It’s a wonder our species survives considering the rock ’em sock ’em, always disaster-laden, put-it-all-in-your-mouth nature of toddlers. How do they make it to adulthood? How do parents survive to parent another day?

If you’ve ever raised a toddler, no doubt you have a few hair-raising stories of your own.

But the 15 parents below have photo proof of their pain.

We love these kiddos – but boy are they messy!

1. He’s got the blues

We don’t know where he found blue paint, but it doesn’t really matter.

To be fair, maybe he’s just not a fan of neutral colors in the living room and got bored.

Never fear though, there’s some major redecorating to be done after this.

2. No better in neutral

Yikes. Do kids just manage to find paint or are tired parents leaving it out more often than we’d expect?

Disaster doesn’t look any better in white, it turns out.

Especially when you get the television too!

3. Solve this

Some people love the challenge of a puzzle.

Just think of this as leveling up and really showing off your skills.

Which piece goes with which puzzle?

Fun!

4. Our kind of kid

We have nothing to say except mad props to this toddler.

Who doesn’t want to sink their face into a cake?

And look at the problem-solving it took to make it happen?!

5. Buttered up

Ooh, honey. We feel the same way about butter.

You might as well smear it all over yourself when you’re a toddler – before it becomes weird.

6. Baking is fun

Looks like maybe someone has helped mom or dad in the kitchen before and found out that flour is fun to play with.

Do you think she realizes she’s going to need some eggs and a leavening agent too?

7. Time to go shopping!

Between the diapers and the wreckage of perfectly good items, how much landfill do you think is produced solely by toddlers each year?

It’s not their fault, but wow are they messy!

We really hope mom or dad hadn’t just finished grocery shopping

8. Gone to the dogs

What do you think – better on the floor than in their mouths?

At least there’s going to be a very happy dog around!

9. Shipwreck

There are two types of parents – the ones who snatch their kid out of the mess they created and the ones who grab the camera first.

This is pretty photo-worthy. We just hope he wasn’t slipping under his dish soap disaster while it happened!

10. Rough day

We’ve all been there. This toddler just had the guts to go for it and drown their sorrows in lollipops before passing out.

We just love that she’s still holding one in her sugar-induced “coma.”

11. Oopsies

This is why we can’t have nice things.

Looks like someone was playing catch and missed.

Best to just put this photo on the Christmas card and hope someone buys you a new TV.

12. Tech support

We’ve never tried to pry a key off a keyboard, but apparently it’s possible to get a whole bunch off in just a few minutes if you’re a toddler.

This little cutie looks like she’s trying to explain that it was the only way to fix the machine.

13. Yep

Need we say more?

Maybe the book cover should have been designed this way in the first place as a fair warning.

14. The world is a canvas

There are an awful lot of destroyed couches out there!

But to be fair, this really does look like a surface you can draw on!

At least she looks like she’s never going to do it again.

15. Where’s the dog when you need him?

This looks like something an unruly canine would do.

But, nope, just two toddlers.

How long do you think they were quiet before a parent came to check on them only to find THIS?

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Have you checked on your toddler in the last minute?

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