Exhausting, frustrating and rarely fun: Duncan Jones gives a reality check on parenting

I have 2 kids. 2 1/2 years & 9 months old respectively.
I’ll tell you something I never see anyone admit… they are exhausting, frustrating & life-destabilizing. They are rarely fun. Sure, smiles are great, hugs are lovely, but it’s HARD & not obviously a good choice in life.

— Duncan Jones (@ManMadeMoon) January 12, 2019

You may have heard so many people, even non-parents, talk about how parenthood is a boon and completes one’s life. Jones seemed to be aware of the narrative and wrote, “This is where people feel compelled to say “I wouldn’t change it for the world!” But you know…Of course I’d reconsider! It’s exhausting! It’s banal! It’s like looking after a dog you can’t housetrain. What it is, is that it is. & they are mine. Hopefully they turn out ok.”

This is where people feel compelled to say “i wouldn’t change it for the world!”
But you know… Of course I’d reconsider!
It’s exhausting! Its banal! It’s like looking after a dog you can’t housetrain.
What it is, is that it is.
& they are mine.
Hopefully they turn out ok.

— Duncan Jones (@ManMadeMoon) January 12, 2019

No sooner did the celeb father express his take on parenting than netizens started shaming him for not being the ideal father. Here’s what they had to say:

I feel sorry for you that this is how you feel about your kids. It’s like you’re missing the point of being a dad. :/

— The🐰FOO (@PolitiBunny) January 13, 2019

Get even… live long enough to become a problem to your kids

— Andrew Buss (@ambuss) January 12, 2019

Gonna be a tough day when his kids are old enough to read and comprehend this. Every borderline selfish act through their upbringing will be both magnified and confirmed, fairly or otherwise.

— Adam Trahan (@AdamTrahan) January 13, 2019

He’s just a young kid that doesn’t understand human relationships, love, etc. still chasing the dollar, which is important too. But he’ll grow up and learn that those kids actually give him the only real value that his life has. And also, #MAGA 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

— Scooby Doo (@ScoobyDooo99) January 14, 2019

A lot of parents, however, not only appreciated the director’s honesty but also addressed the taboo and shared their personal hardship to corroborate the fact.

There’s a huge societal taboo over saying that parenting can be incredibly hard and not a lot of fun, often for long stretches of time.

— Zack Stentz (@MuseZack) January 14, 2019

Its so weird how we conflate disliking parenting with not-loving the child. We understand why adult children struggle with caring for an elderly parent, and the complex feelings that arise. We don’t question their love. Why do we question it when the situation is reversed?

— Carrie Poppy, CIA Wonk (@CarriePoppyYES) January 14, 2019

My dad said once ‘the first 42 years are the worst’. I was 42 at the time. 😁

— Sandra Leaton Gray (@drleatongray) January 12, 2019

I spoke out like this in 1986 and people were horrified – I love my daughter but this constant staring at a baby and my whole flat being turned into small clothes shop and the sleep deprivation and suddenly everything I did was scrutinised and commented on – I was shut up

— Janey Godley (@JaneyGodley) January 12, 2019