As parents, we all make mistakes. And the guilt is REAL. When we screw up, we feel like the worst parents on the planet and our sure that our children will be scarred for life. However, most of the time that's not the case: our kids will grow up healthy, happy, and loved, and we will be the ones left with the crippling guilt. In order to help us get over ourselves, here are some parents who failed big time.
1. Pumpkin Baby
While this idea is adorable in theory, we would have suggested they go with a much larger pumpkin. The poor baby looks cold and uncomfortable in his stiff squash pants.
However, we do have to give props to whoever cut the leg holes so precisely. We would not recommend using the pumpkin to make a pie after this, but that's just us...
2. Sailing Through the Air
This is one of the scariest photos we have ever witnessed as parents. And we have no doubt it was a terrifying moment for this mom and dad as well.
It's highly likely that this was just a moment gone slightly awry, but man, this image will haunt our parental nightmares forever. Those parents probably held their kids extra tightly after this picture was taken. Excuse us while we go and give the kiddos and extra squeeze...
3. Target Practice
All we can say is oouuchh!! Talk about trauma--for the kid, that is. It seems as though this dad underestimated his son and offered himself up as a moving target.
What a massive mistake. And speaking of massive, that bow is almost bigger than the kid! Maybe a few ground rules need to be put into place before the next trip to the shooting range.
4. Cheerio Towers
Wait, what? It can be pretty tedious when the baby falls asleep on our laps, rendering us immobile for fear of waking her up. Usually there are better ways to stay entertained, like a TV show or social media.
What made these parents resort to stacking cheerios on their children's heads in the first place? And we also wonder: how many cheerios were stacked before the babies woke up?
5. Truck Bed Car Seats
Oh my God, are there car seats in the back of that pickup truck? With BABIES in them?!! At least they're using car seats, but next time put them inside the car, people!
We hope they stop at the next car dealership and purchase a minivan, or at least a sedan. The children are our future, let's keep them safe! Well at least mom is back there with them...
6. Piano Recital
Womp. Talk about bad timing. We try to be such great parents, showing up at all of the soccer games and piano recitals, documenting every precious moment, only to be foiled by an unfortunately placed balloon.
We tried recreating this photo ourselves a hundred times, with absolutely zero success. So to the parent who took this photo: you have got some major talent.
7. Tarzan and...Jane?
Ok, we can see how this may have been a good idea--in theory. Who doesn't trust dad when he comes up with the next new adventure? Usually they're tons of fun!
This one seems like it didn't work out so well, although we'd be interested to see how the little girl reacted after the photograph was taken. Our guess is that in twenty years she'll still be using the guilt to manipulate her dad.
8. Diaper Boot
Yes, there is a shortage of garbage cans in retail stores. And yes, it's wildly unpleasant to walk around toting a smelly diaper. But isn't it our job as parents to lead by example? This is just plain terrible.
If these parents somehow got caught without a bag for the dirty diaper, they probably could have gone to ask for one from the cashier. There was no reason to ruin merchandise!
9. Restaurant Changing Station
The absolute last thing we want to see when we go to a restaurant are feces, especially not on the table in front of us! We understand that babies have adorable butts, but frankly this is crossing a line.
Many of us who were servers have dealt with gross situations, so we're hoping that this mom left the server a big tip--and no, we are not referring to the diaper.
10. Shopping Cart Stroller
We've all been there: we go into the supermarket for just one or two items, and we end up with too much for the "Ten Items Or Less" line. We never thought that this needed to be said, but: Do. Not. Use. Your. Child. As. A. Shopping. Cart.
Honestly, some things shouldn't have to be said. We really hope that this dad bought something amazing for his poor child! This kid deserves a trip to the ice cream store after going through something like this.
11. Shopping bag
This one is just too cute. Look at how happy that kid is! He's pretending to be groceries! There is nothing better than children's imaginations and how creative they are!
Of course that's assuming that this was the kid's idea. We're here wondering was this a situation of a kid being silly, or was this a complete fail by the parent who decided that this was the best was to carry their kid. We chose to believe it was the former.
12. Twins
Telling kids apart, especially when they're our own, shouldn't be too difficult. Usually a parent knows that this one has a cute freckle or that one has a smaller nose. Shaving numbers into kid's heads seems like a bit much.
Seriously! They're even wearing different colored jackets! Is it too hard to remember that Kyle is wearing yellow and Jason is wearing orange?! What happens when the hair grows back?
13. Plunger Boy
Sometimes we can understand what parents are thinking even when it seems ridiculous, but this one is too much. Carrying a kid with a toilet plunger doesn't make sense at all.
We've heard that cupping is healthy, but this doesn't seem like something a swimmer does. Are they going to buy the plunger? Did he bring it from home? We're left with too many questions...
14. Apple-Flavored Fanta
Ordinarily, we might call this a win: replacing the soda in a can with apple juice is parenting gold! However, it's clear from these photos that the little girl knows exactly what's going on and is not amused.
If we were going to try this, we would at least replace the soda with carbonated orange juice to get a more similar flavor. Although, fizzy orange juice sounds pretty bad, so there may not be a good way to do this. Perhaps just leave the soda off the menu entirely.
15. Skateboard Stroller
Can't get enough exercise with a baby in the house? No problem! Just hop on the skateboard, pop the baby in the stroller, and get moving. On second thought, maybe that's not the best idea considering the high chance of crashing or tipping over the stroller.
What was this parent thinking? Also, was it raining? There are so many things in this image that we would not recommend, but hey, every parent bonds with their kids in their own way.
16. Parent Under the Influence
We don't even know how to begin here. There is a man flipping his daughter. Ok, a little dangerous, but dads do dangerous things, it's their job. But his son helping him chug a beer at the same time is way over the line!
This type of party reminds us of college, only then there were fewer children who could potentially be harmed. Who decided to take a photo of this moment instead of stopping these shenanigans?
17. Bread Tower
This one is a classic. We all have that friend who sleeps through anything, and we always draw NSFW images on their faces and try to stack as much as we can on them until they wake up.
This is wildly impressive. It makes us wonder if they may have used a little bit of peanut butter or jelly to keep the pieces from falling over. Regardless, kudos to these parents for raising a kid who can sleep through anything.
18. Pancake Face
This is disturbing on many levels. We've all heard of baby led weaning, but this is definitely not what they had in mind. Seriously, pour a little maple syrup on and this kid looks good enough to eat!
Since this kid looks totally chill and happy to have a pancake on their face, it makes us think that maybe this had happened before. Next time, the mouth hole should be higher.
19. Adult Video Games
Generally we have no problem with letting kids play video games. They can be educational and fun, plus they improve hand-eye coordination. But we would strongly urge parents to consider the contents of video games before giving them to their kids.
Because this child will definitely have nightmares for life. Virtual Reality glasses in a terrifying video game? You couldn't pay us to play that, and we're much older than the girl in this picture!
20. Motorcycle, Baby!
Wait, is there a baby in this picture? We had to do a double take with this one. Squashed between the two adults on the seat of the motorcycle is definitely a small child.
They must have been thinking that this was the best way to keep the child safe, because we're not sure why anyone would do this. Not to mention it cannot have been comfortable for the kid.
21. Pole Dancing
There are so many things wrong with this picture, we are not even sure how to begin. Fishnets on a baby? A bikini top? A mini skirt? Pole dancing? Yikes!
Should we even bother with the fact that the lamp is still plugged in, and the outlet is completely exposed? We like to think that there were some good intentions here, but we're having difficulty figuring out what they might be.
22. Abandoned Baby
We've all been caught up in the rush of a sale before, but usually we bring our kids with us into the store, we don't just leave them outside. Maybe an older child ran away and needed to be chased after? Maybe that's why the baby was left alone?
We're betting this baby will grow up with some slight abandonment issues. Or at the very least there will be lots of guilt trips about how mom and dad love his older brother more.
23. Potty Plane
Toilet training can be difficult, and teaching kids to use the toilet is quite hard. This is especially true when it comes to those airplane toilets that are so loud and smelly they scare even us.
So while we understand bringing a kids' potty along on a trip, we don't really follow the logic of pulling it out in the middle of the aisle. Surely there were better places they could have gone, like the bathroom maybe?
24. Bussing Dirty Diapers
Wow, this is just flat-out rude. Who would leave a dirty diaper with their dishes at a restaurant? Surely there was a garbage can available so they could throw the diaper out themselves, if they had bothered to look.
The poor server! This is definitely not in the job description. Stressful situations are no excuse to behave badly towards others. We really hope that these people left a generous tip.
25. Inappropriate Statue Climbing
There is something irresistible to kids about climbing statues. What could be more fun than conquering the smooth and shiny surfaces of larger than life figures? But there is a time and place for climbing, and war memorials are strictly off-limits.
These parents clearly didn't explain to their kids that they were visiting a war memorial, and that they needed to be respectful during their visit, because they are climbing all over the statue dedicated to the nurses who served in the war.
26. Duct Tape Harness
Parenting has its fair share of challenges that require creative solutions. Duct tape is often the creative solution to many problems. But putting the two together like this? It never occurred to us.
If there wasn't a better place to put the baby down, we guess this works. And the baby does seem pretty happy and safely secured. Our big question is how are they going to get her down?
27. Kid in a Claw Machine
What are we even looking at? How does this happen? It's hard enough to get anything out of those claw machines, let alone getting something in. Why did they take a picture instead of helping the poor boy?
Even with all the unanswered questions, all in all, he does seem pretty content. We guess it probably has something to do with finally getting that ball, even if he had to get in the machine to do it.
28. Shopping Basket
We all know kids are way more flexible than adults, but this child squashed into a shopping basket just seems so uncomfortable. Surely there was a better way to sit?
The kid looks like he was just stuffed into the basket and carted off to whatever errands mom needed to run. But maybe his knees can act as a pillow and he'll be able to nap while mom shops.
29. Stroller Fail
These pictures really make us mas. Lady, put down the phone! The stroller literally flipped over and the baby is on the ground, and this woman is still talking to whoever is on the other end.
Why isn't she worried about her baby? And how could the baby have fallen out in the first place? That's what the buckles are for! This whole fiasco could have been avoided if she had been paying a little less attention to her phone.
30. Kids in a Cage
Kids are always up to some type of mischief, and at times that includes playing in the dog crate. In this picture, however, it seems like there's something slightly different going on.
The kids in the dog cage appear to be looking woefully over at the women on the sofa. We hope that the kids ended up in the cage as part of a game gone wrong, and not because an adult put them there.
31. Transportation by Leash
There are times when putting children on a leash just makes life easier, like at Disney World for example. Other times, it's just plain weird and doesn't make any sense.
In this picture, a mom is dragging her son along using a leash. At least his clothing provides a nice barrier with the floor and allows him to slide along easily. But what happens when they have to go out to the parking lot?
32. Microwave Baby
We cannot even imagine a scenario that could have led to this picture. How did the baby access the microwave? Did an adult put her there? If so, that's just plain wrong.
This child looks so distressed and uncomfortable it seriously hurts our hearts. We also didn't realize that microwave ovens were quite big enough to fit babies. Good to know.
33. Defending the Defenseless
Parents pull all kinds of stunts with their newborns, particularly because such young babies can't really do much to begin with. It seems that this parent was...testing his son's reflexes?
Clearly the baby was not fast enough to stop the Nerf dart from hitting him in the head. Maybe if dad keeps using him as target practice, one day he'll reach up his little hand and grab the dart straight out of the air.
34. High Flyer
We can't look! This photo is horrifying. Who tosses their baby across a ravine? Who?? It would have been a much better idea to strap baby on in a carrier, or even to put baby securely in a backpack.
We've all seen dads throw their kids up into the air as moms looked away in terror, but this is a new low. At least the baby seems confident that his parents know what they're doing.
35. Horrifying Haircut
We all have those childhood photos that just don't look good, despite our mothers' best intentions. After a while, we realized that the one rule of picture day was not to get a haircut the day before.
It seems that this girl did not get the memo, because her hair looks freshly cut into an unfortunate hairstyle. At least she looks quite happy in the photo (or manic, take your pick).
36. Car Seat on a Motorcycle
While this does not seem safe to us, we must commend this parent for at least trying to put safety first. They did make sure to do their best to secure their car seat to the motorcycle, after all.
We hope they also have a helmet for the baby. And possibly a sedan as well, so that their child doesn't actually have to ride on the motorcycle. We're sure it's wonderful to feel the wind in their hair, but babies really don't need to experience motorcycle rides so early in life.
37. Grocery Shopping
What are our options when our kids no longer fit in the seat on the shopping cart? Why, lay them underneath, of course! This boy was obviously tired of being in the supermarket, because he seems to have crawled under the cart to take a nap.
His mother seems to be ok with it, too. And why not? She gets to finish her shopping in peace while her son takes a nap. This is a very creative solution to an otherwise difficult problem.
38. Monster Baby
While we do agree that sometimes scaring our kids can be very funny, there are certain situations in which it's just mean. This picture demonstrates one of those situations.
This parent placed a zombie baby in the shopping cart next to their child. Admittedly, that statue is creeping even us out. No wonder the poor boy is crying from terror!
39. Poop-pocalypse
While this is not exactly a parenting fail, it's definitely a fail in our books. Clearly this baby got his diaper off and proceeded to smear poo all over his room. Which is absolutely disgusting.
We cannot imagine what the parent felt when they walked in on this. Despair. Revulsion. A desire to throw up. However, it is nice that the child decided to settle in for a nap in order to give the parents some time to clean up while he's asleep.
40. Paint Party
Once again, a kid fail. We as parents lack the imagination that our children have when it comes to causing mayhem and mischief. Clearly these parents did not lock the paint away securely enough.
As parents, we would be asking ourselves how this could happen in the five minutes we were out of the room. We would then proceed to cry in frustration at the amount of time it will take to clean up. But the kid looks very proud of his accomplishment.