Parents Bring Internet Modem on a Day Out Since Kids Didn't Want to Go

Maressa Brown

Constantly trying make sure kids are having a fun, memorable, perhaps even magical time can feel like a thankless job for many parents. Offer them a special day out, and they'll complain that it sounds lame or boring. That's why one couple from southern Australia decided to teach their kids a lesson by leaving them at home and taking their "most overworked family member for a well-deserved day out." That family member? Their modem, obviously.

Cassie Langan took to Facebook to share how her three kids, who range in age from 10 to 17, missed out on the modem's big day out. "We asked our kids if they would like to go on a day trip to Warrnambool today and were met with the response 'that's so boring, I don't want to go.' Chris and I decided that instead of taking three unappreciative kids out, we let the ones who didn't want to go stay home and took our most overworked family member for a well-deserved day out: our modem."

Illustration by Sarina Finkelstein; Getty Images (2)

Alongside photos of the modem in various locations, from the beach to a playground (the modem enjoys the swing, apparently), Langan shared, "Modem had a fantastic day not being used by the kids, and it was lovely not to listen to constant bickering. The only complaining was Evan being mortified that we took our modem out in public."

Langan elaborated to TODAY Parents: "Our 17-year-old daughter refused to go and our 10-year-old son had a tantrum listing all the reasons why it was unfair that we were making him go. Our 13-year-old son was the only one who reluctantly agreed to go. In the end, we told the kids if they weren't going to go, we'd take the modem instead and they said OK."

The 13-year-old was "mortified" and thought she and her husband were "idiots." She continued, describing another positive upshot of the situation: "When we got home our 17-year-old was so bored she actually had cleaned her room and spent time with her younger brother. When I showed my 10-year-old the photos, he said that it wasn't fair—that we hate him and love the modem more—and stormed off to his room."

Thankfully, the kids are all more amused now that Langan's post has gone viral. "They finally see the funny side," she told TODAY. "And I am absolutely blown away by how many times it has been shared and the amount of people who said it made a difference to their day."

The post has earned over 63K shares and 36K comments from loads of parents who absolutely feel the Langans' pain. Their smart move will surely inspire fellow parents to respond to their cranky kids in creative, entertaining ways.