Nothing beats a happy child, and as parents, we often put our children's happiness over our own. Enter Chuck E. Cheese's, Monkey Joe's, and all the other places that we'd rather not go to, but continue to visit because of the sheer joy it brings our children. We all go, have gone, or will go to some of the following places at some point during parenthood, and the fact is that they're just not that awesome as an adult. We won't tell — which is your least favorite place to bring your child?
Source: Flickr user Eric Peacock [1]
Chuck E. Cheese's
I have never met a parent who loves this place as much as their child does (or, let's be honest, at all), yet we've all been with our children at least once, if not a dozen times.
Source: Flickr user Rain0975 [2]
The Circus
One of my fondest memories as a kid is when I went to the circus and gorged on cotton candy while watching the caged tigers with wide eyes. One of my worst memories as a mom was when I took my kids to the circus and they gorged on cotton candy while watching the caged tigers with wide eyes.
Source: Flickr user DirkJan Ranzijn [3]
Baby Music Classes
Music classes are fantastic for childhood development, so mamas tirelessly sign our babes up, sit on the floor, sing about pussy cats and kookaburras, and get reprimanded for talking to other moms during class, all while our kids crawl around and try to take the instruments from the other kids. And then when it comes time to do another eight-week session, we're all in.
Source: Flickr user Jessica Merz [4]
Disney on Ice
Anything "on ice" (unless it's an adult beverage) is pretty painful for most parents. Yet we continue dropping the big bucks on these silly shows, because for some odd reason, our kids can't get enough of watching their favorite characters twirl around on skates.
Source: Flickr user HarshLight [5]
Inflatable Play Centers
Oh, inflatable play centers, you kill me. Yet I still take my children, because we have yet to walk into one without them squealing in absolute delight and hitting the sack nice and early afterward. But you can bet they also hit the bath as soon as we get home!
Source: Flickr user Kathleen Franklin [6]
Kids' Birthday Parties
Once your child starts preschool and grade school, the birthday party invites can get out of control. Like one to two celebrations every single weekend. Kids love going and don't want to miss a single bite of grocery store cake, so while we croon yet another "happy birthday to whatever-this-boy's-name-is," we're also wondering when we'll get our weekends back.
Source: Flickr user ND Strupler [7]
Indoor Gyms
In mommy circles, indoor gyms are often referred to as indoor germs, but it's almost like a rite of passage to try out one of these places. So we bring our kids week after week until someone ends up with the world's worst stomach bug, resulting in the cancellation of our monthly membership.
Source: Flickr user summer park [8]
Theme Parks
We have been to Disney more times than I care to admit, and I really want to love it (heck, I just want to like it), but I just don't because theme parks are a triple threat to parents, financially, emotionally, and physically. We do it because we love our children, and they love a good theme park, but aside from a few rare folks, most of us can only handle one or two trips a year.
Source: Flickr user Richard Stephenson [9]
Farms and Petting Zoos
Even if it means lugging around gallons of Purell, popping a Zyrtec, and trying to teach our tots about animals we know nothing about, trips to farms and petting zoos are a necessary part of childhood (and therefore motherhood).
Source: Flickr user caseydexter07 [10]
Mall Playgrounds
Sometimes mama has to give the kids a little shopping relief at those rubber playgrounds inside the mall, but they are far from our favorite place in the world, considering everything from the overcrowding to the germs to the iPhone parents.
Source: Flickr user Lars Plougmann [11]
Indoor Trampoline Parks
My kids absolutely love these places (and would go every day if I let them), but I have had to draw the line with this one. I'm a nervous wreck the entire time, and it's just too much for my mama nerves!
Source: Flickr user House of Air [12]