My Top Ten List of Funny Parenting Movies

Sometimes as a parent, you have to look at all the madness going on around you and just….laugh! I have found that by watching funny movies about parenting, I feel less alone and gain new perspective. I have had many parenting moments that have got me thinking, “This can’t really be happening!” while at the same time thinking, “This would make a very funny movie!”

So, the next time your children are about to cause you to have a complete mental breakdown, watch one of these movies and turn your tears into laughter!

1. Cheaper by the Dozen

Tom (Steve Martin) and Kate Baker (Bonnie Hunt) have compromised their careers to raise 12 children. Tom coaches a high-school football team, while Kate has retired from journalism to raise the family. Things change when Tom is offered a college coaching job in a new city at the same time a publisher buys Kate’s parenting memoir. After moving, Kate goes on a book tour, leaving Tom in charge of the children, who — already unhappy about relocating — plunge the household into chaos.

2. Little Fockers

After 10 years of marriage and two children, it seems that Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) has finally earned a place in the “circle of trust” of his uptight father-in-law, Jack (Robert De Niro). However, Greg is moonlighting with a drug company, which raises Jack’s suspicions. As two clans descend on the scene of the young twins’ birthday party, Greg must find a way through myriad misunderstandings to prove to Jack — once and for all — that he is worthy of being the next family patriarch.

3. Little Miss Sunshine

The Hoover family — a man (Greg Kinnear), his wife (Toni Collette), an uncle (Steve Carell), a brother (Paul Dano) and a grandfather (Alan Arkin) — puts the fun back in dysfunctional by piling into a VW bus and heading to California to support a daughter (Abigail Breslin) in her bid to win the Little Miss Sunshine Contest. The sanity of everyone involved is stretched to the limit as the group’s quirks cause epic problems as they travel along their interstate route.

4. Mr. Mom

During the 1980s recession, automobile engineer Jack (Michael Keaton) is fired from his job. When his wife, Caroline (Teri Garr), finds a job before he does, they switch roles, placing him in the unfamiliar position of homemaker and caretaker to their three children. He embarks upon a series of misadventures, from navigating grocery store trips to playing poker games with housewives. Jack and Caroline must figure out the intricacies of their new roles while maintaining their relationship.

5. Big Daddy

Thirty-two-year-old Sonny Koufax (Adam Sandler) has spent his whole life avoiding responsibility. But when his girlfriend dumps him for an older man, he’s got to find a way to prove he’s ready to grow up. In a desperate last-ditch effort, Sonny adopts 5-year-old Julian (Dylan Sprouse), (Cole Sprouse) to impress her. She’s not impressed … and he can’t return the kid.

6. Parenthood

Perfectionist Gil Buckman (Steve Martin) struggles with the deficiencies of his children, thinking they reflect poorly on his parenting — and Gil’s siblings only add to the stress of his life. One of his sisters (Dianne Wiest) faces difficulty when her teenage daughter (Martha Plimpton) becomes pregnant. Another (Harley Jane Kozak) clashes with her husband (Rick Moranis) when she asks for more children. Gil’s immature brother (Tom Hulce) turns up as well, with a young son he can barely handle.

7. Daddy Day Care

While his wife, Kim (Regina King), brings home the bacon, unemployed Charlie (Eddie Murphy) spends his days caring for the couple’s young son. With help from a friend, Phil (Jeff Garlin), Charlie decides to start a day care center. Enrollment quickly surges, and, as they add another employee, goofy Marvin (Steve Zahn), Charlie finds himself dealing with endless red tape. Will he be able to keep the business afloat, or will parents defect to Mrs. Harridan’s (Anjelica Huston) day care center?

8. Mrs. Doubtfire

Troubled that he has little access to his children, divorced Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams) hatches an elaborate plan. With help from his creative brother Frank (Harvey Fierstein), he dresses as an older British woman and convinces his ex-wife, Miranda (Sally Field), to hire him as a nanny. “Mrs. Doubtfire” wins over the children and helps Daniel become a better parent — but when both Daniel and his nanny persona must meet different parties at the same restaurant, his secrets may be exposed.

9. Parental Guidance

Minor-league baseball announcer Artie Decker (Billy Crystal) and his wife, Diane (Bette Midler), get to see their only child, Alice (Marisa Tomei), very seldom. To their surprise, Alice and her husband (Tom Everett Scott) ask them to watch their children so they can embark on a trip for work. It promises to be a fun time for all, until the three young ones turn out to be quite a handful for this old-fashioned couple. Artie and Diane may need to bend the rules to make everyone happy in the end.

10. Yours, Mine, & Ours

When Coast Guard Adm. Frank Beardsley (Dennis Quaid) decides to move his family of eight children back to his old hometown, he encounters handbag designer Helen North (Rene Russo), an old flame from high school. Immediately, sparks fly between the two, and marriage is proposed. But Frank isn’t the only one with kids to worry about — Helen has a total of 10. Right away, the children have no intention of playing nicely, and together they decide to sabotage their parents’ relationship.

These are my top ten funny parenting movies. I would love for you to leave a comment with one of yours!