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1500 questions
42
votes
10 answers

Is it possible to spoil a child, but still teach them not to behave spoiled?

My 9-year-old stepson has terrible tantrums. I was abused as a child and used to act out as a result. Teachers and other adults were very hostile to me and failed to recognize my cries for help. So when I was first getting to know this boy, I was…
bewildered
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7 answers

8-year-old son keeps claiming he's not smart enough to do his homework

I've been the foster father to my girlfriends child for nearly three years now. He's eight years old, born late in the year, so he is the youngest in his class. When they moved in with me (2+ years ago), they changed cities and he had to change…
Reaces
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12 answers

I want to expose my 5-year-old daughter to boys and girls toys equally, but she just turned her nose up at Star Wars. What do I do?

My aspiration is to give my daughter experiences of boys and girls toys. My background is that I work as a software engineer and had experiences of LEGO, Meccano, programming and sci-fi movies. I don't want to hold that stuff back from my…
hawkeye
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42
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6 answers

How do I make sure I don't mix up identical twin newborns?

I think all babies look alike, even when they are not identical. I need to come up with a strategy over the next few months.
Jay Cummins
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41
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8 answers

How can we motivate a young adult without breaking the family?

Background One of my children is in her early 20's and deeply stuck. She has finished high school during the first COVID-19 lockdown, has then had a short stint at living alone and studying (aborted after 1.5 semesters because it "was not for her").…
AnoE
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41
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5 answers

How to deal with a situation in which following the rules feels like punishment and breaking them is rewarded?

Disclaimer: This question is triggered by the current COVID-19 pandemic, but should please be seen as a more general question. To cut a long story short, a long-planned birthday party sleepover at a friends house was violating both the existing and…
Stephie
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41
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8 answers

Kid throwing ice cream cone back to the vendor

Description of the scene A video I saw portrays a kid in the arms of a woman who (I assume) is the mother. The kid is maybe one year old (my naive estimation). They are at an ice cream shop and the vendor tricks them (now very popular among ice…
Remi.b
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41
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9 answers

Condoms in a care package: Parents advice

Following a bit of advice in Meta, I wanted to ask for the advice that parents who have this experience (or know who has) what is best. I am strictly not looking for opinions about whether this is right or wrong. I am in an organization that happens…
Mikey
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41
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10 answers

How do you as teacher deal with children who like to hug you?

I'm a male teacher. I have a problem with two 10-year-old girls who sometimes insist on hugging me. I don't particularly enjoy hugs at the best of times and when the hug comes from a minor I really dislike it. I have discussed my aversion to hugs…
UnkownUser783
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41
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9 answers

If my 4-year-old asks me "why", what kind of "why" does he mean?

My 4-year-old asks me questions like "Why is water transparent?" What kind of "why" does he mean?: What sense does it make for water to be transparent? How is it achieved that water is transparent? The first question would be more philosophycal…
Mathias F
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41
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6 answers

3 year-old boy wants constant attention, hits and deliberately poops in underpants when he doesn't get it

I have a nearly 3-year-old boy whose energy has become near-limitless, coupled with new neediness, aggression, and defiance. He wants to run around and be played with for the entire day. He is unable to sit still for more than about 10 seconds most…
iLikeDirt
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41
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8 answers

How can we discipline a strong-willed, misbehaving 5 year-old?

My 5 year old son receives and fears punishment but repeatedly exhibits the same unacceptable behaviors. He's always been strong-willed, and is usually the kind to view a statement like "Don't do that" as an open invitation to do it. We've tried…
JaneTaeKwonDo
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41
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9 answers

Is it too dangerous for my 2-year-old son to watch YouTube on the iPad for hours?

There are a few questions about the iPad, but I am interested in knowing if such a habit has bad impacts on my son. He watches YouTube for hours and hours. I can't deny that he has learned some good things like counting, but it's like he lives in…
Ulkoma
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41
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8 answers

My child is ignoring my timeouts and walking away from them. What are some options for handling this?

I have a two and a half year old daughter. Recently she's been acting up generally, and ignoring timeouts by getting up and walking away. I would pick her up and plant her down again, but I know from experience that she'll see that as a game. (The…
milesmeow
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40
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9 answers

How would you explain COVID-19 lockdown to a 4 year old?

How would you explain COVID-19 lockdown to a 4 year old given that the lockdown might be in place for months in London?
Mathematics
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