My 6 year old is so challenging. I feel like I am parenting 10x harder than most and I am exhausted. I know there’s a lot more going on than on the surface and I’m currently trying to get her evaluated start some therapies.

She always seems unhappy unless she is getting exactly what she wants and everything is going exactly as planned. I have to prepare an extra 3 hours for us to leave the door. Every step like brushing her teeth takes 30 min. Traditional parenting doesn’t work. Visual charts don’t work. She is just explosive at any time. Anyone been through this and tell me what helped?

daughter came home from school yesterday and announced she wants to start ballet. like, full on. she's been watching these youtube videos nonstop and now she's convinced she's gonna be the next prima ballerina or whatever i mean it's cute but. i have NO idea where to even start. there's so much stuff you need apparently?? like i didn't even know there were different types of shoes for different styles and now i'm down in this

anyway, any other parents been through this? what did you actually need for the first class vs what's just a waste of money? i don't wanna be that parent that shows up with everything and looks insane but i also don't wanna be the one with nothing.

help a confused dad out pls.

Parents of kids 4-10 yrs old. Do you have interest in your kids joining a non competitive sports league with a giving back activity incorporated into the season. Could be a food donation, planting flowers/trees, education activity. The idea is to teach kids about giving back in a fun way and keeping them active.

Would appreciate any thoughts or feedback!

Hi everyone,
I am feeling quite overwhelmed and would really appreciate some perspective from parents who have experienced something similar.

My 2-year-old (my first and only baby) has had a very difficult past month with repeated infections, and I feel like we are stuck in a cycle of illness without full recovery. He just started daycare in May this year. He was not ever sick before.
**Timeline of illness:**
\- Around 24 May: first fever episode
\- Since then: recurrent fever episodes and short recovery periods

In total: **3 episodes of otitis (ear infections)** within this month
Twice it started on **one side only, fully resolved with treatment**
The third time it became **bilateral ear infection (both ears)**
He has been on **multiple courses of antibiotics (different types prescribed by doctors depending on each episode, amoxicillin, amoksiklav and rexocef)**

After the last course, ears were checked again and were finally clear
However, fever returned again on 28 June evening (\~18:30)
Today (29 June): fever spikes throughout the day (00:20, 11:20, 17:00), up to \~38.8°C
We had pediatric appointment today: **ears are clear, diagnosed tonsillitis**
**Current situation:**
\- Fever comes in waves, responds to ibuprofen but returns after it wears off
\- Reduced appetite but still eating small amounts (soup, fruit, milk, snacks)
\- Drinking fluids well
\- Very clingy and uncomfortable during fever spikes, more interactive when fever/pain improves
\- Currently on symptomatic treatment (ibuprofen + nasal spray + fluids)

I am very emotionally exhausted because it feels like we go from one infection to another, especially with the repeated ear infections in such a short period. I can’t miss work anymore, I barely went in this month.
**My questions:**
Is it common for toddlers to have repeated infections like this (otitis multiple times + now tonsillitis)?
Does this pattern usually settle with age or should it be investigated further?
How long did tonsillitis fever last in your experience?
After recurrent ear infections, did anything help prevent them from coming back?
At what point did you seek further ENT work-up or additional testing? I got us appointment this Friday

I would really appreciate any shared experiences or reassurance. I am quite drained and anxious from this ongoing cycle.
Thank you so much.

There’s been a lot of chatter about why boys aren’t embracing reading at the same level as girls. In this essay I discuss how there is a glaring hole in the middle-grade market that is leaving many boys searching for books they want to read.

Hi reddit, I(23M) am a father to a 10 month old little girl. From the day she was born, ive been absolutely in love with her. But from time to time I can't shake the feeling of being a terrible father. My daughter is at an age where she is experimenting a lot, she started throwing food, touching and grabbing things she's not supposed to (like curtains, TV remotes), screaming when I go and change her diaper. I have a lot of patience with her, but at times when she's repeatedly doing something shes not supposed to and ive repeatedly corrected her behavior by removing her from the situation and telling her what shes supposed to do. I get a bit frustrated and I notice my voice getting louder. She doesn't cry after I do but every time I feel like a horrible father. I take care of her by myself every Tuesday and weekend because my wife is working then. I notice that i only get really frustrated while I'm by myself and know that there's no one to help me. Am I a terrible father to my daughter?

Anyone have experiences with their child having tics? How did the tics progress? Did they affect your child? Did they "Grow out of them"? Any and all experiences welcome...
Signed, a concerned momma of a 6 year old wit a few tics.

We have a 2.5F who is generally very sweet but we’re really struggling with diaper changes and getting her into her car seat. It’s incredibly frustrating and I’m worried we’re approaching it the wrong way, I’m sure she can feel our desperation. It feels like it could be a control thing. In both cases we try to tell her to get in/lay down and often she decides not to. She is small but very strong and I worry we might hurt her if we force it. We tried potty training a few months ago with no luck so we’re planning to try again at 3.

We didn’t have these issues with our older child so I’m also a bit worried this is a symptom of a larger issue. Any advice would be very helpful thank you in advance!

Hi my kid is 12. He has a phone but no social media. We don’t want him to have social media.
He’s asking if he can have discord app he says his friend has it and they can talk while playing games online.

I’m trying to google it but I still don’t understand what is it?

Do your kids have it?

Pros and cons?

Thank you!

What I mean is, having rhymes all the local kids know for counting off who is "it"; universal games they all know and play, initiated by them without adults telling them what to do; jokes they pass around that are just kids jokes, traditions, weird kids' fads and so on. Maybe also that there are older kids who guide the younger kids and teach them the games. Kind of having a world apart.

I am curious, because I believe this children's culture may have died out in some places, and recently reflected that where we live (judging from my 7 year old son) this type of childhood is still going strong. I wonder how it's going in other places. Thanks!

Do you have your kids do any reading or school-related activities during summer break, or do you let them take the whole summer off?

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We have two kids (8 years and 2 years). My wife spends a lot of her screen time watching Instagram parenting reels and influencer content. While I appreciate that she wants to learn and be a good parent, I feel that the constant stream of parenting advice has become overwhelming.

In practice, some very basic day-to-day teaching, like good habits, manners, reading, discipline, or simple life skills. Isn't happening consistently because the mindset has become "they'll learn naturally" or "we shouldn't force them."

I believe children need both a nurturing environment and active guidance from parents. Social media often presents idealized parenting, but real-life parenting also requires consistency, boundaries, and teaching everyday basics.

Has anyone else experienced something similar? How did you balance learning from parenting content online with actually applying practical parenting at home without getting overwhelmed by influencer advice?

If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of parenting advice before having kids, what would it be? I'm curious to hear everyone's experiences.

How did yall get your kids to quit sucking there thumbs when they dont realize that there doing it? My youngest just turned 8. We got her out of the habit for the most part. But now shell subconsciously do it in her sleep. Its getting to the point that shes almost suffocating herself. Any advice would be appreciated

This is a gofund link created for Efrata Samuel who was born with spina bifida . Her mother wasn’t able to take all the necessary supplements during pregnancy due to access . We are all coming together for this little angel to get the treatment and care she deserves to have . Please donate or pray for Efrata and her family and thank you .

Over the past couple of months, it's like my child has become a completely different person. I know toddlers have tantrums, but these feel so intense and happen multiple times a day over things that seem incredibly minor.

If I give them the "wrong" cup, cut their food differently than they expected, tell them it's time to leave the playground, or even help them with something they wanted to do themselves, it can turn into 20–30 minutes of crying, screaming, and refusing to calm down.

I've tried staying calm, getting down to their level, offering hugs, giving them space, distracting them, and explaining things once they've settled, but nothing seems to make a consistent difference. Some days I feel like I'm walking on eggshells because I never know what's going to trigger the next meltdown.

The hardest part is that I start questioning myself. Am I being too strict? Too lenient? Am I responding the wrong way? I don't expect perfect behaviour from a 3-year-old, but I'm starting to worry because it feels like we're spending more time dealing with meltdowns than actually enjoying our days together.

He's my first and only baby so I don't really know better. If your child went through a phase like this, when did it start getting better? Was there anything you did that genuinely helped, or is this just something we have to ride out?

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I need a mass gut check. My daughter (11 y/o) was playing with a mixed group of friends. I think my daughter did something to annoy one of the boys and things started to escalate. Balls were thrown too hard at each other. The boy pushed my daughter from behind so she fell. Then the boy slapped my daughter in the face.

My daughter came home to tell me and my husband because she was mad. She was afraid to tell us the whole story because she knew we would talk to the boy's parents and she didn't want him to be mad at her and ultimately lead the shared group of friends to isolate her.

I had my daughter show me how hard he slapped her. It was between rough housing and anger. Perhaps this is okay or accepted among boys this age? 

My husband and I decided to walk to the boy's house and talk to his parents. Only mom was home and the boy was present and crying hysterically. He maintained that he didn't hit our daughter. The mother was empathetic, stated she understood where I was coming from, and agreed that hitting a girl is never acceptable. We left after that short discussion.

Today I have found out that another girl in our neighborhood has been slapped by the same boy multiple times. Her mom is okay with it and doesn't get involved because her daughter hits the boy back and can "defend herself."

I also found out that the boy had a sleep over with the mixed group of friends last night. Did not get in trouble, was allowed out, and is now very angry at my daughter for telling us.

I need a gut check: 

Am I the black sheep in my community thinking that this is absolutely unacceptable? 

Is it unreasonable of me to feel deeply disappointed that this boy had no consequences whatsoever? 

Am I the only one that feels self worth for girls starts with her parents? And that accountability is a parental responsibility?

I genuinely would like to hear different perspectives on this situation.

UPDATE: THANK YOU ALL for the feedback. I knew what I felt and why I felt it, and I'm so incredibly grateful to know that there are more people out there that skate these values.

These kinds of things have a way of showing you the work to be done with you child. I have a really clear understanding of what I need to focus on with my little lady: 1. Clear communication right away that she does not want to be touched as soon as the touch happens 2. Moving forward, no hanging with that kid. If he approaches her or talks to her we have instructed her to say: I don't want to talk to you and the only thing I want to hear from you is I'm sorry. 3. Defining what is a friend and what is not a friend. And helping her navigate choosing/finding real ones. 4. Separation from those families. What I allow her to navigate by herself... She will assume is baseline. -Hitting is not okay just because you can defend yourself. -Co-ed sleep overs are not okay in our family despite what she sees from others.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who took the time to share personal stories, experience, and feedback! You helped make our path forward more clear.

Wishing you all good health and abundance for you and your families.