and instead embracing the chaos and comedy of real life.

The survey, conducted by Talker Research for Mrs. Ts Pierogies, surveyed 2,000 parents of children ages 2 to 18 and found that more than half (53%) feel its impossible to measure up to the “perfect” parents they see online.

For years, many parents have carefully curated their social media feeds, with 60% admitting to filtering and tweaking their content to create an idealized version of family life. However, in 2025, 62% say they are ready to leave those habits behind and share more candid, unfiltered moments. Nearly half (48%) are looking to showcase themselves and their kids in a way that reflects real life — messy, unpredictable, and often hilarious.

“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 its also rewarding and humorous,” said Alyssa Panzarella, Director of Marketing at Mrs. Ts Pierogies. “Its 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.”

According to the survey, parents estimate their children do something funny or strange three times a day, adding up to more than 1,000 moments of comedic relief per year. These moments 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 quirky moments, 94% of parents experience an average of seven instances of chaos each day, with common scenarios including hiding things that arent theirs, such as car keys or the TV remote (31%), and 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%).

The dinner table is a common site of chaos. One parent shared how their child poured garlic powder on their own head, while another caught their kid feeding vegetables to the dog when no one was looking. Some parents recalled their child falling asleep face-first in a plate of spaghetti after a long day.

The dinner table can also be a battleground, with 55% of parents struggling to get their kids to try new foods. About half of parents have resorted to creative strategies, such as rebranding calzones as “inside-out pizza” or blending vegetables into spaghetti.

Other top arguments include disagreements about going to bed (46%), homework or schoolwork (38%) and getting out of bed (36%).

Despite their efforts, parents estimate they only win an average of 61% of their battles, though 83% emphasize the importance of their child just being happy at the dinner table. Even amid the chaos, 82% of parents believe in finding humor in the imperfect moments.

“With so many battles and chaos to face, its 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.”