I am in desperate need of advice and have never been in this situation before.

We had a family move next to us and my 5-year-old daughter goes to preschool with their two girls.

Today they saw us pull up after grocery shopping (the first time I’ve seen them they were in the street playing) and the 5-year-old and 3-year-old come running over to say hi to my daughter which was fine but when I open my door they just run into my house. I told them “excuse me you need to go let your parents know where you are”…

I’m at the end of my rope with my 8-year-old daughter. She has always done well in school and is a very advanced reader. She got the first Harry Potter book for her 7th birthday, and read it in 3 days.

This year she’s in second grade, and we are doing remote learning. My other two school-age children are managing ok, although it isn’t easy, but my daughter is hardcore STRUGGLING.

If something doesn’t go the way she expects it to the first time, she blows up. For example, if she gets a math problem wrong, or gets confused about…

I am on the edge regarding our three year old and I am reaching out asking for help. He is a willful child intelligent, imaginative, creative, and very strong. In the past year, he has been sent home with 30+ ‘ write-ups’ from his daycare for instances where he has hit his friends, pushed his friends, thrown chairs or furniture, hit and kicked daycare workers, and other general physical obstinate behavior.

My wife and I subscribe to positive reinforcement for good behavior and negative reinforcement for bad behavior. When our son has a tantrum we talk him through it, give…

I was raised in a fundamentalist religious household, but it was honestly more of a cult than anything else. I barely saw anyone outside of my immediate family when I was growing up, and got a lot of dodgy religious teachings drummed into me, and one of the main ones was homophobia. It was drilled into me that it was sinful, an abomination, etc.

When I was 15, I escaped the cult, and essentially spent the next ten years living with my (religious, but not culty) aunt and uncle, and basically deprogramming myself from everything I’d been taught. I now…

My 8 year old constantly chews or sucks on stuff: fingers, stationery, collars or sleeves. What is this?

When I was a kid, I remember constantly sucking on the ribbons on my dress when I would be engrossed in TV or a book. I don’t remember when I outgrew this, but it happened without any specific attempts at habit changing. My mom always nagged me about it but didn’t do anything beyond that to change my behavior. Also, I do remember that this behavior/habit was always done without intention — it just sort of happened automatically. …

I feel like a monster even saying any of this. If I don’t throw it all out into the universe then it’s going to sit on my chest and I don’t need my feelings getting in the way of being a good mom.

All these special needs moms are like we got this, we are superheroes, God doesn’t give us more than we can handle, I feel so blessed every day that my child is special. Well, I have an 8-year-old ASD kid and a 9-month-old baby who I really hope is neurotypical. My 8 year old makes my life…

My partner’s kids (m9, f7, and f5) are with us 4 nights a week. On those nights we eat a home-cooked meal together at the table, always. The kids like my food and are often involved in the cooking and make the choice for dinner (within reason). Nobody is forced to clear their plate or eat a certain amount, really the only expectation is to eat until you’re full so you won’t be hungry, and wait for everybody else to finish before you go off and do your own thing.

Recently, I would say for about the last 2 months…

I am a first-time mom to an 8-month-old boy. I won’t lie, it’s been rough for me. I am finally getting some help via medication and therapy and am trying to accept the whirlwind better. I know my son loves me but at this age, they don’t really show it yet. He’ll smile at me from his crib when I get him up for the day. I can make him giggle as I blow raspberries into his belly. …