For parents and carers talking about their kids — school, friendships, behaviour, screens, and the worries that keep you up. An adults-only space.
Raising children generates a constant stream of questions you can’t easily ask anyone. Is this normal for their age? Am I overreacting? Is everyone else finding this as hard? The people best placed to answer are usually other parents a year or two further along.
This category is for those conversations. It’s for parents, step-parents, grandparents, carers and anyone else doing the job.
What people talk about here
School — settling in, falling behind, refusing to go, and dealing with teachers when something isn’t working. Friendships, exclusion, and watching your child struggle socially when you can’t fix it. Behaviour that’s beyond what you know how to handle. Screens, phones, and when to give them one. Worrying about their mental health and how to raise it without frightening them. Big transitions: starting school, high school, exams, leaving home. Blended families and co-parenting. Teenagers who’ve stopped talking. And the guilt, which appears to be standard issue.
Related categories
- Parenting — your own experience of being a parent
- Child Care — services, subsidies and the practical logistics
- New Baby — the first months
- Bullying — if your child is being targeted
Support beyond the forum
- raisingchildren.net.au — Australian Government-funded, evidence-based information from newborns to teens.
- Kids Helpline — free 24/7 counselling for ages 5–25, and a parent line on 1300 30 1300. Your child can call them directly.
- eSafety Commissioner — report online bullying and abuse, plus guidance for parents on devices and apps.
- Bullying. No Way! — Australian Government help with bullying at school.
- Beyond Blue — free 24/7 mental health support for you. Call 1300 22 4636.
If you’re worried about your child’s immediate safety, call 000.
Posting here
SameBoat is an adults-only forum. This is a space for parents to talk about their children, not a space for children. If you’re under 18, please don’t create an account — Kids Helpline has free, confidential counsellors on 1800 55 1800 who are properly trained for exactly this, day or night.
Please protect your child’s privacy. Don’t post their name, school, sporting club, or anything that would identify them — and no photos. What you write here is public and searchable, and your child didn’t choose to have their difficulties on the internet. Describe the situation and give their age; that’s all anyone needs to help.
Nobody here is going to judge your parenting. Most of us have had the week you’re having.