Did they dump cocoa powder all over the floor because they think you should make some brownies, or because they don’t know how much work it is cleaning cocoa powder up? Both, probably. Here are plenty of pictures of outrageous kids making problems for Mom and Dad, but all we have to do is laugh.
Get the Comb
This one isn't exactly the kid's fault, and we could probably guess that she isn't interested in repeating the process. This little gal was sledding in the snow when she took a bad turn and fell off into what appears to be a whole lot of sticky burrs.
If you've ever had to peel these out of your dog's fur, you know that they're no fun. Having to very slowly and gently tease these annoying seed pods out of your daughter's hair will be frustrating for everybody. It also looks like this girl wants Mom to put down the phone and start helping her.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
These kids would have gotten away with their task if not for the kids on the bottom tickling the other's foot. Mom was hard at work on the computer and only noticed this when the older brother demanded the younger stop tickling him.
Mom whipped out her phone and watched the kids climb up and grab some grapes to snack on. While climbing into the fridge isn't something that most parents want to encourage, this Mom was proud of the teamwork and healthy choices they were making.
Old Man Baby
Don't look so excited about your hair going gray, kid. We aren't sure exactly what this child decided to cover himself in, but he looks pleased as punch that he has done so. The comment on this picture has the mother wondering how she is going to handle this kid and his sibling, but making a bit of a mess on his own head is nothing compared to some of the destruction that kids can get up to.
Our best guess for the substance is something like flour, baking soda, or baby powder. You can almost guarantee that there is a bigger mess off camera, too.
Cruella de Vil is Interested
Family pets are often the targets of a kid's exciting qualities, and if you have a big dog that will sit still and let the kids play, they're going to take advantage. This cute little Dalmatian has been all colored in, and we aren't going to knock the artistic elements at all. The pup looks pretty good.
Still, this likely resulted in a bath for at least the dog, maybe the kids, and maybe some other stuff in the house. There's a second dog that is clearly on the move behind the Dalmatian who hopefully avoided getting a fresh coat of what looks like a marker.
At Least It's Clean
The bad news is, that this is going to be a lot of work to clean up. The good news is, at least the kids can help. The story behind this picture is a guy got a phone call from his marine-turned-cop neighbor, saying there was “something” everywhere, and that he should come quick. This was the result.
Maybe the neighbor was better at keeping the peace than he was with making a bubble bath. The stuff in the bottle under the sink is supposed to go in the dishwasher, not the bathtub. The kids barely even look like they're having a good time.
Safe From the Sun
This picture comes from an Instagram post, and it relates that the mom of this family would see kids covered in something as a kid and think “they must have left their kids gone for a long time.” Then she became a mom herself and realized the awful truth: It doesn't take very long.
This child, for instance, was on her own for less than five minutes, but that was all the time she needed to cover herself with suncream. It also has a tip for getting it out of the carpet. Scrape up the excess, sprinkle baking soda, wait an hour, vacuum, and blot with warm soapy water.
It Will Take All Winter to Clean Up
The next time your kids make a mess, at least they probably won't be able to make angels out of it, like in the snow. What exactly these kids have done to make such a mess is unknown – it looks a little bit like sand, a little bit like flour, and a little bit like pillow stuffing.
They seem to be enjoying themselves, though. Maybe it was midway through summer and they needed the creative outlet that only fresh snow can provide – so they made some of their own! Problem is, they'll have to get out the broom and dustpan, too.
Five Minutes is All They Need
The explanation for this one was “I'm making snow,” apparently. Mom was just trying to get some work done, and this kid was learning the valuable uses for destruction – in case you want to make Mom made, it's super handy. Every parent or older child knows: if the kids are being quiet for a little too long, it probably means they are getting into trouble.
Maybe they're just sitting quietly and reading a book, you'll think. And you'll be wrong. This picture is the kind of thing that they'll be doing. Something that will give you nightmares for years to come.
Just Wanted to be Artistic
At the very least, it looks like this mess was intentional. The story goes that a kid has to have a sick day, so why not give them education in art – and in cleaning up afterward? A big piece of old wallpaper, a basement art space, and hands and feet instead of brushes?
It's a little modern art, but that seems to be the thing that's getting hung in museums these days, so better to let that creativity shine than stifle it. Such purposeful strokes. Such a dynamic vision! This kid is going places.
Really Meticulous Destruction
A mom was just in the kitchen getting some dinner ready when her daughter comments that there are no hairbrushes in the house. She turns around to find a few things: her daughter holding a doll's head (not a whole doll), and all these doll items spread out on the table. Even the cat is perplexed, and they usually don't care that much about anything that's going on around them, unless it has to do with food.
Why has the child done this? There is no way to find out the real truth, unless she really wanted to find a hairbrush, and knew that it would be easier to clean up afterward like this.
They're Very Sorry
The story attached to this photo at least relates that this mess was an accident, but that doesn't make the clean-up any easier. The kids just wanted to help...carry some paint, it looks like, but those stairs are pretty tall for little legs. Getting dried paint off a linoleum floor is no easy task, even with little helpers like those.
Well, repainting the floor is always somewhere on the to-do list, even if it's usually down at the bottom. At least these two “helpers” are able to look properly upset about the mess they made.
Band-aids and Blue Crayon
Maybe this little one was taking cues from Mom as she got ready for work. Makeup isn't a big need before the age of five, but if someone else in the house spends a lot of time doing it, it must be fun, right? It's a good thing crayon washes off without too much hassle.
This little gal is also the kind that needs a bandage for every little bump and bruise, even something that doesn't show. Altogether, the ensemble really seems to work. Any experienced parent will see this and laugh, nodding to themselves. They know how it goes.
Don't Look So Surprised
When you're a parent, you always have an ear open for your kid. Not only so you can hear them screaming, but so you can hear them making no sound. Parents know that no sound is the worst – it means they're getting into trouble and don't want to get caught.
This flummoxed feline was the target of one child's artistic exuberance, and it now sports a trim goatee, a curled mustache, and a pair of raised eyebrows. While the design is actually pretty good, subjecting a cat to this kind of thing will likely result in some painful scratches and fear of markers on the cat's part.
The Kid Has a Future in IT
There are few things more destructive than a toddler with a spare thirty seconds. We don't think we could pry all the keys off a laptop keyboard in thirty seconds, and we're grown adults (physically, at least). The owner of this computer has a few options.
Try and pop the keys back on (definitely won't be easy), get the laptop keyboard replaced (expensive or time-consuming or both), or get a USB keyboard to plug in. That's probably going to be the best option, but the kid will have to be taught that some things aren't toys, especially if Dad needs them to put food on the table.
A Ghost of a Girl
The parents of this tyke were destined for trouble as soon as they left a can of white paint unattended. That stuff attracts kids like flies to honey, and there's simply no way on Earth they can get to it and not make a mess.
Thankfully, this little one decided that the thing most fun to cover in white paint is herself – that means bathtime for a while, but it will probably be easier than working on the floor. There are still plenty of cleanups to do on the wood, the carpets, the fireplace, and the hearth, but it could have been a lot worse.
Introducing Mrs. Fluffy-Bottom
Not even dogs are safe if there are kids on the loose. However, there are certainly a lot worse things that can happen to a dog that is cornered by some kiddos. Being given a frilly hat and subjected to a tea party doesn't seem too bad in the grand scheme of things. Sure, puppets might not look all that pleased, but at least he isn't covered in paint or something like that.
He does have quite the thousand-yard stare, though. Maybe this isn't the first time this has happened. Add some doggy treats to the tea party and he probably won't mind.
Stay!
There's something weird about little kids. They so often try to control those younger than them that this sort of thing frequently happens. While those cages are usually for the dog to have a safe space of its own, they are the perfect size for the newest member of the family, too. And just look at how proud the girl is that she figured this out!
She's pointing at her younger sibling like it's a piece of art that is being hung in a museum. Of course, this kind of behavior is easy to stop – just ask the older daughter if she'd like to be stuck in a cage, and suddenly the child learns about empathy. If she doesn't...that's a much bigger issue.
We'll Allow It
The Sound of Silence is not only a great song, but it's also one of the scariest things a parent can hear. Shouldn't the kids be making more noise? Yes, probably. If not, they're in the kitchen dumping out the flour, in the garage dumping paint all over themselves, or in the bathroom decorating the toilet.
We know which one sounds the best to us. It might not be the most comfortable thing to use if you have a pressing need, but there are far worse things a kid can do unattended in the bathroom. And the design is pretty nice. Good spacing. Like the hours on a clock.
Ready to Help the Rebels
We feel pretty bad about this kid. Not only did she grab a black marker and go to town, but when she was finally found out she managed to pull one of the most...interesting faces we've ever seen. She looks like an Ewok from “Star Wars: Episode VI.” Surely not the best picture that's ever been taken of this little lady.
We hope the cleanup wasn't too bad. We're also kind of amazed at how dense the marker is around the eyes. Maybe there's another child to blame for this botched makeup job. That would certainly explain the face she's pulling.
Blaming the Dog
Pointing the finger at the family pet is a time-honored tradition for everyone. My little brother once blamed the cat for a bit of earth-shaking flatulence. Of course, this kid is going to have a pretty difficult time blaming this colorful hound, since dogs aren't very good at holding blue crayons. Any crayons, really.
Also, the dog is casting its baleful gaze on the kid, expecting him to make another artistic move. The kid not only did the classic drawing on the walls, but gave the dog a fresh coat, and even did a little bit of his own makeup. Another clue the kid is to blame – is the height of the drawing. Right at eye level.
Nothing to See Here
Mom was hearing a little bit of commotion from the little girl's room, and when she took a peek, she caught her daughter jumping back into bed and pretending to sleep. The daughter had grabbed a bunch of lollipops, unwrapped them all, and then tried to pretend to be asleep to avoid getting caught. Parents are a savvy bunch, however – Mom was able to figure this one out without too much trouble.
The best part is the daughter sleeping while holding evidence in her hand. Why didn't she just unwrap one and enjoy it? She probably wouldn't have gotten caught. Two-year-olds haven't developed a lot of critical thinking skills just yet.
Toddler Tested, Toddler Approved
It was a classic story. Mom suddenly realized things were a little too quiet, and she knew that could only mean trouble. Indeed – when she entered the kitchen, she found multiple sticks of butter, unwrapped and spoiled by a set of child chompers. Why the kid thought it was necessary to unwrap multiple sticks and test each one, we'll never know.
Toddlers don't think, toddler's act. Not only does this render the butter pretty much unusable for anything other than spreading a little bit of the safe amount on toast, but the child will probably have a bad bathroom time in the near future, too. That's a lot of oil.
Hey. What's Up? Just Watchin' a Movie
This little guy seems to think that not making eye contact will make sure he doesn't get into trouble. But, no, he's still going to get into trouble. As to what he's done to cover himself, the couch, several blankets, and (probably) the floor, we aren't really sure. Looks like it could be flour. There are a lot of options.
According to the attached story, this child also got into the family's rice supply and spread approximately thirty pounds of it evenly over the kitchen floor. This little guy apparently needs a closer watch than the standard.
Ah, Excellent. An Audience
Most of the time, kids will stop in their destruction or mess-making when a parent comes along to witness them. But not this little guy, oh no. He sees his mom approach with the camera and he just kicks into overdrive. A can of pressurized whipped cream is a creative kid's dream, but we're not really sure what he's trying to accomplish here other than making a mess, which he is doing quite well.
Odds are he doesn't really know what he's doing – he's just bopping the can around and every once in a while some cream will come out.
Who Dares Approach the Bubble Queen?
Everyone knows there are never too many bubbles. This girl is also aware that there are never too many bubbles. Problem is, it kind of looks like she's made her soapy statement right in front of the fireplace. Unless she lives in a really swanky place, there's a really high chance she isn't actually in a bathtub, where bubbles belong.
Luckily, bubbles are just soap and water, so they aren't the worst thing to fill up the living room with, but they can still be a hassle. For now, this gal reigns from her bubbly throne, celebrating her rise to power.
It's a Good Start, Kid, But You'll Get Better
The girls were silent for a few minutes and this is what the parents came into the room to find. Silly girl, those don't belong on hair – they keep bags of chips closed. While messes are never fun to clean up, there are some parents who would call this kind of thing a lot worse – it looks pretty painful for the kid.
Maybe she was trying to do her hair up right as Mom does, but she just didn't have all the skills just yet. We've certainly seen worse looks when it comes to kids these days.
We're Sort of Impressed
Kids drawing on the walls of their homes is a tradition as old as time. Those cave drawings scientists get so worked up about? It was the kids. You'll just have to trust us on this one. This bit of artistry leaves us a little shocked at the skill.
There are a couple of Toads from the Mario series of games, there's what appears to be a Pikachu in the upper right, and there's quite a lot of detail in the other drawings, even if we don't know exactly what they are. Sure, somebody still had to clean it off, but there's a bright future there.
Time for Some Public Shaming
So your little guy gets into the markers and starts decorating the only canvas that he has easy access to – himself. Let no bit of skin be unmarked, he says, and from the head all the way up to the neck (and beyond), pretty much everything is covered. What to do? Well, the only solution for this little Dennis the Menace lookalike is to take him outside (clothed, of course), and show off the coverage.
The kid clearly doesn't care, might as well make some memories. This is the kind of picture that's going to show up on the wedding roll for everyone to laugh at. Maybe even the kid himself, if he turns out all right.
Giving the Cat its Own Space
While we have been assured that this little girl does, in fact, love this cat, the picture makes it hard to tell. The mom tried to run and brush her teeth while the girl was playing in her room, and she came back to find this.
The little one just really wanted the cat to be inside the little duckie box. As soon as the mom got the cat out, the girl immediately tried to put it back inside. Was this some form of protection? Hardly – a nine-month-old isn't going to understand that sort of thing. She was just doing whatever.
Go On and Get Them Muddy
Most parents these days don't want to even think about their kids playing in the mud like this one is. However, some studies have shown that kids who get dirty in such a way actually have stronger immune systems as they grow up – is it from the germs and organisms in the dirt, or is it all that good outdoor air and sunshine?
Of course, one way or the other this means a lot of cleaning once the fun is over. And just make sure he doesn't bring in any creepy crawlies once the parents get him inside.
Dressing Like Her Favorite
Kids love pretending to be their favorite cartoon characters. Tow Mater, Superman, Donald Duck – there are plenty to choose from. This little one decided that she wanted to be just like Peppa Pig, and she certainly has the proper color for the part. We aren't sure exactly what happened, but it looks like she might have gotten into some of Mom's makeup.
Maybe she had some arts and craft supplies that she realized would help her. It doesn't matter how it happened – this girl is ready for the live-action auditions.
Good, Clean Fun
Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the time, it's something you want to stay away from no matter what. That last point one percent, however, turns it into the most fun a bunch of boys can have, bar none. Once they are freed from the inhibitions of clean clothes and perfect skin, they can have real fun.
It's like swimming in the lake, plus painting, plus building a sandcastle. It may only happen a few times, but it will always be memorable when it does. These kids are going to look back on this picture with fond memories.
Choosy Kids Cover Themselves in Jif
Is it mud? Is it paint? God forbid – isn't it something from the toilet? None of those, thankfully. This gal decided for some reason to cover herself in peanut butter, and we can't see she looks all that unhappy about it. It was probably pretty fun, and you can't deny that it would be an interesting tactile experience.
On the other hand, it's going to be difficult to wash off, and the parents are bound to keep the peanut butter out of reach unless they're actively making a sandwich. Even then, they might take steps to make sure this doesn't happen again.
Eatin' Good
This is just a picture of a kid enjoying himself as much peanut butter as he can shovel down his gullet before Mom puts away the phone. We've done the exact same thing – and we don't care who knows it. Peanut butter is great, and you should eat it at every possible opportunity.
One of the big issues with it is when you start to run out – there's still clearly plenty of delicious peanut butter left around the edges of the plastic jar. Knives don't work, fingers aren't long enough. Maybe the solution is to let your kids at it – they won't leave any of that good stuff left by the end of the day.
Tastefully Done
For those that aren't yet parents, remember: if your children can be making a mess, they probably are making a mess. At least these two sisters kept it low-key when they realized their mother wasn't paying any attention. They just grabbed a handful of crayons and started decorating each other.
Actually, it looks like the younger sibling got the brunt of it, but there's probably some on the older sister as well. They seem like they're having a good time, and that kind of mess will just take a little bit of time with a washcloth.
It Looks Like it Was Taken in a Lab
Going through it quickly, this child apparently had a “one toy out at a time” rule that she was certainly not following. The mom was wondering how long it would take to put everything away, but we're wondering a few things. First off, this framing is way too professional. Like, it seems like it was edited.
The lighting is perfect, the placement is perfect. All of the toys are, for the most part, stood up properly and set out in their own little space. And does the kid not have ANY colorful toys? It smacks of a set-up. Yes, we're saying it – this was staged.
Look Mom, We're Laundry!
Get them started young, and the parents might be able to enjoy the kids doing their own laundry once they get old enough to understand how the machines actually work. These two tykes are getting a pretty good start, but the next lesson will have to be about what does, and doesn't, go inside the laundry baskets.
Soon they'll be separating all the colors and figuring out the joys of folding as they give Mom and Dad a chance to kick back a little bit.
Only Packing the Essentials
The next time you're out and about and you need to have a little kitten with you (to help you eat some tuna or something), think back to this picture. This kid knows that any situation will be better with some little kitties stowed away in the pants. In reality, we doubt the kittens are designed to stay put for that long, but they look like they're pretty comfortable.
Of course, kittens aren't used to keeping their claws inside yet, so we bet the insides of those pockets got a little torn. Still, it makes for a pretty good picture for the photo album.
Can't Go Without
A lot of kids have something that helps them feel ready to take on the world, like a blanket or a teddy bear. This kiddo decided he wanted to take his favorite stuffed animal along for the ride while leaving two hands-free for thumb-sucking or hugs.
All he had to do was rig up a bandanna and get one of the parents to tie it around his leg and the bear, and then he was ready to take on the world. As long as Teddy was there with him, at least. Lots of work to be done on the farm, and this kid needs two hands-free.
Just Like Dad
Children often grow up wanting to be like one or both of their parents in one way or another. This little gal has decided that she wouldn't mind having something like dad's facial hair, even if she does have to resort to what looks like a tiny sticker of a bat to try and get the soup strainer that makes dad look like dad.
There are a few other additions – maybe they were her trying to figure out where exactly the darn thing is supposed to go. The parents are most likely fine with this kind of mess – compared to some of the things in this article, this is a breeze.
Time to Have a Talk with the Kid
As a parent, you're going to be watching your kids for things like empathy, kindness, and gentleness, and you're going to be urging those traits to flourish. You're also going to be looking for them shoving push-pins into a stuffed seal, and if you find it, you're going to try and put the kibosh on that sort of activity. For...well, a lot of very complicated and important reasons.
Maybe they just thought it was a good place to keep push-pins while working on something (we'll let it slide), but this kind of thing can quickly lead to trying push-pins on the skin, and it shouldn't go any further.
En Garde?
Kids can and very easily will make a toy out of anything and everything. What is this little knight in shining armor wearing? Well, you'd probably recognize it better if it was on the ground with a cat crawling its way through it. Even cat toys can be turned into kid's toys with a little bit of thought.
We don't expect it to provide too much protection against the weapon of an older brother or a sister of any age (the little monsters), but if the goal is make-believe, it might just fit the bill. Try not to pay too much attention to the weird focus around the kid's head.
We Really Don't Know
Kids don't always make a mess, but you can rely on them to surprise you. For example, this little girl is dressed up as...well, it's hard to tell. She has a hat on that looks like it's actually a shirt, there's a headband around her face almost like a duck's bill, and there's a marker taped to her forehead.
Sunglasses, of course, which look like they went on before the marker. Your guess is as good as ours as what the end goal of the outfit is supposed to be. An animal? A superhero? Something that is fully out of our reach, since we aren't inside this child's head? It's the last one.
No Needles Required
This big, bright smile looks picture-perfect, and it has a little bit of something special to make the pic even more memorable. She's added what appears to be a small onion ring – perhaps a miniature doughnut – into her nostrils. Maybe the gal has an older sister or a mom that sometimes has a bit of hardware in the center bit of her nose, and she wanted to do what she could to copy before she could get a real piercing.
Maybe she was just goofing off like kids do and stuck something into her nose. It's not the first time and it certainly won't be the last time.
Lots of Questions
There are store mannequins all over the place, and they're a big help for stores that want to show how clothes lie on actual bodies instead of just on the rack. Kids often will mess with them, just because they're something to mess with. That can often mean some unwitting flashes of mannequin bodies, such as in this example. Why, we want to ask, does a mannequin even boast that kind of...equipment?
Maybe the designers wanted to better simulate the male body, but it just seems like an odd choice. Usually, they have the Ken Doll treatment going on down there, so it's surprising to see one who is packing.
At Least Somebody is Having Fun
A mom was in the middle of one of Jakarta's intense traffic jams when she received this picture from her husband, happily showing off all the jewelry that the daughter is able to wear. She's loaded up with dozens of arm bands and what looks like hundreds of necklaces, all layered over a My Little Pony dress.
This is the kind of thing that dads get up to when they're left alone with their kids. Not everybody has to spend their days like they're stuck in a traffic jam. She looks pleased as punch to be wearing everything from her mom's jewelry box.
The Mess We've All Made
Kids really like spaghetti and meatballs – of course, they do, lots of people do. Maybe it's the fact that it's weird, stringy noodles instead of clumps of moist food like they normally get, maybe it's the flavor, and maybe it's the messy quality that this saucy meal is famous for.
This gal is having a wee of a time painting her face, her bib, and anything else she can get her hands on in delicious red sauce. A little bit of pasta on the head (no doubt put there by someone who wanted a better picture) completes the outfit.
Did We Do Bad?
Both of these tykes look like they might be aware of the mess they've made. A few pots of paint can mean big destruction when it comes to friends that have an artistic streak, and these guys truly went to town. They even got a little bit of color on the puzzle-piece mat they've been playing on, and the clean-up time is going to be a lot longer than the time it took to make the mess.
Those puzzle pieces probably soak in the color. The kids look a little startled in the picture, so maybe they were mid-mess when the picture-taker showed up with the camera.
Something that Will Always Happen
Maybe you've been sitting on the toilet, staring at the toilet roll hanging on the wall because you forgot your phone. A thought goes through your head – long buried after years of adulthood. You wonder if maybe you should just give the toilet roll a whack and unravel it onto the floor. It probably doesn't happen at work or at a friend's house, but maybe at home.
Well, next time it happens, let your little kid out. Do it. Sure, you'll have to clean it up, but it will be fun for a bit. It will occupy your time. And maybe you might walk out of the bathroom with a smile on your face.
Body Art
If you don't have kids, you might wonder why kids are so often shirtless and pantless. It is because they are master makers of a big, sticky mess. Give them any amount of food that has the potential to make a mess, and there will be at least a little bit of mess.
Something like a Popsicle, in this picture, is really going to end up more as a work of art than something that will end up in the stomach. This little guy has it all over his face, his chest, his hands, and it's even getting in his hair.