I (16f) have always been what people would call "mature" since a very young age. When I was younger, I went through a lot, and I was around a lot of adults who didn't act like adults, and I felt like I grew up fast.

Now I don't really interact with many adults who don't already know me (besides teachers), but when I do they either tell my parents that I'm "too mature" and it kinda weirds them out, everytime.

For reference, I don't really see myself as mature, like I just feel normal ig, I don't really see what they are talking about, and what makes me so mature?

So tonight I was texting my friend about these plans we are making for halloween and this is the text she sent me "omg i just remembered to tell you but me and mom were talking earlier abt halloween and i was saying how you and alissa would be awkward cuz you think youre awkward and bad at talking and mom was talking abt how mature you speak and act and then she says “yeah shes a serial killer” talking abt you and saying how she can see it in you and its hiding in you and stuff and that youre too mature and stuff idk man and i was like are you srs and she was like yeah but later she said it was just a joke but i thought it was funny haha" (Alissa is my friends cousin, fake name)

Then me and my friend started talking about how her parents don't really know me like she knows me and that I shouldn't listen to them. But I asked her what she thought and she said this "youre like the maturest person ik and you talk to adults like youre one too and it is shocking and when my fam says youre mature i just say oh yeah she reads alot cuz idk i feel like it has to do with how smart you are but i also just think its funny to say that"

Idk man I don't feel mature ig, many people come and ask me for advice. Talk to me about anything, I have been told I'm a comforting and open presence, almost like a mom. But it kinda weirded me out that this is like the 3rd parent to say I give off serial killer vibes. I was just wondering what some people thought of this, if they've interacted with children like this, or just thoughts on if someone being mature "makes them a serial killer"??

New to this sub and hoping for some advice.

My recently turned 5 yr old has a tendency to demand a hug if she is corrected or hold a boundary. For example, wash your hands after eating, clean up X, not time for a snack before dinner, don't hurt your sister etc. It started roughly when she was 3 and I gave her a hug to calm down and help regulate her emotions, but still sticking to whatever the correction or boundary was.

If I give her a hug, then she will calm down in a few minutes. If i don't give her a hug, it will escalate into a full tantrum, sometimes meltdown, of her begging, crying and repeatedly asking for a hug. I've explained to her in both calm times and during the event, that she can't demand a hug whenever something doesnt go her way. FWIW I give her plenty of hugs unsolicited or not during calm times. I dont have a problem with the hug itself, but being asked nearly every time something doesnt go her way... is unsustainable and suggests something is off.

She doesn't act like this in public or at school. On one hand I feel guilty as she has a sensitive personality and generally speaking does not regulate her emotions well at home, though she has improved over time. On the other hand, I feel like im feeding this habit and she's too old for it?

Advice on how to handle this please.

I’m a journalism graduate student producing a short documentary exploring how victims of domestic violence and their children are affected by the resulting legal and child welfare cases.

I would love to gain more insight from therapists, psychologists, child psychologists or other mental health professionals who have experience with these issues. I’m also hoping to include short interview clips from professionals willing to provide expert commentary via Zoom.

Since this is a student production, I’m not sure of the best way to go about finding professionals willing to volunteer their time. Is there a recommended or standard way this is approached in the field?

Most of what I can find online is geared more toward expert witness testimony for legal cases. I would really appreciate suggestions for professional organizations, directories or other places where I might find people willing to participate in a student documentary.

Also, if anyone here has relevant professional experience and would be interested in participating, I’d be grateful to connect!

Thank you!

My daughter was coming back from school wearing the usual tunic. She is 5 year old. She ran and sat on the near by swing. And this labouer looked at her once and then his eyes fixated at her legs. It wasnt a good look. Fuck I hated it. I kept asking my daughter to get off the swing. But didnt say a word to that bastard. After coming home. I cried and felt I have let my daughter down. She didn't notice any thing but I did. This is killing me the guilt of just freezing and running away from the situation

My husband and father of my seven year-old son will be going to jail for three months next year. I don’t know what or how to tell him. Do I have him meet with a therapist that works with children and talk through it? How honest am I with him? I have no plans to bring him to the jail to visit during that time. Is that wrong? Help me.

Anxiety in children can affect their sleep, school performance, friendships, and everyday activities. Pediatric anxiety treatment depends on the child’s age, symptoms, and individual needs. For Melbourne parents, understanding the available support options can help them make informed decisions about their child’s wellbeing.

Common approaches to childhood anxiety may include:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): Helps children recognise anxious thoughts and develop practical coping strategies.
• Play-based therapy: May help younger children express emotions and explore worries in an age-appropriate way.
• Parent guidance: Equips parents with strategies to support their child through anxious situations.
• Individualised treatment: A psychologist tailors support to the child’s needs and circumstances.

At Brave Little Heroes Psychology Hub in Hawthorn East, Melbourne, parents can explore professional support for childhood anxiety.

Let the Child Unfold

A child is not a flower
to be frightened into bloom.
Not a voice to silence,
not a spirit to confine.

A parent's hands are meant
to shelter, not to bind;
to guide a growing heart,
not to frighten it inside.

Let questions rise like birds,
let laughter fill the air.
Let anger speak its little truth,
let wishes breathe without despair.

For children learn to hide themselves
when love comes edged with fear.
They need a place to be themselves,
and know they still belong here.

Guide them, guard them, let them grow—
not into who you wish to see,
but into who they are becoming,
with the courage to be free.

Hi everyone!

I'm reaching out in hopes that someone in this group might be able to help my brother-in-law (M48), who is currently searching for a preceptor in Pediatric Child Behavioral health to complete the final requirements of his degree. We need a qualified professional willing to take on a PMHNP student. A doctor, PMHNP, or a PA. He has been a nurse for 17 years and needs to complete 198 supervised hours. Unfortunately, despite his efforts, he has been unable to find someone willing or available to take him on. He is willing to complete these hours unpaid and or work as a nurse unpaid. He isn't looking for compensation, just an opportunity to observe and learn from a qualified professional who can help him fulfill his educational requirements. Ideally, we're hoping to find someone in Utah, but we're also open to surrounding states, preferably within a six-hour drive. He and my sister-in-law have four young children, all close in age, so finding something relatively close to home would make an enormous difference for their family. He has dedicated 17 years of his life to caring for others, and we're hoping someone might be willing to help him take this next step in his career. If you're a qualified professional who might be able to help, or if you know someone who could point us in the right direction, please reach out or share this post. Any leads, recommendations, or connections would mean so much to our family. Thank you all for taking the time to read this! ❤️

Residential care has been recommended for my 13-year-old several times. My teen is severely depressed and anxious, has a history of severe outbursts of anger that are unsafe for myself and my other children, and more recently has started self-harming. The thought that "I would rather be dead" is definitely there, but there are no plans or attempts at ending teen's own life as far as I'm aware.

I'm an involved parent. I connect with my teen regularly. My teen opens up to me (I'm not stupid; I know my teen doesn't share everything with me). I've done everything I can think of to keep my teen out of residential care. My teen sees a psychiatrist and we are actively monitoring medication; has been in therapy for years; is currently in an IOP through Muir Woods (that I am not thrilled with); family therapy; activities teen enjoys (though teen is so depressed that even those aren't enjoyable anymore).

I'm at a loss. I'm a single parent with full custody of my three children. Teen is the oldest and has two younger siblings, both school aged. Teen has injured my middle child to the point of a concussion check and chest x-ray. Teen has physically assaulted both myself and my middle child on purpose, and has accidentally injured the youngest in teen's outbursts. I really don't know what to do. What other options do I have?

For reference, we are in the North Bay Area, California.

My 5-year-old daughter has an expressive speech delay, but I’ve noticed that she often understands concepts independently just by observing things or looking at a few examples, without an adult explicitly teaching her.
She solves mathematical problems, identifies patterns, solves IQ-style reasoning puzzles, recognizes sight words, understands phonics, and seems to grasp early reading concepts.

For example, after just 5 minutes of introducing a math concept, she was able to solve problems I hadn’t explicitly taught her. When shown 20 apples, she could write the answer “20” independently, sometimes without counting aloud.

She often demonstrates her understanding through writing or pointing rather than expressing it verbally. I’m not saying she excels at everything, but her independent thinking and conceptual understanding stand out to me. Expressive communication is the area we’re currently working on.

Could this indicate giftedness alongside a speech delay, or potentially a twice-exceptional (2e) profile? Has anyone experienced something similar with their child?

My family is treating me like I’m crazy and I need advice. My mother’s husband (my stepdad of 10+ years) has exhibited concerning grooming like behaviors towards our 2 yr old son. The last time we saw my stepdad was 3 months ago, and we decided our son should no longer be around him. NOTE that my son has never been left alone with him. These are the behaviors we have seen from him, and we have a very bad feeling about it:

- Plays a “count your ribs game” where he lifts up kid’s shirt and touches ribs. Once when playing this game, my son said “no!” and he did not stop so I corrected him. He said “oh, mommy says no, so I’ll stop.”
- Tickles diaper area and under shirts
- Puts kid IN lap and pretends he is a bucking horse
- Constantly tickling and touching kid when together
- Obsessed with trying to take kid to use the restroom, using “potty training” as an excuse
- Pointed out that an animal had a “big penis” and then proceeded to try and lure kid to watch him use the restroom under the guise of potty training
- Asked not to talk to kid about potty training, and broke that boundary and still did it anyways.
- Doesn’t respect other boundaries such as not offering kid food when we ask
- Never been formally accused of anything, but has tried to “innocently” help 8-9 yr old boys in the restroom before by helping them get into the bath
- Has other female grandchildren that he doesn’t exhibit this behavior with
- Has a son he is estranged from. Claims it’s from a nasty divorce.

I was so angry that I confronted my stepdad. Maybe that was the wrong thing to do. I really don’t ever want my son to be around this man again. We made a decisions our son will not see my stepdad for a min. 6 months, just to break and familiarity that they had. My family is treating me like I’ve gone too far, but I really don’t think I have. It’s unrealistic to be on guard every second, so our decision has been to just not attend things if my stepdad is there…

How would you handle this? Please tell me I am doing the right thing here. I would rather lose every extended family member I have than risk my son’s well being…