#parenting-groups
#parenting-groups

Psychology says parents who can't stop helping their adult children aren't being loving - they're unconsciously protecting themselves from the terror of becoming unnecessary - Silicon Canals

Parental overinvolvement may stem from a fear of irrelevance rather than solely from love.

Podcast

Dylan Dreyer Launches a New Podcast, 'The Parent Chat.' See the Trailer

I'm 66 and I recently told my son that I was proud of him for the first time in his adult life, and the look on his face told me everything about the cost of assuming that providing for someone communicates the same thing as telling them they matter - Silicon Canals

Verbal expressions of pride are crucial for emotional connection between parents and children.

fromDefector

Parenting

Rejoice, Tired Parents! Defector Will Raise Your Children Now | Defector

Dylan Dreyer and Ashley Graham Agree: This 1 Skill Makes 'Boy Mom' Life Easier

Raising boys involves chaos, selective hearing, and a shared understanding of the challenges and humor in parenting.

7 Words Adult Children Say Before Cutting Off Parents

Disconnection often begins quietly, with feelings of not being understood leading to significant relationship breakdowns.

Psychology says parents who can't stop helping their adult children aren't being loving - they're unconsciously protecting themselves from the terror of becoming unnecessary - Silicon Canals

Parental overinvolvement may stem from a fear of irrelevance rather than solely from love.

Podcast

Dylan Dreyer Launches a New Podcast, 'The Parent Chat.' See the Trailer

Dylan Dreyer's podcast 'The Parent Chat' offers practical parenting advice and solidarity from experts and fellow parents.

I'm 66 and I recently told my son that I was proud of him for the first time in his adult life, and the look on his face told me everything about the cost of assuming that providing for someone communicates the same thing as telling them they matter - Silicon Canals

Verbal expressions of pride are crucial for emotional connection between parents and children.

fromDefector

Rejoice, Tired Parents! Defector Will Raise Your Children Now | Defector

Defector launches a parenting advice column called Minor Dilemmas to address various parenting challenges and questions.

Dylan Dreyer and Ashley Graham Agree: This 1 Skill Makes 'Boy Mom' Life Easier

Raising boys involves chaos, selective hearing, and a shared understanding of the challenges and humor in parenting.

7 Words Adult Children Say Before Cutting Off Parents

Disconnection often begins quietly, with feelings of not being understood leading to significant relationship breakdowns.

I Don't Let Anyone I Date Meet My Parents. That's Not a Red Flag. I Have a Very Good Reason Why.

Some individuals avoid introducing partners to difficult family members to protect them from negative experiences.

Relationships

My parents spent all their money on my sister's rehab now they want me to pay for it. How do I say no?

Parenting

Did My Mom Really Love One of Us More Than the Other?

23 hours ago

I Don't Let Anyone I Date Meet My Parents. That's Not a Red Flag. I Have a Very Good Reason Why.

Some individuals avoid introducing partners to difficult family members to protect them from negative experiences.

My parents spent all their money on my sister's rehab now they want me to pay for it. How do I say no?

You are always allowed to say no, prioritizing your own family and well-being is not a betrayal.

Did My Mom Really Love One of Us More Than the Other?

The favored child dynamic shifted dramatically during adolescence, leading to feelings of rebellion and alienation.

more#family-dynamics

17 hours ago

Why Is Eradicating Adverse Childhood Experiences Critical?

Nearly 90 percent of suicide attempts among high school students are attributable to ACEs, as are 80 percent of adult suicides, translating to 109 suicides per day.

Public health

The people who say 'I'm fine with whatever you want to do' in every social situation aren't easygoing. They've simply never been in an environment where stating a preference didn't start a negotiation they couldn't afford to lose. - Silicon Canals

People who appear easygoing may actually be practicing conflict avoidance as a survival strategy learned from past experiences.

Social justice

The Children Are Always Ours

Grieving and compassion for suffering children can inspire meaningful action to protect them.

NYC parents

fromGothamist

NYC parents looking for child care have a new tool at their fingertips

New York City launched a searchable map for parents to easily find over 10,000 child care programs.

SF parents

fromwww.bbc.com

My daughter has childhood dementia and may not live past 16

Sophia Scott's family faces the challenges of her rare, incurable condition, Sanfilippo syndrome, which causes childhood dementia and impacts their lives significantly.

fromwww.bbc.com

'My son's nursery closed with just 29 days' notice - why?

We really had a good feel for the place, and the nursery manager at the time really sold us on the vibe. It's not a decision that's made lightly.

Fundraising

Philosophy

What Children Know About Discernment

The flattening of distinctions in judgment reflects a broader loss of discernment and critical thinking in society.

Education

7 Words to Say When Your Child Shuts Down About School

Kids often shut down around schoolwork due to anxiety, and supportive communication can help them re-engage.

Is Your Kid's Friend A Good Influence? Experts Share 6 Green Flags

Positive friendships build confidence and happiness in children, providing essential support throughout their development.

People who were labeled 'the easy child' often became adults who confuse having no needs with being low maintenance, and the difference between those two things is about thirty years of unasked questions - Silicon Canals

Easy children often grow into adults who suppress their needs, leading to quiet suffering despite appearing content.

fromScary Mommy

Is Your Kid's Friend A Good Influence? Experts Share 6 Green Flags

Positive friendships build confidence and happiness in children, providing essential support throughout their development.

People who were labeled 'the easy child' often became adults who confuse having no needs with being low maintenance, and the difference between those two things is about thirty years of unasked questions - Silicon Canals

Easy children often grow into adults who suppress their needs, leading to quiet suffering despite appearing content.

more#child-development

12 hours ago

Start Strong But Never Finish? 4 Causes and 4 Solutions

Starting strong and quitting is common due to tedium, poor planning, and discouragement; recognizing patterns and seeking support can help overcome this.

16 hours ago

I Told My Friend Some Private Things About My Wife. Now I'm in Big Trouble.

Maintaining long-term friendships can be challenging when past grievances affect perceptions in a marriage.

Why Behavior Change Alone Won't Fix Your Relationship

Behavioral therapy changes observable actions, while emotionally focused therapy emphasizes emotional engagement for lasting relational change.

NYC parents

fromBig Think

The quiet disappearance of the free-range childhood

Child protective services investigated a couple after their son rode his scooter to a nearby playground alone, leading to a finding of neglect.

Philosophy

fromApaonline

Let Kids Be Kids? The Ethics of Maximizing Children's Talents

Children are increasingly pushed to maximize their athletic talent from a very young age, often at the expense of social and academic development.

fromFast Company

18 hours ago

Parents: A valuable source of AI intelligence

AI-assisted parenting tools are being developed by parents who understand the real challenges of childcare.

#adhd

Mental health

Why Making Friends as an Adult With ADHD Can Feel So Hard

fromScary Mommy

I Spent A Year Talking To ADHD Experts. Here's What I've Learned As A Mom.

ADHD parenting focuses on recognizing patterns and making gradual improvements rather than seeking perfection.

Why Making Friends as an Adult With ADHD Can Feel So Hard

Adults with ADHD often find forming genuine friendships challenging due to neurological factors affecting attention and emotional intensity.

fromScary Mommy

I Spent A Year Talking To ADHD Experts. Here's What I've Learned As A Mom.

ADHD parenting focuses on recognizing patterns and making gradual improvements rather than seeking perfection.

How to Cultivate Adult Friendships

Negative beliefs about rejection hinder relationship building, while consistent interactions and practicing social skills foster connections and reduce anxiety.

Are Your Friends Ideal?

Friendships reflect valued qualities, but rarely align perfectly with ideals, especially for those with higher Dark Triad traits.

How to Cultivate Adult Friendships

Negative beliefs about rejection hinder relationship building, while consistent interactions and practicing social skills foster connections and reduce anxiety.

Are Your Friends Ideal?

Friendships reflect valued qualities, but rarely align perfectly with ideals, especially for those with higher Dark Triad traits.

Two Signs You're Raising a Hyper-Sensitive Child

Parenting requires understanding and support for emotionally sensitive children who may react more intensely to situations than their peers.

Slow Down for Love

Slowing down enhances relationships and personal well-being by improving the quality of experiences over the quantity of tasks.

The Day I Realized My Son Wasn't Defiant, He Was Ashamed

Understanding a child's emotional state is crucial; shame can manifest as feelings of worthlessness, impacting behavior and communication.

#emotional-unavailability

9 hours ago

Can Breastfeeding Reduce the Risk for Postpartum Depression?

Postpartum depression and breastfeeding have a complex relationship, with unmet breastfeeding expectations increasing the risk of maternal depression.

Relationships

Most people don't realize that children who grow up without affection don't struggle with love as adults. They struggle with trusting it, because it never felt safe to depend on - Silicon Canals

Psychology says parents who provided everything materially and nothing emotionally aren't cold - they were loved the same way and genuinely had no idea there was another option - Silicon Canals

Emotionally unavailable parents often substitute material provision and gifts for emotional presence, translating affection into the only language they fluently speak.

Most people don't realize that children who grow up without affection don't struggle with love as adults. They struggle with trusting it, because it never felt safe to depend on - Silicon Canals

Emotional unavailability stems from a lack of early affection, leading to difficulties in accepting love despite an inherent capacity for it.

more#emotional-unavailability

Psychology says parents who provided everything materially and nothing emotionally aren't cold - they were loved the same way and genuinely had no idea there was another option - Silicon Canals

Emotionally unavailable parents often substitute material provision and gifts for emotional presence, translating affection into the only language they fluently speak.

I grew up with a mother who was physically there but emotionally unreachable - and the confusion that produced, the child's inability to grieve a parent who is standing right in front of them, is the thing I have spent the most years in therapy trying to untangle and the thing I understood least for the longest - Silicon Canals

Emotional absence from a present parent can lead to profound feelings of unworthiness in a child.

17 hours ago

Handedness in Children of Traumatized Mothers

Higher maternal post-traumatic stress during pregnancy is linked to increased mixed-handedness in children.

It's Spring! Time for Kids to Declutter

Calm spaces enhance focus and productivity by reducing stress and cognitive load.

Not everyone who chooses a partner with visible problems is making bad decisions. Some of them are choosing people whose damage is louder than their own, because as long as they're fixing someone else, nobody turns the spotlight around and asks what broke them. - Silicon Canals

People often choose partners with visible problems to avoid confronting their own internal issues.

The couples who last forty years and the couples who last four often look identical at year two. The difference only becomes visible around the first time something genuinely unfixable happens and one couple tries to win the argument while the other couple tries to survive it together. - Silicon Canals

Early relationship satisfaction is not a reliable predictor of long-term compatibility; challenges reveal true dynamics later.

Not everyone who chooses a partner with visible problems is making bad decisions. Some of them are choosing people whose damage is louder than their own, because as long as they're fixing someone else, nobody turns the spotlight around and asks what broke them. - Silicon Canals

People often choose partners with visible problems to avoid confronting their own internal issues.

The couples who last forty years and the couples who last four often look identical at year two. The difference only becomes visible around the first time something genuinely unfixable happens and one couple tries to win the argument while the other couple tries to survive it together. - Silicon Canals

Early relationship satisfaction is not a reliable predictor of long-term compatibility; challenges reveal true dynamics later.

Mother, Clinician, Witness: Healing Communities

Violence against children impacts the entire community, necessitating protective programs and trauma-informed care for meaningful change.

14 hours ago

Children raised in the 1960s and 70s developed their resilience the same way muscle develops under resistance - not by being protected from the load but by being required to carry it, repeatedly, without assistance, until the carrying became the unremarkable default rather than the exceptional achievement - Silicon Canals

Independence and resilience were fostered in children of the '60s and '70s through unstructured play and learning from failure.

#emotional-intelligence

6 signs someone grew up as the mediator between their parents, according to family therapists, and why those skills make them exceptional at work but exhausted in their own relationships - Silicon Canals

Children who mediate parental conflict develop skills that benefit their careers but can hinder personal relationships later in life.

Parenting

10 Things to Do That Can Make You a Better Parent

6 signs someone grew up as the mediator between their parents, according to family therapists, and why those skills make them exceptional at work but exhausted in their own relationships - Silicon Canals

Children who mediate parental conflict develop skills that benefit their careers but can hinder personal relationships later in life.

more#emotional-intelligence

Parenting

10 Things to Do That Can Make You a Better Parent

What 'I Need Space' Actually Means in a Relationship

Requesting space in a relationship often signifies a need for emotional regulation rather than a desire for distance.

NYC parents

When Protection Becomes Punishment

Mandated reporting trainings emphasize legal compliance over understanding how CPS functions as a policing mechanism that disproportionately harms marginalized families.

What Estranged Parents Wish Others Understood

Estrangement from adult children creates a unique, unresolved grief for parents, marked by ambiguity and a lack of social recognition.

I'm 66 and my wife Donna pointed out that I fix things around the house the morning after every argument. Not because I'm avoiding the conversation. Because in my family, repair was always physical. You didn't say sorry. You replaced the broken shelf. You re-grouted the tiles. You showed up with actions because words were a foreign language nobody in the house had learned to speak. - Silicon Canals

Apologies can be structural actions rather than just verbal expressions, especially for men raised in environments where emotions were not openly discussed.

What, Exactly, Expectant Dads Fear in the Delivery Room

Expectant fathers often experience fear of childbirth, feeling helpless in the delivery room despite their desire to support their partners.

6 Types of Leadership and Parenting Styles: What's Yours?

Leadership styles in work and parenting vary, with a balanced approach being the most effective for clear expectations and support.

16 Ways People Cope With Breakups

Breakups trigger various coping behaviors reflecting loss, attachment, and identity, with distinct strategies varying by gender and age.

4 weeks ago

A Family Science Approach to Parenting

Modern parenting culture emphasizes achievement and comparison, creating emotional communication challenges that stem from broader social patterns of productivity and performance expectations.

My Needy Aunt Is Back in My Life. Now She's Got Her Eyes on My Daughter.

Navigating family relationships can be challenging, especially when expectations and memories differ between generations.

fromTravel + Leisure

I'm Child-Free by Choice-Here's What I Learned on My First Trip with a Baby

Luciana, nicknamed Peach, is cherished by her family, highlighting the joys of being an aunt and the choice to remain child-free.

#motherhood

When my daughter was born disabled, I had a hard time finding a Mom group that felt right for us

Building a support system is crucial for new mothers, especially when facing unexpected challenges like a child's disabilities.

Motherhood Feels Like a PR Job, I Quit

Moms often present idealized versions of motherhood, hiding struggles and challenges faced by their children.

The Ecology of Motherhood

Motherhood mirrors ecological resilience, requiring acceptance of transformation and recovery through challenges akin to natural processes like fire and regeneration.

fromwww.theguardian.com

My mother's best advice: talk to your children like old friends

A mother's perspective on parenthood as companionship influenced the author's decision to have children, despite concerns about planetary instability and personal differences from her own upbringing.

When my daughter was born disabled, I had a hard time finding a Mom group that felt right for us

Building a support system is crucial for new mothers, especially when facing unexpected challenges like a child's disabilities.

Motherhood Feels Like a PR Job, I Quit

Moms often present idealized versions of motherhood, hiding struggles and challenges faced by their children.

The Ecology of Motherhood

Motherhood mirrors ecological resilience, requiring acceptance of transformation and recovery through challenges akin to natural processes like fire and regeneration.

fromwww.theguardian.com

My mother's best advice: talk to your children like old friends

A mother's perspective on parenthood as companionship influenced the author's decision to have children, despite concerns about planetary instability and personal differences from her own upbringing.

All My Mom Friends Hate My Husband

Friends' critical observations about your husband may reflect their own biases, but could also reveal genuine relationship patterns you've normalized over time.

Parental Burnout Is a Social Problem, Not a Personal Failure

Parental burnout has reached unprecedented levels, with over 40% of parents feeling exhausted and overwhelmed daily.

Rethinking Gentle Parenting

Gentle parenting can backfire if parents confuse sympathy with empathy, leading to a lack of accountability in children.

fromBusiness Insider

Parenting

I regret not practicing gentle parenting with my oldest kids. I'm making up for lost time now.

Rethinking Gentle Parenting

Gentle parenting can backfire if parents confuse sympathy with empathy, leading to a lack of accountability in children.

fromBusiness Insider

Parenting

I regret not practicing gentle parenting with my oldest kids. I'm making up for lost time now.

more#gentle-parenting

fromMail Online

Having children DOESN'T make you happy, study claims

'These results do not support our hypothesis that parenthood is positively associated with hedonic wellbeing (levels of positive emotions) and life satisfaction,' the researchers, from the University of Nicosia in Cyprus, wrote.

Parenting

First Steps for Stepparents

Creating a positive bond with stepchildren is the first task for new stepparents.

fromLGBTQ Nation

Adoption is a beautiful way to build a family. But it's not one-size-fits-all. - LGBTQ Nation

Adoption has various paths, each with unique processes, costs, and timelines, requiring thorough understanding before proceeding.

fromBuzzFeed

Women Are Getting Very, Very Honest About How Their Partner Changed After They Became A Mom

Postpartum experiences reveal varying partner behaviors, ranging from supportive to abusive.

Philosophy

fromApaonline

The Best Available Parent

Parental legal authority should be justified by the child's best interests and held by those who would benefit the child most through caregiving.

7 behavioral patterns people display when they were raised by a parent who loved them deeply but had no idea how to express it without criticism - Silicon Canals

Critical parents can love deeply yet struggle to express it without criticism, leading to complex emotional patterns in their children.

What is Calm Authority Parenting? Here's How Experts Describe It

Calm authority parenting balances gentle parenting's emotional support with FAFO parenting's consequences, combining warmth and boundaries for effective child-rearing.

There's No Such Thing as a Child Expert

No true parenting or child experts exist because children are unique, fallible, and inconsistent individuals; expertise in parenting strategies does not equate to understanding your specific child better than you do.

My Boyfriend Is Very Wrong About What Makes Someone a Good Parent. I'm Not Sure I Can Marry Him.

He admires 'tiger parents.' He talks a lot about how the ideal parent is a strict disciplinarian, academically oriented, and pushes kids hard to set them up for future success. He thinks his teachers and his mom let him coast on his ADHD diagnosis, and vows that his kids will not 'get exceptions.' He thinks he would be more successful now if he'd had consistent parental pressure.

Parenting

Compassionate Goals and Parenting

Compassionate parenting goals focused on children's wellbeing produce better outcomes for both parent wellness and child behavior than self-image goals focused on appearing perfect.

Why Parenting Scripts Don't Work (and What to Try Instead)

Verbal scripts and emotion-labeling during a child's tantrum often worsen the upset because a child's executive functioning is impaired.

How Are Parents Supposed to Learn How to Parent?

Young parents often lack experience and need accessible education on normal child development and practical childcare, possibly via school-based parenting curriculum.

fromIndependent

Our daughter only wants her mum - how can I step in to help soothe her and share the load?

Young children often prefer one parent; gently stepping back and rebalancing caregiving duties prevents caregiver burnout and supports children's developing emotional regulation.

Parenting and Unconditional Love

Love a child unconditionally, even during their worst moments, while balancing safety and boundaries when serious mental illness affects behavior.

How to Practice Mentalization in Parenting

Mentalization is imagining and reflecting on a child's thoughts and feelings to improve parental understanding, model perspective-taking, and support emotional regulation.