The WORST episodes of Children Ruin Everything

Every episode of Children Ruin Everything ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Children Ruin Everything!

Follows Astrid and James, who struggle to find a balance between being mom and dad to two kids and being who they were before offspring.

Last Updated: 9/1/2025Network: CTVStatus: Ended
Emergencies
star
6.88
16 votes

#1 - Emergencies

Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/8/2025

During a family emergency, with both James and Astrid busy at work, they need to rethink their childcare plan.

Directors: Melanie Orr
Writer: Kurt Smeaton
Bodies
star
6.91
46 votes

#2 - Bodies

Season 1 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/19/2022

James is summoned to Marla’s office, where she tells him to dress more professional and less like a dad — especially at Gero’s Grocery’s upcoming groundbreaking event. Having not shopped for himself in a long time, James turns to Ennis, who offers to help James update his style. While James takes the kids on his shopping trip, Astrid works out with a trainer recommended by Dawn. She’s desperate to get back into shape, but after an embarrassing situation during their workout session, Astrid books an appointment with a pelvic floor.

Directors: Melanie Orr
Growth
star
7.00
16 votes

#3 - Growth

Season 4 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/13/2025

After Astrid learns that Viv is behind her class in reading, she tries to get Viv excited about books. Astrid struggles, however, when Viv only wants to read an outdated, sexist children’s series. Meanwhile, James attempts to foster Felix’s interest in drawing.

Directors: Kurt Smeaton
Respect
star
7.00
21 votes

#4 - Respect

Season 4 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/17/2024

Astrid and James realize they are at the dawning of a new era when Felix starts showing signs of pre-teen rebellion. James tries to ease tensions after he rejects Bo's job offer.

Writer: Anita Kapila
Meals
star
7.04
67 votes

#5 - Meals

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/12/2022

After four years of being a stay-at-home mom, Astrid is ready to return to work. She and James decide to mark the occasion with a celebratory dinner with the kids, but getting Felix and Viv to cooperate at the dinner table is a struggle, leading to a disastrous dinner. Meanwhile, as James and Astrid prepare for more money, more date nights, and less diapers, Astrid comes to terms with the truth: she wants another baby.

Directors: Renuka Jeyapalan
Ego
star
7.06
18 votes

#6 - Ego

Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/5/2024

After Felix gets in trouble for defacing school property, Felix teacher Mr. Dongall makes James feel like an inattentive parent and James goes to great lengths to prove the teacher wrong. Meanwhile, Astrid insists on handling the fallout from Leonard most recent campaign gaffe.

Memories
star
7.09
22 votes

#7 - Memories

Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/12/2024

In a mockumentary style episode, Astrid realizes how hard she was on Nisha during her teenage years and tries to make up for it by arranging something special for Nisha's surprise birthday party. James misses the good old days of work.

Directors: Melanie Orr
Consideration
star
7.14
14 votes

#8 - Consideration

Season 4 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/20/2025

Astrid leaves no stone unturned as she tries to find her phone before she misses a prize-winning call from a radio station. James and Ennis are given their first task as co-heads of GOBO but have a falling out over their work styles.

Directors: Kurt Smeaton
Truth
star
7.14
35 votes

#9 - Truth

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 2/2/2022

While Astrid is away on a business trip, James struggles to keep the Tooth Fairy tradition alive.

Directors: Melanie Orr
Babysitters
star
7.15
20 votes

#10 - Babysitters

Season 3 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/1/2023

When Astrid and James are able to book Jeffrey, the highly sought-after babysitter of their dreams, Viv's crush on him threatens to ruin everything.

Hangover
star
7.18
22 votes

#11 - Hangover

Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/15/2023

Astrid and James think they've planned the perfect hangover day, but the kids, the neighbors and a bad internet connection have other plans.

Drama
star
7.19
21 votes

#12 - Drama

Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/21/2024

In a daytime soap opera influenced episode, Astrid feels pushed out of Dawn's pregnancy by Zinnia and begins to suspect her of something sinister. Meanwhile, James and Rachel clash over an incident at Viv's school takes a melodramatic life of its own.

Directors: Melanie Orr
Writer: Jessica Meya
Death
star
7.24
29 votes

#13 - Death

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/16/2022

Following a brush with death, James and Astrid realize they need to make a death plan, including finding legal guardians for Felix and Viv.

Directors: Melanie Orr
Feelings
star
7.29
17 votes

#14 - Feelings

Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/7/2024

James, feeling left out when Ennis makes a new friend, inserts himself in Ennis' dodgeball tournament. Meanwhile, Astrid struggles to get Viv to control her emotions, especially when frustrations at work make it hard to lead by example.

Directors: Mars Horodyski
Writer: Anita Kapila
Space
star
7.29
34 votes

#15 - Space

Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 2/23/2022

Frustrated over their cluttered home full of kids' stuff, James and Astrid decide to purge.

Directors: Melanie Orr
Sick Day
star
7.29
34 votes

#16 - Sick Day

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/9/2022

Despite getting sick, Astrid and James have to organize a kids birthday party and Felix seems to be growing up faster than Astrid thought.

Directors: Renuka Jeyapalan
Consequences
star
7.30
20 votes

#17 - Consequences

Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/4/2023

After Felix and Viv slack on their chores and get caught in a lie, Astrid and James realize their discipline style can use a little work.

Expectations
star
7.31
16 votes

#18 - Expectations

Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/6/2023

With a move out of the city and their home of a decade looming, Astrid and James look back on when they first moved in. With Astrid set to give birth to her first child, her mother and sister do not see eye to eye on Astrid's birth plan.

Recognition
star
7.32
22 votes

#19 - Recognition

Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/24/2024

After Nisha gets in a minor fender bender, Astrid decides to help her buy a new car. James' stay-at-home-dad duties eclipse his efforts of a job search when he struggles to complete a simple task as part of an interview.

Intimacy
star
7.34
38 votes

#20 - Intimacy

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/26/2022

James and Astrid attempt to get some alone time, but the kids keep getting in the way. Meanwhile, Dawn and Bo renew their vows.

Directors: Renuka Jeyapalan
Sex
star
7.35
20 votes

#21 - Sex

Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/15/2025

Astrid and James get some much-needed adult time when they convince Nisha to take the kids for the night. The parents night gets complicated, however, when a small lie grows out of control.

Directors: Allison Johnston
Bedtime
star
7.38
24 votes

#22 - Bedtime

Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/14/2024

When James finds an old game console, he and Astrid attempt to find free time to play. But a bedtime routine threatens to eat up all the time between when the kids are supposed to be in bed and when Astrid and James have to go to bed themselves.

Directors: Vanessa Matsui
Chores
star
7.40
15 votes

#23 - Chores

Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/31/2024

Astrid and James question whether they’re raising monsters when Felix and Viv refuse to pitch in around the house.

Directors: Mars Horodyski
Confidence
star
7.40
15 votes

#24 - Confidence

Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/11/2023

When Astrid has to give a presentation to the World Cup Committee, her confidence tumbles after the kids make fun of her during a practice presentation she does for them.

Time
star
7.41
17 votes

#25 - Time

Season 4 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/27/2025

Astrid and James put together a complex summer schedule of camps, activities and work that only leaves one day where the entire family is free. The pressure is on to make the most of their time together.

Directors: Kurt Smeaton
Writer: Kurt Smeaton