Living with family members can be a challenge, to say the least. You’re supposed to love them unconditionally, but sometimes, they really test the limits of that love. But if you know what it’s like to have a sibling, parent or spouse with infuriating living habits, know that you’re not alone. Because below, you’ll find evidence of some of the most frustrating and questionable situations people have found themselves in, courtesy of their "kind and thoughtful" roommates.
Keep reading to find an interview with licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Jude Bijou, and be sure to upvote the pictures that remind you why you decided to move away from home. Then, if you’re looking for another Bored Panda list proving that some people live with absolute monsters, you can find that right here!
#1 Offered My Ice Cream To My Son And He Gave Me This Back... He’s Clearly Not Yet Constrained By Standard Ice-Cream Etiquette
Image credits: mouse_in_a_maze
Anyone can be difficult to live with, whether they are related to you or not. But for some reason, having an infuriating family member or spouse just seems so much worse than a random roommate who doesn’t respect boundaries or your shared space. Our family members are supposed to be on the same team as us. They should know our pet peeves and work to avoid them. They should want us to be happy and comfortable in our own homes. But unfortunately, they know exactly how to push our buttons, and sometimes, it seems like they are trying to drive us crazy.
I have to admit that I’m a bit of a neat freak myself, pandas, so many of the photos on this list would be cause for divorce, abandonment or moving out ASAP, depending on the nature of my relationship with these people. But I’m feeling extremely grateful for my partner after viewing these horrifying photos, because even though we get on each others’ nerves at times, at least we’re both clean. We know how to put groceries or dishes away without throwing them in a pile. Small things like a sponge being left in a dirty sink, a bag of snacks being left wide open, and dirt being tracked into the apartment can drive me up the wall, but I realize now, those are nothing compared to what other people deal with. So if you too have great roommates, pandas, count your blessings. It appears that there are plenty of monsters wreaking havoc out there…
#2 I Tore My Rotator Cuff So My Husband Told Me He’d Finish The Interior Painting On Our Downstairs. He Says He’s Done
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#3 My Girlfriend: "I Couldn't Fit It In The Freezer." I Hereby Apologize To The Whole French Nation
Image credits: Ravers
To gain more insight on this topic, we reached out to licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Jude Bijou, who was kind enough to have a conversation with Bored Panda about the difficulties of living with family members. “I’ve learned that the problem with living with family members is that people don’t know how to communicate constructively with each other,” Jude told Bored Panda.
“This, of course, is because they weren’t taught by their parents, and so they continue the tradition and lump, dump, and blame each other rather than speaking up and listening effectively.”
“This ignoring of how one’s words and behavior affect other family members or spouses causes those most near and dear to them to feel huge amounts of sadness, anger and fear,” she explained. “The recipients in turn resort to the same destructive strategies and the patterns get ground in as an appropriate and acceptable way to communicate.”
#4 How My Husband Wrote The Date When He Opened This Orange Juice
Image credits: Sleepless_in_MA
#5 My Kid Wanted To “Open” The Banana By Herself This Morning. Am I Raising A Serial Killer?
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“These unconscious ways we talk and listen are blithely perpetuated by society's role models and peers. It’s no wonder there is so much dysfunction in families,” Jude added. “The solution is for everyone from small children to adults, neighbors to strangers, as well as politicians to teachers to learn and practice the four rules of communication, as outlined and practiced according to Attitude Reconstruction.”
According to Jude’s book, Attitude Reconstruction, the four rules of communication are: talk about yourself, stay specific, stay kind, and be sure to listen. “The four rules bring loving, effective communication and feelings of connection,” Jude says. “These rules are very simple (but not easy), and the rewards of abiding by them are great. In contrast, the violations apply in virtually every setting and cause communication breakdowns and distance.”
If you’d like to learn more wise words from Jude and acquire better communication skills for addressing conflicts within your own family, be sure to visit her website right here!
#6 My Father Set A Password To The Thermostat
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#7 My Partner Borrowed My Car For A Few Days, And Gave It Back Like This
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If you know the struggle of living with family members all too well, you might need some tips on how to manage the stress of sharing food, a bathroom or space in general with your loved ones. Just because you share the same blood doesn’t mean it’s natural for you all to occupy the same space without getting into arguments and getting on each others’ last nerves. That’s why we consulted this list from U.S. News with tips for living with relatives, so you can keep your sanity without sacrificing your relationships.
First, they recommend setting up basic ground rules. Just because your parents own the house or changed your diapers when you were young doesn’t mean you aren’t entitled to privacy. And you should all be on the same page about shared responsibilities. “Establish the need for private space. In addition, openly discuss who takes care of chores, cooking, and shopping,” Money Crashers writes. “Don't leave this to the homeowners, even if they insist on doing things for you. Everyone should equally share the tasks for running the household.”
#8 My Husband Left This In The Bathroom For Me To Find. It's The Top Of A Tomato
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#9 Wife Made Cupcakes, 8-Year-Old Ate The Frosting
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When living in the same household as your family members, it’s also important to discuss compensation. No, you should not charge your children rent when they’re 8 years old. But if you’re an adult who moved back in with your parents or a sibling, rent might be on the table. Or, if you’re staying with a relative who won’t accept rent, try to work out some other way to help them. Buying groceries and doing extra chores around the house will keep you from feeling like a burden, and your family will be more likely to let you stay for an extended period of time if you make their lives easier. Never assume that a family member will let you stay for free just because you’re family, and be careful not to overstay your welcome or take advantage of a relative’s kindness.
#10 This Is Where My Wife Keeps Her Teeth Things
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#11 So My Brother Decided To Take His Anger Out On Something Of Mine
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#12 When My Husband Gets Mad At Me, He Puts Things Where I Can't Reach Them (I'm 5'3"). Then, He Hides My Step Ladder
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When it comes to living with anyone, a roommate or a relative, it’s important to remember to choose your battles. Unless you live alone, compromises will have to be made at some point. Letting them hang up that poster that you find extremely ugly, dealing with the scent of fish when they prepare their favorite meal, sacrificing your parking spot so you can have the bedroom you prefer, or agreeing to organize the dishes how they like because you got to choose where the glasses go. When you feel yourself becoming infuriated by minor details, ask yourself if it’s really worth it to pick a fight over it. And if you decide that something is worth addressing, be sure to keep your composure. They might have no idea that one of their habits has been bothering you, so don’t approach the topic like they have personally offended you. More likely than not, they just did not realize it was a problem.
#13 The Way My Wife Eats The Muffins
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#14 My Mother Destroyed My PC Screen Because My Dogs Woke Her Up
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#15 I Left My Laptop On And Came Back To My Discord, Google Chat, Whatsapp, And Browser History Open. My Dad Was The Only One In The Room. Thanks, Dad
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If it’s your spouse or partner who has been triggering many of your pet peeves at home, it’s important to nip the issues in the bud before they start eating away at your relationship. So if you’re curious about the best way to address issues such as these, we consulted this list from PsychCentral where psychotherapist and author Christina Steinorth, MFT, shared some of her top tips for addressing pet peeves in a relationship. First, she recommends not bringing up the pet peeve in public. It’s never a great idea to approach sensitive topics when around others, and somehow, a conversation about washing the dishes can quickly derail into a discussion about the relationship as a whole.
#16 My Mom Made Me Threw Away This Good-Looking Cake Because It Was Given To Us By A Muslim Neighbour For Eid
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#17 I Happily Obliged When My Wife Said She Would Mow The Grass
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#18 My Brother “Salted” The Driveway
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Steinorth also notes that it’s helpful to acknowledge what behavior you do appreciate when having conversations with your partner about what you’d like them to change. “If you compliment your partner generously and genuinely, you send a powerful message that has more impact to change his or her behavior than criticizing,” she told PsychCentral. We all like to be acknowledged for our best habits, and taking time to remember what your partner does well might make you less upset about what annoys you. For example, when you realize that you haven’t taken out the trash in a month because your spouse always does it for you, it might not bother you so much that they always leave their socks on the floor for you to place in the laundry basket.
#19 My Little Brother Put This In The Fridge
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#20 My Partner Decided To Wash My Recently-Purchased Japanese Knife In The Dishwasher
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#21 My Mom Borrowed My Gaming Mouse Because She Lost Hers. This Is How She Returned It
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Steinorth also recommends considering what would be a possible solution before approaching the topic with your partner, so they don’t feel attacked. “Instead of doing that, could we try to do this? That way, we both get what we want. How does that sound?” If they take up too much time in the bathroom when you need to get ready for work, maybe you can ask them to wake up 10 minutes earlier or allow you to shower first in the morning. If they never clean up the kitchen after cooking, maybe you can agree that they’ll give you a massage every time you have to do all of the dishes for them. Figure out what works best for the two of you, and find a way not to get hung up on little living habit pet peeves.
#22 My Wife Kept Threatening To Throw Away My Favorite Pair Of Yard Work Shorts. Today I Found Them Like This
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#23 My Poor Girlfriend Woke Up To Her Laptop With A Hot Iron On Top Of It Courtesy Of Her Brother
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#24 I Told My Son To Make Sure He Uses A Clip To Close The Chips Bag When He Is Done
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Steinorth also told PsychCentral that our moods can be very powerful in affecting how we view an annoying habit. “Be honest with your partner,” she says. For instance, you might say, “I’m just having a bad day, and I don’t want to snap at you over something stupid.” Find something relaxing to do, like reading a book or taking some time to meditate, before you start harping on your partner. “It’s not right to take our stuff out on our partners.”
#25 I Just Have Done My Business, And My Boyfriend Left This
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#26 My Son Dropped His Phone In The Toilet And Opened A Brand New Bag Of Risotto To Dry It Out
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#27 Oh, Let Me Just Put These Empty Eggshells Back In The Container. I Married A Savage
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Is this list reminding you why you decided to move away from your parents at age 18? I’m glad I did, but I still have to throw away about 10 things from the fridge and pantry that have been expired for over a year every time I pay my folks a visit. Keep upvoting the pictures that you find most horrifying, and then let us know in the comments what the most infuriating living habits you’ve come across with your family members are. Then, if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article showing how some roommates are absolute menaces, you can find that right here!
#28 The Way My Boyfriend Puts Away The Utensils
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#29 My Wife Doesn't Get All The Ice Out Of One Tray Before Using Another
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#30 My Brother Only Eats The Cheese Packets In The Instant Mac And Cheese, And Then Puts It Back On The Shelf
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#31 My Husband Throws Away Trash Directly Into The Pantry
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#32 When My Husband Puts The Dishes Away
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#33 My Husband Insists This Is Normal
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#34 My Wife Throws Her Kitchen Scraps In The Sink Instead Of The Trash Can Because "The Disposal Can Handle It." The Sink Disposal Is Not A Trash Can
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#35 I’m A Recovering Alcoholic Who Just Moved Into A New Apartment. This Is What My Dad Left Me
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#36 One Of My Parents Decided To Wash My Le Creuset And Place It Like This To Dry. I'm Literally Crying. I Said A Thousand Times For Them Not To Touch It
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#37 My Parents Went Through My Phone, Deleted Over 1500 Different Images And Videos, And Emptied The Trash Bin. I'm 15 And They Haven't Found Anything Bad On My Phone Ever
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#38 My Grandfather Asked My Little Brother If He Could Use His Batman Plushie To Light The Furnace. My Brother Refused, But Today We Woke Up To This
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#39 My Fiance Refuses To Finish A Bottle Of Coke Before Opening Another
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#40 I Refuse To Pick Up My Fiance's Dirty Socks After Telling Him Earlier This Week That It Annoys Me When He Leaves His Shoes And Socks In The Middle Of The Floor
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#41 My Sister-In-Law Lives With Us And Uses Our Things. This Is How She Leaves My Peloton After Use Even After I've Mentioned It A Few Times
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#42 My Parents Opening This Cardboard Package
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#43 Had A Magnet Pen For 4 Years, Sister Borrowed It For 1 Day And I Have 6 Missing Magnets, 5 Damaged Beyond Repair And A Whole Bunch Of Missing Metal Parts
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#44 My Roommate Just Leaves $500 Laying On The Ground Like It's Nothing
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#45 My Sister Spilt Wax All On The Floor While Making Candles Because She Poured It Into A Smoothie Cup. I'm Left Here Cleaning It Up Because "She's Too Tired"
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#46 My Husband Put This Much Milk Back In The Fridge
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#47 My Parents Went Out Of Town, And Before They Left, My Dad Turned Off The Internet To All Of My Devices Except My Phone (He Forgot That One). I’m 18 And Pay The Bastard Rent
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#48 My Girlfriend Will Put Trash On The Counter By The Trash Can Cause She Thinks The Trash Is Too Gross To Touch, Even Though We Have An Automatic Lid
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#49 My Wife Only Takes A Few Bites Of An Apple And "Saves The Rest For Later"
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#50 My Wife Puts Away The Pots And Pans Like This
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#51 My Brothers And Sister Chipped In To Get My Mom A Nice Set Of Kitchen Knives. Dad Used The Chef Knife To Pry Frozen Meat Apart And Cracked It
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#52 My Dad Randomly Unplugged My Ethernet, And This Is What I Come Back To After I Plug It Back In
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#53 My Mom Wanted To Make Tea But Instead Of Asking For Help With The Electric Kettle She Microwaved My Chargeable Self Heating Mug And Caught It On Fire
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#54 My Mom Puts Butter Back In The Fridge Like This. Hair Gets On It Almost Every Time
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#55 My Mom Takes A Slice/Bite Out Of Some Food And Then Leaves It To Rot. It's A Waste Of Food
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#56 Dad Borrowed $2,000 To Pay The IRS
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#57 My Dad Refuses To Clean Up The Dogs' Poop, But Goes Through The Effort Of Putting A Flag By Each Pile
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#58 My Dad Said He Would Make Dinner Today And Grilled The Expensive Bullet Steak I Bought. This Is The Result
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#59 My Dad Says I Don't Deserve Or Need A Doorknob
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#60 My Dad Is Watching Videos While Driving. Then He Yells At My Mother For Looking Up A Number For Work (He Doesn't Even Have A Job)
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#61 My Brother Was Mad Because I Wouldn't Let Him Have Anymore Candy After He Had Almost A Whole Bag. This Is What He Did. This Is My 1000-Dollar iPad That I Earned
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#62 My Brother Vacuum-Sealed The Only Scissors In The House
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#63 My Brother Dug Through The Ice Cream To Take All The Candy Out
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#64 This Is What Happens When You Mix A $200 USD Monitor And A Bad-Tempered Little Brother
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#65 My Wife Doesn’t Throw Her Trash Away Before Putting Her Dish In The Sink, So I Often End Up With This
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#66 My Wife Almost Always Leaves One Or Two Bagels, Then Opens The Next Package
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#67 I Bought A Homepod For The Kitchen. Instead Of Playing Music Through The Homepod, My Wife Uses It As A Phone Stand While Playing Music From Her Phone
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#68 Went To Make Poached Egg For Breakfast. Turns Out My Wife Was Baking Yesterday
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#69 The Way My Husband Stacks Up His Used Coffee Spoons In Our Spoon Rest, And Won’t Put Them In The Dishwasher
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#70 Found My Husband's Stash Of Empty Wrappers
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#71 My Family Throwing Giant Chunks Of Food In The Sink On Top Of Dirty Dishes
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#72 The Way My Husband Opened The Cheese
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#73 Mom's BF Never Puts The Soap On The Soap Trays
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#74 Instead Of Putting A Bag In The Trash My Husband Puts It On The Counter For Me
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#75 My Husband's Attempt To Put The Silverware Away
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#76 My Husband's Version Of "The Kitchen Is Clean"
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#77 My Wife Dropped Peanut Butter On Toast. That Was 24 Hours Ago, And She Still Hasn't Cleaned It
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#78 My Soon To Be Ex-Husband Has Been Taking Advantage Of Local Food Banks. He Ends Up Tossing Much Of It Out Because It Goes Bad, But He And I Can Easily Afford To Buy Food
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#79 My Wife Left A Pen In Her Pants Pocket
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#80 My Mom Just Leaves All Of Her Soap And Stuff On The Ground After A Shower. Every Time
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#81 When Asked If He Could Bring The Console To Our Dad’s House, Mom Gave My Little Brother A Definitive No. After They Left, I Walked Back To My Room And Found It Missing
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#82 Just Found Out My Parents Installed An App On My Phone To Track My Messages And Tried To Hide It
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#83 My Brother Always Makes My Poor Mom Clean After Him
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#84 My Brother Paused 2 Of My Downloads To Install Fortnite
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#85 My Sister-In-Law Put My Electric Moka On The Stove
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#86 The Way My Girlfriend “Changed” The Toilet Paper Roll Today. How Do I Tell Her She Needs To Move Out?
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#87 Two-Year-Old Insisted That The Puzzle Is Built Like This
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#88 I Asked My Husband To Save Me Some Oreos
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#89 This Is What My Husband Does With His Dirty Clothes… There’re Four Baskets
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#90 I Came Home To A Smokey Apartment And A Boyfriend Asleep On The Couch. Not Even Sure What These Were
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#91 My Girlfriend Puts The Broken Egg Shells Back In The Container
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#92 When Your Husband Does The Laundry. Those Used To Be Pacs
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#93 This Is How My Wife Lets The Razor Sharp Knives Dry
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#94 The Way My Wife Eats Cinnamon Rolls
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#95 Our Thanksgiving Leftovers (That Are Getting Thrown Away). My Mom Doesn't Understand The Concept Of Halving A Recipe So She Makes Way Too Much Food For 3 People
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#96 This Is How My Dad Gave Me My Package
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#97 My Girlfriend Made This Pancake. What Do I Do?
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#98 My Partner Is Sure That “Frozen Food Doesn’t Go Bad”
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#99 Let Me Introduce You To The Man I Chose To Marry
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#100 The Way My Girlfriend Opened This Package Of Hotdogs
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#101 The Way My Girlfriend Opens Food Packaging Means We Throw Away Quite A Bit Of Stale Bread
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#102 My 6-Year-Old Did This
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#103 I Told Him To Unroll It Like Tape. That’s Why It’s Called Bubble Tape. Today I Learned I’m Raising A Monster
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#104 Stepped Out Of The Kitchen For A Moment And My Daughter Tried To Help Season The Potatoes
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#105 Asked My Husband To Crate The Dog When I Left. I Just Bought These Yesterday
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#106 My Boyfriend Does The Dishes. The Sink After "Doing The Dishes"
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#107 My Wife Refusing To Use The Sink Strainer Because "It Gets Clogged Too Easily"
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#108 Moved In With My Brother And Fiancé. I Think They Might Be Monsters
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#109 My Husband “Pre-Dips” His Chips Before Eating Them
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#110 My Wife Doesn't Like The Way I Eat Chips
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#111 My Girlfriend’s 10-Year-Old Sister’s Backpack Was So Heavy. We Open It To Find It Packed With “Beautiful Cube Rocks”, Which She Picked Because They Were So Unique
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#112 Letter To Management From My 6-Year-Old Son
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#113 My Dad Did It Because He “Didn’t Want Anything Crunchy”. A War Crime Has Been Committed
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#114 How Hubby Won't Throw Away His Empty Ice Cream Buckets
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#115 Why Does My Husband Always Put Food In The Opposite Side Of The Sink That Doesn't Have A Garage Disposal
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#116 I Came To The Kitchen To Find Out That My Boyfriend, Hung The Towel Like This
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#117 My Husband Asks Me To Wrap My Own Christmas Gifts Every Year
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#118 I Grabbed Myself A Midnight Treat Last Night. Apparently, This Is How My Husband Eats Ice Cream
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#119 My Wife Puts The Empty Pistachio Shells Back In The Bag
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#120 The Way My Wife Opens And Leaves The Bread
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#121 The Day My Husband Forgot To Put The Ketchup Bottles In The Fridge, And One Literally Exploded
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#122 The Way My Wife Cut The Pizzas With Scissors
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#123 After 10 Years Of Asking My Wife Politely To Not Wash My Good Chef Knives In The Dishwasher
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#124 Every Time My Mom Puts Knives In The Dishwasher She Puts Them In Like This
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#125 How My Dad Leaves His Coffee Grounds
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#126 My Parents Insist On Having A TV On A Wall That Gets Blasted With Glare. This Is How They Watch TV
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#127 The Way My Son Eats A Hot Dog
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#128 My Daughter Said She Was Going To Hang Up Her Pajamas For Pajama Day At School. This Is How She Put The Pants On The Hanger
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#129 This Is How My New Partner Uses Her Butter, Is She A Serial Killer Based Off This Information?
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#130 Husband Put Up The Groceries Today
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#131 The Way My Mom Cut These Brownies
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#132 I Need Packaging To Be Opened Properly. My Family Don't Share This Trait
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#133 I'm Dating A Monster
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#134 Husband Dumped My Ground Coffee Into My Whole Beans
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#135 The Way My Girlfriend Eats Shrimp
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