All parents screw up every now and then. No matter how many parenting books you read and no matter how many precautions you take, you’ll still get things wrong–and quite often, your child will happily facilitate the process.
Luckily, kids are resilient, and probably don’t remember most if any of the day-to-day screwups all parents have. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still have a laugh about it! Here are 15 parenting fails (via Buzzfeed and Bored Panda) that will definitely make you feel way better about that time you forgot Junior at the Insane Clown Posse concert.
1. That’s one way to get more calcium.
Photo Credit: loveelvis81
The story: “My son lost a tooth this morning. So I put It in a snack bag for the ‘tooth fairy’ tonight. I also grabbed a snack bag because I was making his lunch at the same time. Fast forward to me picking him up at his afterschool. He asked me on the way home ‘Mommy why did you put my tooth in with my Cheeze-it’s today?’ He almost ate his tooth.”
2. Still better than what this mom did. (Or, didn’t do.)
Photo Credit: Buzzfeed
3. Nobody could have predicted this would happen.
Photo Credit: captivatinglipsbycamille
4. Mom was no match for Mother Nature.
Photo Credit: Reddit
The story: “My friend had her daughters at a zoo when she heard, ‘Ma’am, there’s a lemur on your baby.'”
5. Spit Take
Photo Credit: @MiaSimper101
6. When you leave them alone for 10 minutes.
Photo Credit: Reddit
7. “My toddler just asked for lip balm. What could go wrong?”
Photo Credit: mamamachtdas
8. Wardrobe Malfunction
Photo Credit: Reddit
9. And a lifetime of trust issues began.
Photo Credit: Reddit
10. When a baby doubles as a napkin.
Photo Credit: Reddit
11. Splash Down
Photo Credit: kristinsday
The story: “Nine hour flight to Budapest. No problem. We’re an experienced family of travelers.”
12. When time out just makes things worse.
Photo Credit: mrskooienga
The story: “Sent my daughter to time out…where she used her time to find the baby powder.”
13. Parents don’t plan. They improvise.
Photo Credit: Reddit
The story: “My daughter’s nose started bleeding in the car and this was the only thing I had handy.. She called it a ‘cotton stick.'”
14. Indiana Jones makes it look so easy.
Photo Credit: Bored Panda
15. And finally, parenting in a nutshell.
Photo Credit: Reddit
h/t: Buzzfeed and Bored Panda