kids

'Looked away for one second...' Just 36 photos that sum up having a toddler.

Messy. Crazy. Energetic. Adorable. Exhausting.

Those are just some of the words my colleagues use to describe their toddlers.

Parents of toddlers: translated. Post continues after video.

Parents and non-parents alike know toddlers (children 1-3 years of age) will push your limits. They'll be laughing one minute and crying the next.

We asked our Mamamia community to share a photo that shows they have a toddler. And boy, did they deliver.

From mess, to tantrums... to more mess, here are 36 photos that sum up the toddler stage.

1. Nicole

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2. Jacqui

"Working from home means you always have a... helper."

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3. Alyssa-Jane

"When your son finds himself into your makeup bag."

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4. Rikki

"Speaks for itself really..."

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5. Laura

"I'm not sure this needs much explanation. It was an attempt to go for a walk around our local suburb that did not go well. I think you can tell! It was taken during lockdown in 2020 of my then three-year-old Leo and I think it summed up the mood of the world generally."

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6. Rebecca

"He decorated our gingerbread tree..."

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7. Lauren

"Why? Why did I think glitter would be a good idea with two toddlers and a newborn in the house?"

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8. Katie

"Kids are so weird."

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9. Rachel

"And I cleaned the shower two days ago."

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10. Merryn

"The OCBC Skyway is 22 metres above the ground. We were there for half an hour trying to spot an ant on the ground."

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11. Lauren

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12. Katie

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13. Lauren

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14. Kate

"My son wanted to hold his own babycino and the lid came off when taking a sip."

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15. Christina

"I searched the entire house for the toy that's needed for sleep."

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16. Carly

"The wet patch to my right is piss. Motherhood is a gift."

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17. Antonia

"My two-year-old son crying because he couldn’t have any of the dog's birthday cake..."

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18. Amanda

"She made a bad decision, can’t lie her way out of it."

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19. Casey

"My house is full of discarded pieces of fruit with one bite taken out of them."

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20. Laura

"Looked away for one second..."

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21. Bessie

"When you put your vodka, lime and soda down for two seconds."

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22. Courtney

"When they eat like this and won’t let you wipe their face and Vegemite gets all over the couch."

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23. Antonia

"My son always eating my food."

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24. Casey

"When you let them open their treat at the shops..."

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25. Zara

"Toilet training going well."

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26. Nikki

"My freshly baked cake got fisted in a split second."

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27. Renee

"On the way to preschool. Definitely not a morning toddler."

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28. Michelle

"He wanted to eat dry quick oats."

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29. Alicia

"When you let your kids play with the polystyrene packaging..."

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30. Frankie

"My camera roll: a photoshoot with an Owlette doll."

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31. Sarah

"Winter park trip in Melbourne. Who needs shoes?"

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32. Brooke

"I caption this 'Picasso'. Yep, that's his bedroom wall."

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33. Sarah

"Because where else would one store a sandwich?"

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34. Jo

"She was guarding the real artwork which was on the lounge."

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35. Laura

"Toddler packed my older son’s lunchbox for him... with cat food."

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36. Elizabeth

"When they insist on taking a photo of you."

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Do you have a photo that sums up having a toddler? Share it with us in the comments below.

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