Watching Game of Thrones, Parenting Have Much in Common

Another season of Game of Thrones recently ended in bloody, punishing, somewhat dispiriting fashion. (Don’t worry, no spoilers here!) Of course, it’s nothing you’re not used to already if you’re a fan of the show.

Or if you’re a parent.

I’m not crazy enough to suggest raising children is anywhere near as savage – or as sexy! – as the world of Westeros. But I am crazy enough to suggest that the experience of watching Game of Thrones what may be the most popular show in the world has a lot of things in common with parenting.

How Watching Game of Thrones is Like Parenting

• The people who’ve read all the books think they know more than you
• There’s a ton of stuff to remember and most of the time you’re totally guessing
• People really enjoy telling you things when they’re naked
• Taking kids to a wedding is a total bloodbath
• You think you know who’s in control until you realize it’s actually the dude with little fingers
• At the end of the day/episode, you’re always spent, often pissed, and inexplicably can’t wait to do it again
• People on the outside don’t understand the fuss and are sick of hearing everyone else talk about it
• It’s bad thing after bad thing after bad thing and then the funny, short guy does something cool and you can’t help smiling
• You want to protect the girls from all the terrible men but quickly realize they can take care of themselves
• If you’d known it would be this stressful you might not have signed u– ooh, look, the obnoxious, spoiled little tyrant fell down! Haha!
• You’re not sure you like where all this is going but it’s too late to turn back now

One way parenting isn’t like watching Game of Thrones? Everyone always knows who the mother is.

A version of this first appeared on Dad and Buried.