A shoutout to some awesome parents.
Photo: Stocksy
The year is coming to an end, and while there are lots of amazing parents out there (here's lookin' at you, friends), these parents had an especially good year. To honour them, we've put together a list of parenting superlatives from the Most Innovative to the Best Clapback.
Scroll through for a look back at some of this year's viral moments and the parents who made 2019 a total win.
This little one wouldn't fall asleep without running his hands through his mom's hair, so she got innovative and gave him a hairdressing mannequin head to hold instead. GENIUS, right! Now, the only problem is that he won't let go of it. Get the full story: This baby sleeps with a mannequin head every night—and we're terrified
Amy Schumer got our vote for Best Advocate after she responded to a comment asking how she'd cope if she found out that her son had autism spectrum disorder like his dad. "How I cope? I don’t see being on the spectrum as a negative thing. My husband is my favorite person I’ve ever met. He’s kind, hilarious, interesting and talented and I admire him,” she wrote in response. “Am I supposed to hope my son isn’t like that? I will pay attention and try and provide him with the tools he needs to overcome whatever challenges come up like all parents. I’d be disappointed if he liked the Big Bang theory and Nascar not if he has ASD." You go, Amy! Get the full story: Amy Schumer had the best comeback when asked how she'd cope if her son has autism
John Legend also gets a nod for Best Advocate for his work with Pampers to get more diaper change tables in mens' bathrooms. Daddies change diapers too, ya know! Get the full story: John Legend wants more change tables in men's rooms and we couldn't love him more
Giving birth is quite the experience, but there's nothing wilder than delivering a baby in the car on the way to the hospital. That's what happened to this mom, except her older kids were in the backseat and they were crying from seeing their mom in pain. So, while she was trying to hold in the baby and manage her labour pain, she also had to comfort her older kids, which is why she gets the title for Best Multitasker. But hey, at least she didn't have to give her husband directions, too! Get the full story: This mom gave birth in the car and her 10-year-old son's video went viral
Anyone with kids knows that silence usually means the kids are getting up to no good, which is what happened to this mom when she discovered her kids playing hair salon with their siblings. Check out the video to see exactly why she earned the award for Most Cool, Calm and Collected. Get the full story: Watch this mom try to keep it together after her kids shaved their heads
This mom is way past the baby stage, but her teen daughter got a taste of parenthood when she had to take care of a robot baby for her Early Childhood Education class. It was only for the weekend, but when her daughter came into her room at 3 a.m. crying while feeding the baby its bottle, this mom just laughed, which is why she gets the award for the Most IDGAF Parent. Get the full story: Would you help your teen with her interactive baby? This mom just laughed
Pink is no stranger to mom shaming, so when she posted a cute photo of her kids playing in the yard on Instagram with the snarkiest i-dare-you-to-mom-shame-me caption, we had to give her a mention in this category. Get the full story: Go ahead and try to troll Pink's latest Instagram post, she dares you
We probably don't have to explain why this record-holding mom who runs marathons while pushing a triple stroller gets the title of Most Impressive—the picture speaks for itself! However, you may be surprised to learn what she thought was the hardest part of the marathon (and no, it wasn't the running). Get the full story: This mom did a marathon with a triple stroller but the hardest part wasn't the running
When you're pregnant, everyone thinks they have a right to tell you what you should and shouldn't be doing. So, when this mom-to-be was told by a stranger that she should be drinking decaf coffee, her hilarious response solidified her award for Best Clapback. Get the full story: This mom-to-be had the best response to a stranger's unsolicited advice
If you kid isn't playing or crying, odds are, they're asking you for a snack. This savvy mom (the photo is of a dad, we know!) came up with a great idea that lets kids be more independent—and gives her a break from all the requests. Best Food Hack, for the win! Get the full story: This mom found a way to stop her kids from constantly asking for snacks
It takes a lot of courage to share your story, and this happy couple bared it all to show that some dads (who are trans) can give birth too! That's why they totally earned the title for this year's Most Courageous parents. Get the full story: These photos of a pregnant trans man giving birth are so powerful
You've heard all the nonsense about getting your "pre-baby body" back, but these moms are showing that you can love your post-baby body just the way it is, which is why we wanted to give them all a nod for Most Courageous. You go, mommas! Get the full story: 10 photos that celebrate and honour ‘imperfect’ post-baby bodies
Celebs make parenting look so easy, and some lead you to believe that they do it all by themselves. Not Chrissy though, which is why she gets the title for Most Honest! Not only does she regularly acknowledge how hard parenting is, but she also hosted an Ask Me Anything on Twitter where she got totally real about how money and fame make parenting easier. Get the full story: Chrissy Teigen got super honest on how money makes parenting easier
We all know that Kristen Bell and hubby Dax Shepard are all about honesty with their kids, and this year they kept it real by revealing how they deal with parenting while staying sober earning them a nod for Most Honest. Bravo, you two! Get the full story: Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard on what it's like to parent while sober
When you have kids, sometimes all you can focus on is what's happening right now, but this mom wanted her baby to be ready for the real world. Our Most Forward Thinking parent makes her preschooler pay rent out of her allowance. Get the full story: This mom makes her 5-year-old pay rent for a genius reason
Speaking of future-proofing you kids, this mom tied for Most Forward Thinking after she held a job fair for her kids to choose which household chores they'd be responsible for. While all three got management-level positions, it turns out that it was the little one who impressed her the most! Get the full story: This mom's kids got hilariously creative when she hosted her own family job fair
We couldn't let the year end without a few Honourable Mentions. For starters, this teacher—who may or may not be a parent—had the best hack for teaching little ones how to wipe their own bums. It takes a lot of practice to get that Reach-Around down, but with her cheeky trick, you and your kids will be golden. Next, we want to shoutout to this mom, who raised the perfect helper who makes sure everyone's needs are met. Breastfeeding in public is hard enough with mom-shamers sitting nearby ready to pounce, but that's easy to ignore when you're being fed French fries. Next, we have celeb mom Shay Mitchell, who wasn't afraid to admit that she needed to wear diapers during her pregnancy because the bathrooms at work were too far—and pregnancy makes you need to pee ALL THE DANG TIME. And, lastly, we have the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle. Meghan had a huge year with the birth of her first child with Prince Harry, but her honourable mention comes for unabashedly doing things the way she wants to do them regardless of Royal traditions. Way to go Meghan!
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Kevin is an associate editor for Canadian Business in Toronto, Ontario. More of their work can be found in MSN Canada, Chatelaine and This Magazine.