"Ugh," the judgmental internet sighs. Some mom or dad has decided to get "real" about their struggles and consult fellow parents, swallowing their fears of judgment and rejection and putting themselves out there. In response, the internet decides to echo all the doubts that almost stopped them from hitting "post" in the first place. "Why are parents always complaining? You chose to have children, just deal with it!" You wanna know why parents are always complaining, internet? Settle in and pour yourself a cup of tea. No, you don't get anything stronger than that, since you'd be the first to judge a mom for indulging in a similar fashion.
When you write about parenting a lot (as I do) and you try to keep it real about parenting (as I also do) you start to notice that people on social media — particularly folks without kids, or parents from previous generations whose parenting memories are now completely drenched in nostalgia — often ask why contemporary parents are "always complaining." You also start to notice these people always complaining about parents complaining. Turns out, complaining is kinda common in our society, and it's not unique to any one generation or subgroup of people. So, maybe that's the answer right there: we're all just a bunch of complainers, parents and non-parents alike, and we're all giving as good as we get.
As someone who thinks deeply about social issues (and/or is just hella petty, you decide), I think there's more to parents complaining than a simple, "Well, everyone does it." Now, before we continue: yes, I am fully aware I chose to have children, as did most of us parent-folk. I'm a mammal, after all, and generally speaking I act on virtually all of the biological imperatives that get sent my way, reproduction included. (Also eating. Sex and eating are my favorites.) But here's the thing: choosing to do something, even after a significant amount of careful thought, doesn't mean forfeiting the right to occasionally be totally surprised that it’s not even remotely like what you thought it would be. Making a choice doesn't mean you give up the right to feel some kinda way about what your choice actually feels like day to day. I mean, you chose to search for and/or take a job instead of joining with your fellow workers and organizing a general strike for a universal basic income, but do I call you out every time you complain about your coworkers or post a meme about how Friday is the best day of the week? No, except for right now because people should totally take action for better social policy.
For real: it's hard out here for parents. If you seriously want to know why parents are always complaining, here ya go: