This article was originally published on ParentMood
Raising kids is a beautiful yet terrifying adventure, filled with hugs and sweetness, diapers and boogers. Yehuda Devir somehow captures it all in his illustrations, which must be why the internet can't get enough of him. He's a husband and dad who draws comics about life with his wife and children, giving a funny twist to the daily adventures experienced by all families. So whether you have a son or daughter or are only starting to think of taking that big step, you'll enjoy looking through his relatable works. Oh, and spoiler alert: if you stick around long enough, you'll even see Yehuda and his loved ones in real life.
And Then Mom Has to Change Her Shirt
Parents aren't always on the same page. Sometimes dad just happens to wipe away snot with his child's shirt instead of reaching for the perfectly good Kleenex in the diaper bag. Actually, dad usually ends up wiping away snot with the shirt instead of grabbing the perfectly good Kleenex. And it looks like mom has just about had it in this scene, as we're sure a lot of moms everywhere would have upon seeing this.
Yehuda's character also looks a little frightened in this scene. Or at least, he looks taken back a bit, as if he wasn't expecting his wife to get so mad. Yikes!
Waiting for Baby Number 2
If you have more than one child, then this illustration probably hits home. In it, we see the mother having an ultrasound and talking to her little girl, telling her that she's about to have a little sibling. But what really stands out is the look on dad's face. The little girl doesn't even know what's going on here yet, while the dad looks overjoyed. Anyone with more than one child can relate to the excitement and wonder of seeing your firstborn become an older sibling.
At first, your firstborn might not really understand what's happening or how much their lives will change in just nine months. Nothing will be the same once they have a little sibling running around.
She Wants a Bump Like Mommy
Small children can be a handful, but they're also extremely adorable, which makes for some great memories. We all know how our little ones like to observe and imitate the adults around them - especially those they love most, like mom and dad. And anyone with more than one child in their lives, whether your own or a loved one, knows that children love pretending they have a baby bump when they see someone else with one.
Here, Yehuda's daughter stuck his head under her shirt, cleverly turning it into her own baby bump, and is smiling at finally looking a little more like mom. How sweet!
Just a Common Cold
Kids get sick. Like, they get sick a lot, and if you've ever been around a child or someone with a child, then you know that they're not the cleanest. However, that's just a part of raising kids. They're going to get sick, whether they catch it from other kids or just while you're outside the house on a grocery store run. Still, this cartoon perfectly captures what it's like to care for a sick kid.
They aren't used to blowing their noses, so naturally, taking care of a sick kid is going to involve a bunch of snot everywhere, probably more than most people are used to.
The First Time Big Sis Feels the Baby's Kick
For most small children, the fact that they're about to have a sibling really doesn't hit home until they feel them kick for the first time. Here, we see the illustrator's daughter reaching out to feel her sibling kick, and unlike in previous photos, she looks really interested. Many of us have seen in real life the look of wonder on Yehuda's daughter's face as she processes that there's a moving human inside mommy.
Meanwhile, mom and dad are looking on. And the moment is so magical that even the stuffed animals seem to have come alive. Raising kids is stressful, but every once in a while, a moment comes along that just feels like an absolute dream.
And That's How You Know It Was a Good Day
Simply making it through another day is an achievement when you're a mom or dad. But making it through another day with all of the chores taken care of and the kids quietly off to bed sleeping is something else entirely. For most, the stars have to align just right, but when they do, you feel like these two do in this cartoon. You feel like the absolute best parents ever.
However, we're not sure if the look on dad's face is one of trying to remember if he forgot something or one of desperate joy. Either way, we're happy for these two in this scene.
Sleeping While Pregnant Gets Challenging for Everyone Involved
If you're at all familiar with Yehuda Devir's work, then you know that fighting for bed space didn't start when his wife got pregnant. These two constantly fight over the blanket and room in the bed, but it's mostly a one-sided battle. And for those familiar with the bed sheets war between couples (and who isn't?), it's not surprising that things only got worse when Yehuda's wife got pregnant. Who can relate?
Of course, who can blame a pregnant person for taking up more space on the mattress? Maybe we should all just get bigger beds and two sets of blankets and sheets - problem solved.
How Every Family Movie Night Ends
This might not seem that comfortable at first glance, but anyone who's taken a spontaneous snooze piled up and cuddled with loved ones knows how good that kind of sleep is. Everyone looks so content in this cartoon, and it looks as though they might've been watching a movie or something before falling asleep. And we don't know about you, but many of our family movie nights end similarly. Only dad manages to stay slightly awake.
They'll probably stay like this until someone tumbles off the couch or needs to use the bathroom. Then everyone will migrate to bed (mom and dad might have to take the little one with them to theirs).
Pain, Joy, And Surprise
We absolutely love this Illustration. It pretty much sums up what it's like to deliver a child for everyone involved. The father has a look of astonishment on his face, while you can tell the mother is in severe pain. Meanwhile, the nurse, who probably does this multiple times a day, just looks joyful. Yet, they share the same dialogue for all three emotions. Sometimes, "Oh my god" just gets any kind of message across.
We bet every day there's at least one family welcoming a new member and screaming, "Oh my god," nearly the entire time.
Welcome to the Family, Little One
There's nothing like that feeling when you finally get to bring your new family member back home. Mom (and probably dad, too) is still really tired, but there's an undeniable joy on everyone's faces as they welcome their new baby home. Yehuda emphasizes the happiness and magic of this moment by once again bringing the stuffed animals to life - it's such a wondrous scene that everyone, even non-living things, is excited.
The daughter, meanwhile, is doing exactly what you'd expect a small child to do, which is to start talking to the baby as if it can understand words at this point.
Keep All Mouths Closed During Diaper Changes
Most parents probably won't talk about it unless asked, but scenes like this are fairly common. You might have to deal with all kinds of things you always thought you could never deal with when you become a parent — for example, urine in your mouth. So we have a few pro tips: always keep your mouth closed and have a little towel at hand for covering certain areas during the diaper changing process.
What's probably most hilarious about this scene is the fact that dad is hiding away, curled up behind mom while she's changing their newborn's diaper all alone. We're sure he helps out, but he also knows when to duck for cover. Nobody — parent or not — likes getting hit in the face with pee while changing a diaper.
Personal Space? We Don't Know Her
You don't have to be a parent to know that personal space just goes out the window when you have kids. Here, the illustrator's daughter is getting a kick out of messing with her mom's stomach after she had her second child. The look on the mom's face is priceless. And it's a look anyone of us who has had our personal space invaded by little ones poking us everywhere could relate to.
That's just how it goes when you have kids, we suppose. You can say goodbye to any notion of boundaries and get used to them poking you in the stomach for their amusement.
When It Was a Tough Day for Everyone
Scenes like this aren't all that common when you have two children. Most of the time, one of them is going to be awake, which means that one of the parents is going to be awake. However, sometimes it's just one of those days (as Yehuda says himself) when everyone is so exhausted they pass out together. And it's evident that everyone here is absolutely exhausted, even the kids.
While everyone falling asleep at the same time doesn't always happen, there's something else in this illustration that's a much more common occurrence for parents with young kids: a very dirty and messy bed. There's really no keeping anything clean with a small child running around.
And When Mom's There, She Wants Dad
We can't help but feel sorry for dad in this cartoon. If you're a parent and have a partner who parents with you, you have surely been in this situation. Kids love to make us feel like no matter what we do, nothing will help because they just need the other parent. But we all know that if mom was there instead of dad, their daughter might start crying for daddy instead. It's the oldest trick in the book!
We love how here, it's not only dad's face we can relate to. The stuffed animals are also overwhelmed and stressed about the situation - because that's how terrifying toddler crying can be.
"Where You Go, I Go"
Did we mention that having kids means you no longer have any privacy or alone time? Then again, if you're a parent, we don't have to remind you of that fun fact. But sometimes, parents can handle the lack of privacy or independence like a champ, just like dad did in the comic below. His baby was having an extra cuddly and needy day, so he went with it and used the carrier for help.
This cartoon really captures how parents can't get any privacy, but it does it in a nice way, as this is one of the few scenes where one of the parents isn't looking totally exhausted.
Privacy? We Don't Know Her, Either
Speaking of trying to use the bathroom while you have kids... If you're thinking of becoming a parent, just know that you can expect a lot of scenes like this one. Kids want to be with their parents all the time. Like, literally all the time. They have no sense of boundaries. They're kind of like emotionally needy little human beings. Actually, they are emotionally needy little human beings, and they'll follow you into the bathroom any chance they get.
But they are still pretty funny, even when doing needy stuff, as this cartoon clearly shows. Children really dare to follow you into the bathroom and then complain about the smell!
An Anniversary Filled With Romance...
Let's be honest: this is what most anniversaries, or pretty much any holiday or special occasion, look like with children. They don't take a day off. We're sure more than a few parents out there can relate to this one. It's also hilarious how the little girl nonchalantly just pees on the bed and announces it in front of the parents here; sometimes, it is just like that.
We kind of feel bad for these two, but considering the fact that most parents deal with this every year — we mean every day, it's just funny more than anything else.
It's Always a Race Against the Clock
We never thought about it before, but raising kids is sort of like a race. It's extremely hard and takes massive amounts of willpower and endurance. Here, it looks like dad is trying to get a bottle to mom before the baby starts crying or something. She looks pretty anxious and terrified that he isn't going to make it there in time, too. We're sure he did with that kind of hustle, though.
Mom's shirt is also great. It just sums up nearly every day of being a parent, or at least most days of being a parent. They all seem super hectic.
A Change in Musical Tastes
There's no getting around it. You will be forced to listen to children's songs when you become a parent or if you already have children. That's going to inevitably lead to scenes like this one. If there are any parents out there, then they probably know all too well how common it is to jam to songs like this one while out on the highway or driving around the city.
We're also pretty sure that it's not uncommon for these songs to get stuck in your head after an entire day of listening to them. After all, they're usually pretty catchy.
When the Bedtime Story Puts the Wrong Person to Sleep
The poor dad in this drawing. He looks absolutely wrecked, probably after a long day of working and caring for the kids. He's so tired that he fell asleep while he was reading. That's a different level of tiredness - but it's a level of exhaustion that any parent knows all too well. It's not like falling asleep during a movie; it takes a different kind of tiredness to fall asleep while you're actively doing something like reading to your child.
We also feel sorry for the daughter because she really wants to know what happened to the princess in the story. But we've got a feeling she woke dad up and got her way.
"Oh, This? It's Nothing, Sweetie"
It's hard enough to get a child to eat something that's good for them, but if you happen to pull out some ice cream or something, it's never going to happen. Dad just wants something sweet in this scene but can't even eat it in peace. We love how mom is like, "I told you so in this photo." It's no secret that kids always seem to know when someone has a treat around them.
If they're lucky, this scene doesn't end with the daughter crying over having to eat avocado instead of a popsicle or ice cream. But if our experiences are any indication, this definitely didn't end well (for the parents).
Stronger Than They Look
Anyone who's ever had a kid will tell you that they're often a lot stronger than they look. You don't really think about it much because they're usually crawling, and their arms are super skinny, but they can be pretty tough. If you've ever been bitten by a kid, then you probably know what we mean. The son in this scene looks like he's easily rocking mom despite the chair being much bigger than he is.
Meanwhile, mom looks like she's just holding on for dear life while sitting in the rocking chair. It's just one of those moments when dad and mom would take different approaches to what the kid is doing.
The More Kids You Have, the More You Need Black Friday
Not everyone does Black Friday; the lines can be intimidating, and people get kind of scary as they hustle to grab the best stuff. But it's no secret that having kids is expensive, and the more kids you have, the more significant Black Friday seems to become. After all, no one wants to pay full price for all those holiday gifts for the entire family!
Personally, we leave the kids home during Black Friday. We can't imagine navigating the crowded malls with our little ones in tow, but serious props to Yehuda and his wife Maya if they could do it!
Just Another Day in the Kitchen
This one isn't really a commentary on having kids. Instead, it's just a depiction of everyday life. The illustrator must've had to deal with a fire in his home at one point after someone put a napkin on top of a pot and burner. However, it looks like he didn't really deal with it that well because he's in the background, panicking and fumbling for the fire extinguisher while the rag is burning.
We have a feeling this one might've been drawn from the wife's perspective. If you're a woman with a husband, you've definitely been in an urgent situation where your husband just can't seem to get it together when you need them most.
Everyone's Always in the Most Inconvenient Places on Cleaning Day
We're not sure if this is everyone's experience with trying to mop the house while kids are around, but it's certainly ours. Children are hard to keep in one place during the best of times, much less when you're trying to get something done like mopping or sweeping the house. However, we're pretty sure most parents have never hung their baby from a coat hanger while they mop the floor- it's a genius idea we'll try next time.
Dad doesn't look like he's much help in this scene, either. In fact, he's probably no help at all and is just making it harder to mop. And that's what it's like - when you're in charge of that week's cleaning, it always feels like everyone else is only in the most inconvenient places.
Being a Girl Dad Means Learning New Skills
You can tell dad hasn't ever done this before. If the pink nail polish everywhere wasn't a dead giveaway, then the look of concentration on his face should be. His daughter also looks nervous, but that's because he's probably getting nail polish everywhere except where it's supposed to go. How did he even get it on Hulk doll, who's sitting underneath him? Dad could use a bit more practice - but being a girl dad means learning new things daily.
Still, it's funny how the roles are reversed sometimes, especially when the parent is doing something they're not used to, and the kid has to point out they're not doing a great job. We're sure dad has gotten better since this was drawn, though.
Who Has Time for Personal Hygiene Nowadays?
You tend to get pretty familiar with people after you start living with them. And this doesn't even have to apply strictly to couples. Even roommates will get to know each other pretty well after a certain period. In this scene, it looks like dad had been neglecting to clean his ears for a while (cleaning our ears is the last thing we parents think about sometimes). Luckily, his wife has no problem picking at him - a relatable moment for women everywhere who like to pick at their husband's pimples and such.
Dad just looks like he's super embarrassed or just doesn't know what's going on. We're guessing it's been a few nights (or months) since he slept well.
Always Say She Looks Great
Going through a pregnancy means watching your body change in ways you never imagined, and sometimes, our bodies will never go back to how they were pre-baby. And that's all good and natural, but it can be hard to let go of old clothes we love to wear. So the lesson here is this: if you're formerly pregnant partner tries something on and asks you if it looks good, just say yes.
It doesn't really matter what you really think. All that matters is that you answer the question correctly, just like Yehuda did in this illustration. Otherwise, prepare for disaster.
Your Birthday Isn't Just About You Anymore
Someone in a relationship is always going to be into birthdays more than the other person. And from looking at this cartoon, it's not too hard to tell which partner is and isn't into birthdays. Mom is literally hanging from the roof, blowing a horn, which is probably what it actually felt like to dad when this happened. The kids are really getting into it, too, though he probably wishes that they weren't.
His son looks like he's about to pull his eyelid off. The poor dad just looks like he could've used a little bit more sleep or at least a less hectic way of waking him up. Sadly, the Hulk doll looks like he was startled awake, too.
Sometimes Those Little Ones Really Just Sneak up on You
If you see a recurring theme here, it's not a coincidence. There is literally no privacy anywhere when you have a child. The poor dad had to quickly turn and spray the wall here because his kid snuck up on him while he was peeing in the bathroom. Not only that, but she started asking questions. This one is pretty hilarious just because it's probably super relatable for most dads out there.
We just hope that he didn't have too much cleaning to do after he got her out of the bathroom, but for some reason, we think that probably wasn't the case.
Some Things Stay the Same
It turns out that quite a few things stay the same when you have children. The scene on the left was illustrated by the artist back when he and his wife didn't have any kids yet. He put it side-by-side with the new illustration to show that some things stay the same, with or without kids in the photo. The only real differences are that the umbrella has changed, and dad is now holding it for the family instead of just for mom. But in both situations, dad is getting rained on.
We love how Yehuda added the detail of his son trying to reach out and touch the rain; kids don't care about the "consequences" of getting wet - they're too busy following their curious instincts.
It's Snack Time
This one is just a nice commentary on living with your spouse. In this scene, you can tell the two love everything about each other. There aren't any snide or awkward looks. It's just two people enjoying an evening at home with one another. And anyone in a relationship knows how heartwarming and special these moments are. With all of life's daily hustle and bustle, it's not always easy to appreciate these sweet moments.
You know you've found true love when your partner doesn't mind seeing you stuff your face with ice cream all night long, and the two of you can just sit there and chill.
"Do As I Say, Not As I Do"
A large part of raising responsible kids is teaching them the basics of acting and presenting themselves. Unfortunately, most people can't always present themselves in the same way, and sometimes kids pick up bad habits. In this scene, Dad slouches into the couch while mom tries to teach them the importance of sitting up straight. Any parent will admit that sometimes, they want their kids to do as they say and not as they do.
However, at least dad is agreeing with mom and trying to reinforce positive habits, even if he can't always follow those same habits himself. Mom, on the other hand, has a nearly perfect posture.
Dad Versus Mom Reactions
Not everyone might agree, but we think that sometimes you just have to get it out of your system. The illustrator seems to think so, too, as his character is happy to let his kids fight it out for a couple of minutes while the mom looks like she wants to separate them. And that's just a natural part of parenting with someone; there will be times when you have different reactions and approaches to the same situation.
And some days, you'll go with one approach. Others, you'll go with the other. Sometimes, parenting is a game of gives and takes and choosing your battles.
Someone to Live For
We can't be entirely sure what this illustration is referring to, but we think it's commenting on how children give their parents something to keep going for. Life can be tough, and we're sure a lot of people — parent or not — have just wished at one point or another that they could just give up. But you literally can't do that when you have kids. They can't feed themselves.
They can barely walk by themselves. So, while they might be a hassle sometimes, they also have some positive effects on their parents when it comes to just getting through life.
He's About to Get a Talking-To
No offense to any guys out there, but this one is pretty relatable. A lot of guys (we're not saying most) are pretty content just to clean around stuff and not actually take the time to pick things up and clean underneath. The artist who makes these is well aware of that, and it looks like he's one of those people, too. You can see mom in the background looking over suspiciously.
The husband also doesn't seem entirely convinced that he's done, but that's because he knows he didn't even pick up the phone to wipe away the dust underneath.
Caution: Car Seats Are More Complicated Than They Appear
These things can be so frustrating. Car seats are complicated because they need to be. And we're not complaining. You should have to strap a car seat into the car in the most secure way possible, but that doesn't change the fact that it can be super frustrating. What we haven't ever experienced is someone in the background cheering us on, and we're not sure if that would make the process less frustrating or more.
Still, you have to admire her positivity, even while the dad looks like he's about had it with trying to get the car seat in the car. He almost looks like he's about to strangle himself.
The Family in Real Life
If you were wondering what Yehuda Devir and his family look like in real life, then we have a treat for you. This is the couple in a recent photo. You can see him and the characters from his cartoon — himself, his wife, and his two children. They all look really similar to their characters, but we will say that we were expecting a bit more chaos in the family photo.
We were also kind of expecting to see the unicorn and Hulk dolls in there somewhere, but maybe they were at home getting some rest or something.