A year and a half ago, my husband and I had our entire world turned upside down.
My brother's wife left him and their three daughters and fled the country. At the time, the girls were very young. They are now 6, 4, and 2.5.
My brother is autistic, and without getting into the personal details behind everything, the situation became one where the children needed support and stability. I made the decision to take in the oldest and youngest girls. The middle child is not living with us at this time, and that is a complicated situation and a decision for the future.
For the past year and a half, the two girls have lived with my husband, our 5 year old son, and me. They are truly part of our family. My son and the girls call each other brother and sisters, and we do everything we can to give them a happy, stable, and loving childhood.
But I'm struggling, and I guess that's why I'm posting here.
I have a lot of unresolved trauma from my own childhood and family. I get overstimulated very easily, and sometimes I yell or have an attitude when I'm overwhelmed. The 6 year old is incredibly sensitive and cries easily, and afterward I find myself worrying constantly that I'm somehow damaging her or repeating the cycle of things I experienced growing up.
I love these girls with my whole heart. I would do absolutely anything for them. My husband and I have built our lives around making sure they have opportunities, stability, and happy memories. We bought a bigger home, put in a pool, plan fun playdates, throw big birthday parties, surprise them with little things, build Lego together, play with them, and give them as much love as we possibly can.
But sometimes I feel like none of that matters if I'm also the person who gets overwhelmed and raises my voice.
I'm tired. I'm sad. And honestly, I'm scared.
I constantly wonder: How will they feel about all of this when they're older? Will they remember the love and stability we gave them, or will they remember the times I was overwhelmed and yelled? Am I screwing them up without realizing it?
I know material things don't make someone a good parent or erase mistakes. I'm not listing the things we do because I think a pool or a big birthday party makes up for anything. I guess I'm trying to explain that we genuinely pour everything we have into these kids and their happiness.
I want to do better, especially when I'm overstimulated. I want to learn how to regulate myself instead of responding with frustration or yelling. I just feel like I'm carrying so much sometimes, and then the guilt hits me afterward.
Has anyone else taken on the unexpected responsibility of raising family members' children? Or struggled with being a loving parent while also dealing with their own childhood trauma and overstimulation?
I guess I just need some honest advice. I love these girls more than I can explain, and I'm terrified of failing them.

How would you feel about your child's photo being posted on their school's Facebook page?

It's a consideration for parents when enrolling their child into school and often at the start of each new academic year.

Schools need permission to publish student information including photos for their newsletter, website, reports, learning platforms and social media, explains Karley Beckman, senior lecturer in digital technologies at the University of Wollongong.

But many use "bundled consent" forms — where the school asks for several types of permission with a single "yes or no". Dr Beckman says that can prevent parents from approving internal uses such as a newsletter, while declining external platforms like Facebook, which differ in terms of privacy and their child's digital footprint.

"The nature of sharing on each of those platforms is quite distinct."

And experts warn there can be social consequences for children from families who opt out.

Growing awareness to protect children's data

Digital wellbeing researcher Joanne Orlando from Western Sydney University says while most parents will "trust the school" and consent to them sharing their child's photos, there's a growing awareness around digital safety.

Earlier this year, a Brisbane school committed to no longer sharing "recognisable" photos of students on its official social media accounts.

"Parents are so much more aware than even 12 months ago. We've seen a lot happen this year, particularly around AI really gaining traction," Dr Orlando says.

For example, the possibility that generative AI could be used to manipulate and doctor images to create child exploitation material.

But many will think "I don't want my child to miss out on being photographed for an awards night", Dr Orlando says as an example.

It's part of the reason why Dr Beckman says bundled consent forms can feel "coercive".

"It's coercive in that if you say no [to sharing your child's information] you do get the sense your child is missing out on a broad range of activities."

But photos aren't just data

There is a tension between protecting children's privacy and ensuring that privacy practices don't inadvertently make children feel "unseen or excluded", says Lauri Parr, a participatory visual artist and human rights researcher at Curtin University.

"With current concerns about privacy [and safety] … we are increasingly looking at photos from this perspective of what information is that image sharing about my child's identity.

"But that's not the only thing that goes on with a photo, there are other things," she says, such as memories and a sense of belonging.

She says opting out of a child's information and images being used by their school can have social consequences.

Finding a balance and including children in decision-making

Parents have the right to consent or decline the use of their children's information for specific purposes.

If you can't do this on the form, Dr Beckman encourages parents to contact the school.

Before giving consent, she recommends parents look at the quantity of information shared by the school, for example the number of photos posted.

Parents can also ask about strategies used to protect children's privacy, and the purpose of the posts.

Read the full article at abc.net.au.

My 8year old daughter has a thing against socks.

She doesn't like when the seam is on her toes or if the heel "doesn't feel right".

She constantly uses my socks saying they're a bit more comfortable than hers but of course my woman's size 10 sock is not the best fit for her little kid feet.

Can anyone recommend a sock brand that is comfy, possibly seam free/minimal seam, and thick around the back of the foot?

I'm even happy to buy her women's socks in a smaller size if there is no kids sock brand that hits the brief.

Edit to add: in Australia

We live in Germany and have to pack a daily, healthy breakfast for Kindergarten. The problem is that my daughter doesn't eat bread. Like at all. She doesn't eat crackers or bread or toast or sandwich or rice waffles.

So im stuck trying to figure out something healthy ish, filling and energy dense foe her to get through the day.

She loves sausage of any kind, but i cant exactly just pack sausage and fruit every day. She does luckily eat basically all fruit and veg.

Any ideas? 🫡

So I have a son who’s in 8th grade now and my daughters in 6th. I grew up in poverty, so I moved to the suburbs so my kids can have a better chance, they go to public school. So I was having a conversation with a girlfriend of mine who grew up in the suburbs definitely not in poverty like I did lol so I do get advice from her from time to time she has a business mindset and she does help out anyways in the conversation we were talking about our kids future and she basically said since I didn’t get my son into sports that it’s too late for him and I should force my daughter into sports. Now don’t get me wrong with my daughter doesn’t wanna join sports which I’m totally with 100% but my son is more into building and technology and not really a sports kid if that makes sense so is having a successful future really too late for him because I didn’t get him into sports? I guess her point about it is I don’t have money to pay for college, which I’m saving, but I started out young with no guidance unfortunately. My dad’s never been around and my mom’s recovering addict so I don’t have anyone to talk to about this. Thank you.

Not looking for horror stories. I'm interested in the delay specifically, because everything I read about online risk assumes you find out fast, and every real account I've heard involves finding out much later and usually by accident. If it happened to you, what was the gap, and what would have caught it sooner?

My kid has been having some tummy discomfort on and off and being a picky eater definitely does not make it easier to figure out what might help. They eat a few safe foods and that is about it, so trying to get more variety or fiber in has been a struggle. I have been considering a kids probiotic but I am not sure if it would actually help with regular digestion or if I should focus on food changes first. Has anyone tried one for their kid and noticed a difference?

Today my kid was on YouTube kids and said "Look! There's a man chewing a tube and it's on fire, and he's throwed it on the pavement!". Shocked, I took the device away. I saw the words "Nu Pogodi". I googled them, and it was not the most appropriate content for my child to view. So I lectured him on this content and played Tom and Jerry instead of that Russian wolf and rabbit. The link is here: "https://www.youtubekids.com/watch?v=jBQkY27LTmQ&hl=en-GB".

Short background: Nursery nurse made a concern-letter to CPS about my daughter and my diagnoses, resulting in us having family services for multiple years. Later on doing services I was accused of having münchausen by proxy because my daughter kept having health problems.

She's been diagnosed with

- chronicle constipated since she was two weeks old

- Celiac disease

- a rare form of chronic ear infection

- Childhood Asthma

- Sleep problems (Thinking early signs of ADHD)

- Hypermobility

Concern today: Usually I love our current family services. I truly do. But I'm at a lost with this one topic..

My daughter still uses diapers at night, she's almost 7. We're now being described as unsupportive in her to stop using diaper and being told we're lacking resources..

The thing is, bedwetting is a family condition. Every single person in my family for atleast four generations have had it until atleast teenage years. Some had it until they died of old-age. I have been consulting doctors and the school nurse about it and none of them think it's something to be concerned about and we've been told we're doing it all the right way.

But family services thinks we're doing it wrong. They believe we're supposed to completely stop using diapers at night. Just use one of those protective sheets and just wash every time she has an accident. Their logic is, that her body will recognise the uncomfortable feeling of peeing in bed and will then get used to wake up and go to the toilet.

I guess I'm just looking for people telling their experience about bedwetting and how it stopped?

My seven-year-old daughter is in ballet and tap, and I am losing my mind over how quickly she is outgrowing her shoes. I swear I just bought her tap shoes a few months ago, and yesterday she complained that her toes were completely cramped.

A parent at our community center recommended checking out the clearance or basic sections on the Energetiks site because they sometimes have good sales on leather flats, but the shipping to us still adds up. How do other parents handle this? Do you buy cheap knock-offs on Amazon, or do you stick to the reputable brands and just buy a half-size too big? I want her to be comfortable and protect her feet, but spending $100+ on shoes multiple times a year for a casual hobby is getting rough.

She still wants me nearby when she plays, which is fine. It's the getting down, getting back up, then doing it again ten minutes later that's getting me lately.

Yesterday I put a couple of her toys on a low surface where she could stand and play while I sat next to her. She actually stayed there longer than I expected, and I didn't have to haul myself off the floor afterward.

Now I'm wondering what else I can change for these last few weeks instead of assuming all of our play has to happen on the floor.

If you were home with a toddler late in pregnancy, what little changes made play easier for you?

My 9yo is refusing basically all real food and I'm at my wits' end. He won't touch vegetables or protein, with the only exception being breaded nuggets, and even that is a struggle. We get full meltdowns and sobbing if broccoli even touches his plate, and he actually gags at the sight of fish.

He’s currently trying to convince us that ketchup is a vegetable and will argue about it for twenty minutes. We are planning to see a specialist to see if this is a sensory or spectrum thing, but in the meantime, I'm stressed about his nutrition. I'm looking into supplements just so I can sleep at night without worrying about him getting scurvy.

A coworker mentioned Kirkman because their formula has 5-MTHF, and I've also looked at Hiya or Flintstones. Kirkman is actually a bit cheaper, which makes me wonder if the quality is actually there. Has anyone used Kirkman for their picky eaters, or do you have a better recommendation? I'd love any advice from parents who have dealt with this level of food aversion.

So my son is 13 and has been messing around with a YouTube channel for a while now, nothing huge, just doing his thing. He's got about 60 subscribers and his videos usually pull in around 300 views, so it's still very much a small hobby channel. A few weeks ago a company called DeskPi reached out and sent him a product (a Rackmate T1, it's like a mini server rack thing, he's really into that kind of tech). Now they want him to make a video about it as part of a collab.

Honestly I'm kind of stunned. Getting a real brand collab at 13 with a channel that size is wild, I didn't even know what YouTube was at that age. But I'm nervous too. His view counts have always been small and casual, and I'm scared that if this video doesn't do numbers, or if he suddenly feels like there's pressure to "perform" now that a company is involved, he's going to get discouraged and just quit YouTube altogether. Right now it's just a fun hobby for him and I don't want that to change.

At the same time I don't want to hold him back from something that's genuinely exciting for him, and it feels like a good opportunity to learn a little bit about how this whole world works.

Anyone been through something like this with their kid? How did you handle it, and did the pressure of a "real" collab change how they felt about their hobby afterward?

Just don’t feel like I can lock down/restrict those platforms enough. I do let her on “CoverStar” but was also wanting just some kid centric video content.

Parent here trying to understand where one ends and the other begins.

If a child is dealing with anxiety that’s affecting school and the school already has some mental health support available, when does it usually make sense to also look at outside therapy? Ive been reading about school based programs like Daybreak Health but those seem focused mainly on what’s happening at school. Outside options like local therapists and online providers like Emora Health seem like they may be better suited for things that are also showing up at home, around friends, before activities, etc.

Is school based support normally meant to work alongside outside therapy in situations like this?

Mostly trying to understand how parents can avoid involving too many different people and accidentally making things more stressful for the child.

We typically go with Crabster or Grouchy-saurus-rex, What do you call them when they're having a bad day and trying your patience?

my daughter has very strong opinions about what needs to be in her room at bedtime lol

curious what your kids have decided is absolutely essential for bedtime? is it the usual specific blanket or nightlight, or do they need something you wouldn't expect?

Growing up, my parents would sometimes hand me their wallet or credit card to make a purchase they approved of and I would never dream of stealing their money. I always knew where their wallets were and could steal a few bills without them knowing but I never did because I simply never felt that desire, all my needs were met and most of my wants as well. I'm just paranoid that what if my kids grow up trying to sneak money out of my wallet? How do I teach them not to?

I have no idea what to write to fulfil the rules.

Hi, I'd love your advice. We are a company that makes software for seaweed farmers, and we now want to create a digital platform for kids to basically learn about this industry through fun minigames (i.e. seaweed farm simulator, etc.). I'm a bit worried that a digital platform will just encourage more time on the computer? we're also partnering with an artist to hand-paint a deck of seaweed-themed playing cards and Top Trumps cards (these are the rewards of a Kickstarter campaign we just launched). Would these cards be better things to promote since they are more physical / get the kids off the screen? what are the key elements you think about when designing education tools like this with kids? thanks so much

I hate my house. I hate being in it. As soon as I get home an instant wave of depression hits me.

I try to escape as much as possible. 5 out of the 6 weeks the kids have been off we have been at a family members caravan on the coast at the weekend rather than home because I hate it here. I go out every day and stay out as long as possible. Home means mess and disorder. It’s constant. It never ends. I’m touched out. My partner is never here, he’s at work, football, his mums, pub, he gets to escape but I am stuck. Here, in a house I hate because no one cleans up after themselves. I feel constantly overwhelmed. I clean all day. I breastfeed the baby, so I run on 5 hours max sleep. I can’t go to bed when the baby falls asleep, because there’s so much house work to keep on top of, I can’t just go to bed. It takes at least an hour to reset the house, pack bags for nursery or school when it is school time, tend to the dog, clean up from dinner. Even the little and often methods I see on tiktok and such, just don’t work.

The dog has started peeing in the house. I think it’s the vibe that’s making him anxious. My partner forgets to feed him, doesn’t walk him, despite the fact he brought the dog into the relationship for some reason I do 80% of the care. He’s a big dog, moults lots of fur but my partner quite “doesn’t like hoovering”. He is reactive and barks all the time which drives me even more mental. With the kids screaming and shouting, the TV on, the dog barking and the baby crying I honestly feel like I might implode.

My parents live here too atm. My mum is so messy, but then acts like a victim to everyone else’s mess - despite the fact she makes a lot of it. She also can use an extra large Fairy laundry detergent with 101 washes inside a week. Just dumps as much as she likes in. I buy non bio for the baby and it’s expensive; she reacts to cheaper versions. I cant afford to buy two and if there’s runs out when they do buy their own they just use mine regardless, but hopefully they are moving out soon.

I’ve talk with my partner about domestic responsibilities. It descends into arguing and him asking what do I want him to do. At which point I can’t be bothered to explain or write a list or whatever so just do it myself. I call him out for using my brain instead of his own and how tired it makes me.

I’m so depressed at home. I’m tired, I’m burnt out and I can’t keep being everyone’s lowest priority. I have small “breaks” but the house is messy and I just spend them cleaning. For it to return back to that state or worse. I honestly give up. I’m already on anti-depressants.
I’m on maternity leave and just feel like a live in maid and wet nurse because “I’m not at work”. I’d rather BE at work fifteen times over. I love my kids so much but I’m so so exhausted I’m not enjoying them.

I recently noticed a small change in my son while using an app I built, and wanted to share it with other parents.
I bought him a 1,000-piece puzzle, hoping it might help him spend less time on screens and develop more patience and focus. Normally, he has a hard time starting big tasks and probably would have quit halfway—or it would have become the parents’ puzzle.
This time, I set up a 14-day milestone for him. For every 25% completed, he earned 30 minutes of screen time. If he finished it within two weeks, he would get a 2x bonus and a badge.
To our surprise, he became completely focused on it. He stopped playing games and watching short videos, and finished the whole puzzle by himself in just one week. We didn’t help him at all.
The interesting part came afterward. Because he had worked so hard to earn that screen time, he didn’t want to spend it too quickly. He also immediately asked us to buy another 1,000-piece puzzle.
It feels like he found a new interest and gained a real sense of achievement without us forcing him to do anything. For us, the milestone idea worked surprisingly well—not only as motivation, but also as a way to practice delayed gratification and make screen time feel earned rather than automatic.
Curious if other parents have tried anything similar.

If interested to check out the app I built, feel free to click below
LimeTime parenting

I'm working on a website to help parents of young / sensitive kids to choose movies or TV that is appropriate for THEIR child. Parents: Is this a good decision work flow? www.gentleguide.com.au

I don’t wanna get into many detail details about my childhood and my upbringing…
I don’t want to scare people off about the spiritual aspect that has played a huge role in my childhood and upbringing…
Which I think also correlates to the abuse that I’ve endured during my childhood and upbringing.
Not to downplay that I am of a Taino descendent and I know that I am spiritually woke and open and sensitive…
The same way that I know that there are certain things that are not meant for my family and our lifestyle like drinking because alcoholism makes us into different people…
Something else takes over us after having certain amount of drinks and I know that it’s not us…
Why the women in my family should not be drinking..
But that’s neither here nor there and that’s not what this post is about.
This post is me humble bragging.. which is so hard for me to do to begin with. I am so conservative and quiet and private with my life and my lifestyle and my family but I’m also very fixed and opinionated but nonjudgmental it’s really like a contradictive chaotic lifestyle but one that people can adjust to. I am an Aquarius. It is what it is with a Pisces moon and Leo sun..
I’m humble with a God complex. I feel like I’m on top of the world while also feeling like I shouldn’t be here I’ve gone through everything and nothing.
But I can honestly and positively and happily say that my kids act like spoiled, entitled, rich, white children, and we don’t even come from anywhere near a speck of that.
Which leads me to believe that me breaking generational curses is literally working
My kids love and adore me. I love that my kids know that we don’t have to like everything but as long as we love it and it’s OK we can love something all the time like our family, but that doesn’t mean we have to like us all the time.
My kids or my life they are the only reason why I’m still alive here at 36 female
I still have doubts in my mind. Sometimes I still beat myself up all the time, but I can honestly and genuinely say that everything that I’ve done with the benefit my children for the most part they don’t hate me. They fucking adore me and my kids I know have the same spiritual energy that I do and I couldn’t be more proud at this moment to be a parent…
There’s so much more that feeds into that, but I’m just gonna leave it at that and I appreciate you guys reading this far. If you wanna know more, please feel free to ask and I will try to answer anything I can in a timely manner.

Thank you guys for coming to my TED talk thank you for listening to me vent or rant whichever either way, I don’t think that I would change the way that my life is going now for anything like I would have eight years ago when I didn’t wanna be here anymore

I’m 27 waiting for baby fever to slap me in the face but I’m scared that won’t happen. My husband really wants to be a dad sooner or later. I see so many people posting negatively about having kids. Do any of you regret having them?

Could you imagine your life without them?