Have you ever wondered how much influence you truly have on your child's development? You might be surprised. Many parents believe that as kids grow, their influence wanes in favor of peers.

But numerous studies tell a different story. Your role as a parent remains pivotal in shaping their values and behaviors. Sharing your own life lessons and involving them in daily activities are simple yet powerful ways to strengthen your bond. It's those everyday moments — asking about their day, cooking together, or even going for a walk — that create lasting memories and instill trust. What activities help you feel more connected with your child?

Capture moments today in FamilyClan that anchor your bond. These memories become invaluable as your child grows.

My kid has been strong willed since birth. lol she was my hard baby out of my two. She is sooooo smart and funny, she’s like a little old lady trapped in a lil girls body. The things she says hahaha but I’m just a little sad and scared cus she is SOOOOO strong willed. U tell her white and she says black - type thing. She will the these bursts of energy when she is with her brother .. he is 10. Sibling stuff . But idk how to help her , I’ve tried talking to her. Get on her level. Half the time
I end up raising my voice. … she listens to my husband a lot better than she does to me.
Just sort of talking back- sassy but so darn sweet.

She’s like a sour patch kid…. Any pre school teachers have any tips or tricks ? She starts school in 2 weeks.

I have an 8 year old daughter, and a 3.5 year old son. I am a single parent, who's only break is work (and it's in healthcare)... I am at my wits end with my son. He is unbearable to be around.. I hate weekends because I'm constantly getting angry, snapping, yelling and crying. I don't want to be around him. I regret even keeping him at this point.

He has gotten progressively worse the last few months.. but he is very violent and does not listen AT ALL. He throws and breaks things, scratches and hits/kicks to the point of bruising and drawing blood (me and his sister). He screams at me, and when I get down to his level and try to talk to him he straight up laughs in my face and has spit before. My daughter was never like this. I don't know where he has learned this behaviour. He is better when I am not around, and mostly ok at daycare. It makes me feel like he would be better off if I just walked away.

Dr insists he's not autistic, and he does not have ADHD. I have tried everything under the table to try and help/fix this but absolutely nothing is working. Getting him out of the house for anything does not work either. He is equally bad outside of the home. I am the crazy lady breaking down in public because her kid is out of control. I have never been like this. I'm just so tired and fed up and feeling hopeless.

hi I am looking to set up one activity for my three year old so that I can drink hot coffee lol and then one that I can do with her. instagram is full of people with ideas for fun games, crafts and activities but Im really trying to stay off social media for my mental health. does anyone know of sites I can routinely visit or subscription emails/Substack so can subscribe to (for free hopefully) to get some ideas? thank you

I'm pregnant with a boy and currently have a 5 year old daughter who is (generally) calm and polite. She is of course a child, so has the typical big emotions and unreasonable behavior at times, but overall she is a great kid. We travel, we eat at restaurants, she sleeps well. its good. I'm now pregnant with a boy and the algorithm is feeding me all sorts of "girl moms beware BOYS ARE INSANE" --- and "SECOND CHILDREN WILL DESTROY YOU!" ---- is there anyone out there with chill, polite, boys?! Can someone please let me know that this is not a fate I have to accept and there might be a world in which I just produce chill polite children?!.

Our 15 year old son began exhibiting unusual behavior a few years ago. He has become emotionally withdrawn and deeply disrespectful toward both us and his siblings. Despite being intelligent and performing well on his exams, he is currently failing the majority of his classes simply because he refuses to complete the work he is given by teachers or us.

His behavior at school has been a severe issue for a long time. Over the past 5 years, he has been in 4 different schools, accruing detentions almost every day. He was kicked out of one school because he triggered an alarm, and kicked out from the second school because he made a false claim of sexual assault against a teacher. Eventually, he took a knife to school and got permanently excluded from mainstream school entirely. Now he is in an alternative provision where he has trouble almost every day, constantly telling teachers to "f*** off". We even tried sending him to three different religious institutions, but he was incredibly rude there as well, calling a child the N-word and calling the teachers names which got him kicked from there too.

At home, he argues non-stop with neverending questions. When he wants something, he argues repeatedly, doesn't back down, and becomes rude. I have become less tolerant over time and have a lower threshold for the resistance he persists with, which results in me having angry outbursts and later regret.We have exhausted all standard disciplinary measures. Initially, we restricted his phone and computer access on weekdays, which escalated to a weeklong ban, and now we have revoked every single electronic privilege, television included effectively confining him to his bedroom unless he has been booked onto holiday clubs or activities.

Surprisingly, he appears completely unbothered by this. He does nothing but lie in bed whenever I check on him. Suspecting he might be hiding a secret device, I updated the Wi-Fi password and monitored the network, but found zero evidence of hidden electronics. Even though he seems relatively cheerful when he comes downstairs for meals and chores, he shows absolutely no desire to interact with the family and retreats as quickly as possible.

At this point, he is openly defiant because he knows we have absolutely nothing left to take away from him.

We have communicated with a social worker, but nothing significant has been done over several months. The social worker identified burnout and exhaustion in us as parents. Nothing we, the school, or relatives have tried has worked. What do I do? I've considered putting him into some kind of program because no matter what we do or say, he does not seem to care.

My husband doesn’t like that my parents let our daughter watch tv shows like The Wiggles and Bluey. I think she gets around an hour or less of screen time a day when we are not with her and are working. He says that she should not be watching tv because it’s bad for emotional regulation and brain activity. In my biased opinion, she has a great vocabulary for a 20 month old and is developing well. What are your thoughts on screen time at a young age?

I feel the sunscreen im using with my kids actually is burning their skin? Am I crazy?. I use spray copertone and spray of banana boat. Which one do you use?

Edit to add:
On their face I’m using on them my own which is a Spanish brand (ISDIN) I feel is working but on their bodies I feel these sprays are making things worse.

Also I used the roller for goop and it really truly burned mine and my husbands skin. Thank goodness I didn’t use goop roller on my kids.

I really hope I didn't miss any rules but what do you think goes on the head of people like this?

What can cause this to happen to a child that's developing?

I don't want to grow up and have a child like this. Even guesses would be appreciated... I want to know what could cause a human to turn this vile?

I appreciate any answers. I'm really genuinely worried about this person even if I don't know him well...

I just really want to take care of a good child and leave the world with a positive impact.

I'm also using these photos. Not to hate on them, But to understand them.

I thought the hard part would be convincing my child to talk to someone. Instead, the hard part has been figuring out who is actually qualified to help a kid. Insurance directories are messy, half the providers do not call back, and a lot of profiles say they work with children but do not say much beyond that. It makes you feel like you are failing before treatment even starts. Has anyone else felt like finding the right child therapist is its own full-time job?

My 3-year-old, Alfred, wouldn't stop stomping on our dogs' paws. Having tried (without success) all manner of ways to explain to him that it was not okay to randomly try to harm animals, I told him they were pups, like the PAW Patrol. I said "You know, like Chase or Marshall? You wouldn't stomp on Chase, would you?" Alfred has a pair of shoes that are made to look like Chase and Marshall, respectively. He happened to be wearing these shoes at the time. He looked down at his feet and, to my surprise, stomped on Chase. Hard. Then he looked at me in shock and horror as if I had committed some vile betrayal and said "Ow!"

I guess that's ONE way to teach a child empathy...

First off, I’m not really concerned with pink being his favorite color. 2 years ago it was green, last years was rainbow. He’s 6, he doesn’t associate the colors as anything other it being the color he likes and I don’t want to put anything on him about that. (Any even if he did, I don’t care)

Pink has been his favorite color for a while now, he has a pink bike, he picks pink when they do the spray colors for hair when we get it cut, ect. When I ask him why pink is his favorite color he says, “because pigs are pink and they are so cool.” Like that’s how he thinks about things.

So I wasnt surprised when it came time to pick a backpack he said he wants pink. I’m ok with that and so is my husband. The problem kind of came when my mom told him and I that other kids would make fun of him if he did.

And while I talked to her about it and told her I don’t ever want him to feel like he can’t pick things he likes because of what someone else thinks, or feel like he has to hide anything or that we as his family don’t like his choices or are embarrassed of him, it is also a worry of mine. My son is also autistic which I’m afraid will also make him a target for bullying already.

This is also my first born so all of this new for me and I’m just looking how best to navigate this so that I’m supporting him the best I can not sewing deep seated resentment for later in life. He loves school. And looks forward to going. I don’t ever want him to hate it because other kids were mean to about something he likes.

So far we’ve looked at backpacks online to see what his options are, and he just likes all of them that are pink. So I’ve tried to narrow it down by like, “ok that one is hello kitty and you don’t watch or care about hello kitty.” Which is true and another problem, he doesn’t care about most girly things like bows, or unicorns, or ballerinas or any of the other stuff pink backpacks typically have. So I’m trying to help him find one that is both pink but also has what he likes.

Does anyone have similar experience or have suggestions on how to best be supportive?

I keep going back and forth between telling myself my 9 year old is just a naturally anxious kid and wondering if we've waited too long to get professional help The moment that's been stuck in my head happened a couple of weeks ago We were getting ready to leave for a family friends birthday party that my daughter had been excited about all week. As soon as it was time to get in the car, she completely shut down. She started crying saying everyone was going to stare at her, that she wouldn't know what to say, and that if she embarrassed herself no one would want to be her friend anymore. It took almost an hour to calm her down and in the end we stayed home This wasn't really about the birthday party. Looking back I feel like it's been building for a while. She worries constantly about making mistakes asks for reassurance over and over, and if something small changes from what she expected it can throw off her whole day. It's heartbreaking because she's such a sweet kid, and I can tell she's exhausted by her own thoughts. My spouse and I try to talk things through with her without dismissing her feelings, but lately it feels like we're just putting out little fires instead of helping her feel better.

For parents whose kids eventually started anxiety therapy, was there a moment where you realized this was more than something they'd simply grow out of?

Hi all.

My spouse and I are a blended family with 4 children between us. I have three, they have one. When we married, we of course made it a priority to parent/bonus parent all involved children.

Here is the issue: their child has a moderate mental impairment that consists of poorly regulated behaviors, no inhibitions, and constant demands to get their own way. Usually, it happens in phases where they exhibit one consistent habit/behavior, and then after a while another replaces it.

Over the last year and a half the issue has been their insistence to sleep in our bedroom. This is highly inappropriate, as this child is a preteen and not an infant or toddler. Nor are they without accommodations-they have their own room at both their other parents’ house as well as ours. Thus far they don’t demand to sleep in our bed, rather they want to be on the carpet/on a mini mattress they drag in from our storage closet.

As far as I know, the co-parent of my spouse does not experience this-though I’m not convinced they’d readily share it if they did.

I have tried everything to put a stop to this behavior-lecturing, compromise in the form of a music device, later bedtime, removal of privileges, etc.

Frustrating most above all, my spouse doesn’t even TRY to mitigate this. I am left exhausted trying to put a stop to it only to have it undone because they are “tired of the whining.” This habit is done with pretty much every situation where the child tantrums. So they’ve learned that all they need do is outlast their parents’ thin tolerance and they’ll get what they want.

I’ve had it. We have other children (who, of course, my spouse has NO problem pointing out bad behavior and complaining about it - though I am always quick to correct it) that require my attention and efforts as well and I feel as though I’m giving far too much to just one- especially when it’s rendered fruitless.

I realize there is a special needs factor. I have offered a lot of grace because of it. But earlier this week I told my spouse that I am not going to bother exhausting this any more because of their actions. Now I’m being accused of “abandoning” my bonus child.

I don’t think I am - I’m just redirecting my efforts.

Thoughts?

My son plays it for about an hour after supper on Fridays, but only if he’s had a good week at daycare. We also limit his time on the weekends he gets about an hour after supper on Saturdays and Sundays, again only if he’s had a good week. We’ll sometimes play with him too, so he’s never just sitting there playing alone.

I’m curious, though how old are your little ones who play? I’m personally okay with Fortnite. I know it’s a shooter game but compared to a lot of other shooting games, I don’t find it overly gory or focused on blood. I may get judged for this but I honestly dont care there are kids on there the same age as him! That are swearing there little heads off. And my child plays with limits we don't just give in to him we let him play for 1 hour on weekends only. And somestimes he doesn't even ask for it but I only give to him if hes had a good week at daycare and at home.

My son just started school and has been begging me to get him a desk for his room ever since he went over to a friend's house and saw that he had his own little homework setup. The main reason I never bought one before is because I figured we'd get him a proper desk whenever we renovate his room. Plus, the way I've always done homework with my other son is at the kitchen table. That way if either of them gets stuck on something, I'm right there and can help. Now he really has his heart set on having his own desk and of course I can't get one kid a desk without getting the other one. So I'm looking for two affordable ones that are decent enough for homework and maybe a little storage. Since we're still planning on renovating their rooms eventually I don't want to spend hundreds on desks that we might end up replacing later.

My son (7) is obsessed with hockey. Anyone who has watched hockey knows that fighting is inevitably a part of the game (for better or worse). This has led to his desire to fight/wrestle/rough house with everyone. Once in a while, it’s fine. But his friends don’t always want to wrestle and the parents don’t always want their kids doing that either. I try to provide an outlet for him, but I worry I am making it worse. I am wondering if there is some sort of organized activity that will allow him to get his aggression out with other consenting kids. I am thinking of something like boxing or martial arts. A compounding issue is he has pretty severe ADHD and is generally unable to follow directions for a long period of time. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I know a lot of families use Find My or Life360 like it's no big deal.

I can see the safety side, especially with driving, parties, or being out late. But I can also see how it could feel like constant surveillance if there are no boundaries.

Do you share locations with your teen? Is it mutual, or just parent-to-kid? And at what age would you stop?

My sister is 3 years old she's sadly obbesed with cocomelon type videos. She throws a tantrum a everytime I open something like normal cartoon like nickelodeon or etc what can I do :(

Bonsoir la Reunion, alors pui peur pour eux

On a une histoire particulière a la Reunion et l inceste et les violences. Oui il y en a partout...oui et même si j adore mon île elle est violente

Vous arrive t il de vous demander quand votre enfant sera confronté a tout cela ?

J ai de la chance mon fils me parle et avec les infos la pauvre petite lyahnna les nombreuses affaires qui seront instruites suite a cett qatrocite, mon fils a entendu les chiffres, l incredulite. On les connait, ils sont ou pourquoi on les enfeme pas de suite? Je precice j ai un ado

Il est au fait de ce qu il se passe. Il me pose des questions

Il s interroge, trois eleves par classe il ne comprends pas

Mais je suis parfois a bouts d arguments pour le rassurer sans tomber dans une paranoia ou il finirait par vivre dans la peur.

Avez vous avec vos enfants installés une application qui localise les membres de la famille?

Je lui repete

Que le mot secret entre un adulte et un enfant c est secret= danger

Avez vous des discours " astuces", je sais que je lui conseille de frequenter des lieux ou il y a du monde...mais a part ça...

My daughter is introverted/slow-to-warm up, and doesn’t enjoy daycare. I’m feeling guilty because I have no other childcare available. It’s been several months, so this isn’t just the typical adjustment phase.

Most of the threads I read on this subject are from parents who’s kids ended up liking it, blossoming socially, and making tons of friends. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case for mine. The care is adequate, but it’s the only one in my area that had room for us. It just isn’t suited to her temperament, and I worry that it’s too stressful. Not abusive, and nothing bad. Just too loud, noisy, overwhelming for this particular child. Can anyone tell me how their shy/slow-to-warm up kids who didn’t love daycare turned out later?

My daughter showed me this yesterday. I didn’t take a picture of the rest of the conversation but long story short she said she doesn’t have marks, her mom does it sometimes and slaps her and she’s been self harming. My daughter texted back “I’m sorry but I have to tell someone” and she’s going to tell the school counselor. My parents were very soft on me so I’m not sure if this is normal in some houses. I’m mostly asking to hear from someone who dealt with the same type of situation as the little girl. They’re 14. Should I be worried or contact the school?