They may bring chaos in their wake, but we can’t resist a giggle when our messy toddlers are up to no good… (again)
Whether they’re caking themselves in food, jumping into muddy puddles or raiding mummy’s make-up drawer, we all know toddlers get a real kick out of making as much mess as possible.
But now bed and sleep specialist Time 4 Sleep are on a mission to find the filthiest of the lot, after launching a competition that asks parents to upload photos of their mucky little tykes.
The results, it has to be said, were wince-inducing if hilarious, with some of the funniest entries featuring children covered in paint, cake and lipstick. However, for over two thirds of parents (71%), the damage has been so bad that it’s meant they’ve had to redecorate or replace items in their house, with half of parents saying they’ve spent over £100 fixing the mess.
“The submissions we’ve received so far have been great, and they really do reflect the reality of toddlerhood!” says Jonathan Warren, Time 4 Sleep director. “Household items often bear the brunt of young children when they’re in the mood for mischief, so we wanted to find out just how much they’re costing mum and dad in time and money.”
“The amount of money parents are spending on repairing damage is surprising, but we’re sure it doesn’t take long to forgive some of those angelic faces!” he adds.
Deputy retail manager Kate Leighton was certainly surprised to find her daughter and her friend covered in blue and purple paint, after only five minutes of being left to their own devices.
“We were having lunch outside, and the next thing I know Penelope is purple and Renesmee is blue. The girls said they were turning themselves into princesses!”
The house had only been quiet for 10 minutes before primary school assistant Sarah Anderson discovered her daughter and friend had caked themselves in lipstick. “We investigated and found the girls, sink, bath, carpet and walls covered. It took a lot of cleaning!”
This muddy puddle proved too irresistible for little Lincoln, who ended up waist high in water after going for a walk with his mum, Hannah Eaton.
“Our messy toddler [Mia] has allergies to dairy and soya, which result in her not enjoying food,” said Sam Boseley. “This was our attempt at embracing baby-led weaning to foster an enjoyment of food!”
Mum of twins, Zoe had left her little ones, Dena and Nell, painting a picture, but when she returned, she found the children had decided to use each other as canvases. Paint was everywhere!
Cousins James and Annabelle decided to decorate themselves with felt tip pens. “They’re forever getting themselves into trouble,” says James’ mum Alison. “During this particular incident, they were playing upstairs in Annabelle’s room. It was really quiet and we were enjoying the peace! Next thing, they both come downstairs covered in felt tips. We looked upstairs and they had redecorated the bedroom walls with felt tips and sharpies!”
Calling all messy kids! Have you got any hilarious photos of your toddler getting up to no good? Just hit ‘Like’ on Baby Facebook page and ‘Follow’ on our @BabyMagazineUK Twitter account to send us your funny pictures.
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