Adrienne Hedger is a writer and illustrator who’s been drawing cartoons her whole life. She’s also a mom with a clever sense of humor who publishes hilarious, lighthearted illustrations as Hedger Humor daily.
From incessant whining from her kids about things she can’t possibly control to the shameless joy she gets running errands without them — nothing is off limits in Hedger’s witty comic series.
She keeps it real. A lot of parents can surely relate to her quirky take on being a parent. She says a lot of the inspiration for her work comes straight from life. Hedger has a husband; two daughters, ages 10 and 13; and a dog.
“This crew just keeps delivering new material. I’ll see them do something and I’ll yell, ‘Hold on! That’s a cartoon!’ then I’ll dash off to write it down,” she says.
Here are 13 comics that show the good, the bad, and the funny parenting has to offer:
1. Truth time! How many of you also revel in this?
All illustrations by Adrienne Hedger, featured with permission.
2. Flying solo vs. taking the kids.
3. So what if it’s years down the road — at least you’ve set a date!
4. File this under “Things Parents Cannot Control.”
5. Go ahead and file this one right after that.
6. When you need to verify that it’s your kid they’re talking about…
7. NEVER underestimate the power of a good, stern “dad voice.”
8. Nice try, kid.
9. Why can’t they turn it “on” when you want them to?
10. This just means you think of the dog as a family member, right?
11. Sometimes kids see things parents can’t with the naked eye.
12. A car-limousine combo could be a parent’s best friend.
13. When it dawns on you that you’re the adult.
“I want my cartoons to create a sense of we’re all in this together, and we may as well laugh about it,” Hedger says.
Her favorite thing is when she creates an illustration and wonders if anyone else can relate. Once she posts it and the comments start rolling in, she realizes her observations are, indeed, universal.
Sure, having kids can be messy, stressful, and sometimes daunting. But it doesn’t make being a parent any less worth it, does it?
Quite the contrary. All these realistic parenting scenarios are what make family life exciting, too. That’s why these “funny cause they’re true” comics celebrate some of the challenging, albeit funny, experiences that come with being a parent.
Hedger wants moms and dads who read her comics to feel more connected and perhaps relieved that they’re not alone in the parenting game.