Parenting is hardcore. From sleepless nights to epic messes, there’s a lot you can’t anticipate before you become a mom or dad.

And then there are the tantrums. And the lack of privacy.

Raising a child is not for the faint of heart and the 20 photos below prove that you have to be prepared for just about anything in order to care for a tiny human.

1. Sleep when you can

Remember when conditions had to be just right before you could get some shut-eye?

Not anymore!

Throw some baby pants over your eyes to block out the light and you’re all set.

2. Here’s Johnny!

Once there’s a child in the house, just give up on going to the bathroom by yourself ever again.

Even if you lock the door, you’re bound to have your space invaded by little hands – or loud banging.

3. Lead by example

Parents will do anything to get their kids to go to bed.

But sometimes showing them what a good nap looks like leads to your own.

4. Family fun

Parenting can’t be a walk in the park every day.

Somedays that walk ends in an impromptu sleep session.

Could these parents look any more exhausted?

5. Feeding time

There’s only one way to find out if your kid will like a new food.

And don’t worry, they can change their minds the next day as well.

6. Floor food

The floor is just one big plate to a toddler.

The 5-second rule can be extended to entire days if something looks tasty enough.

7. Babywearing

If parenting wasn’t hard enough, now moms and dads are encouraged to strap their babies on for all that good body contact.

And sometimes it feels like they’re siphoning the energy right out of you through your skin.

It’s beautiful bonding, but that doesn’t mean it’s not exhausting.

8. Hiding spots

Kids can fit in a lot of places you never even realized they’d discover.

Sometimes you don’t even know what to child-proof until they’re already sitting in it.

9. Messes

You’ve probably had a messy house before but that’s nothing compared to the kind of havoc small children can wreak.

The kitchen is an especially good place for disasters.

Reconsider buying things in large quantities unless you want to sweep up large quantities from the floor.

10. Comfort

Parents have to take a nap whenever they can get it.

Baby on your head? Fine. As long as he or she is being quiet.

11. Entertainment

Babies are pretty easily entertained.

Get your fun time in while you can with them because once they’re toddlers, they’re going to be a lot harder to amuse and you won’t want them anywhere near your electronics.

12. Siblings

Just in case you ever thought having more than one kid would be ideal because they could help keep each other company, we give you Exhibit A:

13. Cleanliness

You know you’re a parent if you looked and this and thought “well, at least it won’t require more laundry.”

Kiddos have no qualms about wearing their food (which is funny because they have all the qualms about wearing things like pants).

14. Art

We’ve all done it at some point, but it’s very different when the walls belong to you.

We don’t know what possesses children to display their artwork with such destructive gusto, but sometimes we wonder why anyone even created permanent markers.

15. Defeat

It’s amazing what parents will put themselves through just to get a moment of rest.

But, hey, at least they’re not coloring the walls!

16. Disaster

No one knows how kids manage to make the kind of messes that look like they could only happen in an over-the-top buddy comedy.

But for some reason they can do it in under 5 minutes.

17. Self-care

Did you think it was impossible to sleep and eat at the same time?

Then you’ve never had a newborn.

18. Tantrums

They make no sense. Sometimes you don’t even know what they’re about.

Honestly, there’s no fixing a tantrum, you just have to get through it.

19. Screaming

Get your earplugs ready because you are about to be exposed to more noise than you could have ever imagined as a parent.

And sometimes you have to just let it all out yourself too!

20. Pleading

Every now and then your kid will lose the ability to walk by themselves.

Heaven help you if you aren’t prepared to carry them.

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It’s a good thing kids are so cute and evolution has programmed us to love them no matter what.

Parenting can be a real struggle most of the time!

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