The OG Linda Belcher (he's really the voice)

How did you find each other? Do you think it makes parenting better? What keeps you together?

I have a 5yo who has started saying 'i hate you mommy/daddy' when they are really upset. Would you let that chill - they don't mean it they're just kids and just upset? Or try to curb that - set consequences for hurtful language?

I've got a (9 yr old) kid that loves the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. But it's terrible. The main character is a terrible friend, and a poor role model. The character frequently calls people stupid or morons, makes fun of kids outside the norm, and has weird 90s views of how boys and girls interact. Can anyone suggest a series that their kid enjoyed for a similar audience? Even better if there are lots of them.

I am M41. I have a son who is 5, almost 6. The little guy is quite sensitive and cries relatively easily: * He hates having to wash his hands. Mom and I wash our hands right away when we come home from outside, and often after touching dirty things or before meals. He hates it. He often cries when asked to wash his hands, sometimes for 10 minutes or more. Saying "we also do it" does not help. Washing his hands for him does not help. I asked him what are the worst things about washing hands, but he could not elaborate. * One day recently, when I took him home from daycare (it was around 16 in the afternoon), he asked me to play with him. I said: "I need to empty the dishwasher first; then I will come play with you." He broke down and cried until I finished my housework and came to play with him. * He wants Mom to put him to sleep every night. If my wife is out and he has to go to sleep with me, he sometimes cries himself to sleep. I have not found anything I can do that helps. Whenever he cries or is otherwise in the grip of negative emotions, I try to be as supportive as I can _without encouraging it_. I talk softly to him, hug him if he wants it, stay close to him if he wants it, and go away if he wants that. I try to praise him when he DOES manage to calm himself down, and NOT reward him for throwing tantrums. When he cries he often asks to watch TV. I try to avoid letting him watch TV to calm down, but once in a while I cave in and give him TV. All these things have always been problems, but it seems to me that these behaviours have grown worse this last half year. Do you have any advice? Thanks in advance!

I am M41 and have a son who is M6. I have posted before about how [he is quite sensitive and cries a lot](https://feddit.dk/post/22009077). Whenever he cries, he will ask for TV to calm him down. I am wondering whether it is wise to give him TV. I worry lest he learn that _the way_ to handle unpleasant emotions is to distract yourself from them with (relatively mindless) entertainment. That doesn't sound like a great emotion management habit... but on the other hand, it might be good enough at his age. For example, today there was a miscommunication with a friend's family. He thought his friend was giving him some toys, which was apparently not what the other kid meant. When my little guy was told that he could not take the toys home, he cried for a while, and it took TV to calm him down. I would like advice. Is it fine to give him TV when he cries? And what alternatives can you suggest? Thanks in advance!

Is there anything you do that helps summer go smoothly or feel happier and calmer?

What tools would you like to see to keep your kids safe online? I have a bunch of different apps/services that I need to configure and monitor for my kids. Each has their own controls, terminology, login, etc. It sucks. I'm technically inclined, so I feel like I'm better positioned than most parents to deal with it. Let's pretend you could mandate standards. What tools would make online safety easier for you to manage?

Short piece that recommends gentleness and trying to get ahead of the stressful moment (which frankly seems a bit idealized; I'd love to be able to see the future, but I'm not sure that's easy/reliable). They do make the point that: > Most of what helps a child “have a go” is built in to the everyday conversations at home, not on the morning of the event. It’s about gently setting expectations: that we don’t always have to win, be the best, or get it right, and that’s okay. And end with: > The goal is a child who learns, over time and in small steps, that they can do hard things, and that being different from the child next to them is okay and a normal part of life.

I am M41 and have a 5-year-old son. Recently I asked in another parenting forum: *"At what age can I teach a child to speak nicely even when in a bad mood?"* A couple of people told me that it is important to model emotion handling so that the child can see how the parent handles difficult emotions. This makes me ponder: How do I do this in a visible manner? How can my son tell the difference between "Dad acts calm while experiencing a difficult emotion" and "Dad acts calm while experiencing no emotions"? I strongly suspect that the distiction is not easily visible. I have done Buddhist-inspired self-improvement practices these last 3 years, and in my own opinion my emotion regulation has improved vastly. But my wife does not seem to notice or appreciate this; it appears that she mostly only sees those rare occasions where I lose my temper and not the many occasions where I remain calm in spite of emotions. If my emotion handling is invisible to her, how can I expect the little guy to pick up on it and learn to emulate it?

One of those kinda-subtle policy things that seems to slip by communities.

She's an only child, and we didn't grow up in America, so she's a bit naive on a lot of things. Her teacher advised us the other day that she's such a sweet girl, but middle school could be brutal for her because of that. What are some wholesome shows I can watch with her that helps her get ready for the world? EDIT: This is an astounding collection of shows. Thank you so much! We've started watching Amphibia, and really enjoying it so far. I'll add all these to the backlog. Thanks again!

When your (very white) 3 year old son asks for afro puffs like his (very black) sister. Buddy, I don't know how to explain the difference between textured and untextured hair to you, but let's see if a couple pigtails do it for you.

I have a 14 year old Maine Coon that is terminally ill and has a few weeks at best. Our son recently turned 4 years old and loves animals. We taught him to be kind to all animals, even bugs. He is not particularly attached to the cat, but he likes it well enough (the cat is not a cuddler). In a few weeks we'll have to go to the vet and have the cat put down. We're wondering how we should approach this with our son. Do we take him with us? Do we let him be present when the cat is put to sleep? Or make him stay in the waiting area? Or do we go when he's in school? What's appropriate for a 4 year old? On the one hand I think that death is a part of life. And I don't mind that he sees us crying over the cat. But I also don't want to traumatize him or make it bigger than it is. Any tips?

My kid [3yrs] speaks the local language with his other parent (separated. 50/50). and English with me (my native language). I speak both and my kid knows this, so I can't hide it. He speaks the local language well, but English is a struggle. Comprehension is 100%, but he only speaks random words. He mostly speaks to me in the local language. Where we live, he will learn English in school, so I'm not worried about that. I've tried various things to get him speaking English, but it's a struggle. Are there any strategies that might work?

My wife just had her first pregnancy doctor's appointment and I am feeling under prepared. I am looking for worthwhile and hopefully empirically based books about pregnancy and parenting. I normally have no problems doing my own research and scourging the library to find out what I need but there's so much it's overwhelming. So what books have you all read that are worthwhile? What is worth looking at?

https://www.tattletaletimes.com/index.php/2023/07/24/enfamil-develops-tranquilizing-baby-formula-with-help-from-large-animal-veterinarians/

My child just started kindergarten. As far as I can tell, it's wonderful and is the best place for him. We're just... people of means. We've saved _a lot_ of money compared to the private schools we were considering. I just don't want this to be inappropriate. We'll give to all the standard pta / school fundraisers and already do the wishlist and extra school supplies requests. I'm still selfish. I do want plenty of it to benefit my child. Appropriately though. I just also want to make sure that the (kindergarten) teachers can get pizza and beer or whatever without it seeming like bribery. .

My wife and I had a miscarriage last week. We were 11 weeks along but our baby only grew to 8 weeks. It's been devastating. I'm hoping to get some advice from anyone who's been through it. - what can I do to help my wife? She's in physical pain which seems to be overriding the emotional pain, but I'm sure it will hit in due time and want to be able to help her the best that I can. - our 15 month old obviously doesn't know what's going on, but it seems like he's noticed a change of energy. Its hard to play with him like I normally do. I love him to bits, I just don't have the energy but I need to make sure he knows he's loved. - we were able to collect the fetus as it passed naturally , we would like to do something to memorialize our unborn child but don't know what. - how can I take care of myself while taking care of my family through these times. Thanks for any advice.

Hello everyone! I'm about to become a parent in a few months and I was wondering what books would you recommend reading to get myself prepared. Is there a new parents bible or something like It? The baby won't come with instructions. Thanks!

My 3 year old just kicked me off the couch so she could invite her dad to come snuggle with her. What are your kids up to?

Our three-year-old didn’t recognize his longtime teacher — and barely seemed to miss me after three weeks away.

Does anyone here have any firsthand experience of the pros & cons of home schooling? Whether as a parent, child or friend/family member/neighbour?

**'I don’t come here to enjoy other people’s children!' Should pubs and restaurants be kid-free zones?** Children were once banned from most British pubs. Some owners and customers miss ‘the good old days’ – but can they really turn back the clock?

Do folks have recommendations for kids movies, shows, or books that focus on characters friendships? Recently I picked up the book “the princess bride.” My kid noticed and said she recognized the title. And saw the movie. But she didn’t like it because there was too much fighting. I asked for an example of a good movie. “K-pop demon hunter” was the answer. Because Friendship.

Apparently making her stop playing to get ready for bed (15 minutes past the normal time I might add) is worth loathing of the highest degree. Threenagers.

Is it wrong to love your children only because they’re the children of someone you love? For example, if you had kids with an ex-wife you didn’t love as much, and you feel like you wouldn’t love those children the same way because you don’t love your ex—would that be wrong?

As kids grow into teen-hood and beyond, I feel like our job as parents is to move from protecting them from harm, to helping them build self-confidence and a positive self-image. Essentially to become boosters. There's a balance between being protective and pushing them to take chances. What do you think?

my kid likes to postpone her homework infinitely ( just like me when I was in school... I think it's my genes working ... sh*t ) . How to handle this scenario. Thanks,

I'm constantly amazed that scouts isn't more popular with families. I'm a huge supporter of the whole worldwide program (particularly Scouting America and the Girl Scouts in the US). Yes, let's all acknowledge that there were past abuses that the Boy Scouts ignored and covered up. But, primarily due to the lawsuits associated with those abuses, Scouting America has instituted a lot of really strong child protection policies that arguably make it the safest youth program anywhere. It's a really great, comparatively cheap, program that offers amazing opportunities to kids and families. If you find yourself having trouble making friends as an adult, I really recommend looking into it.