Woman With A PhD In Child Development Shares 9 "Crazy" Things She Does As A Mom That Other Parents Might Find Useful Bored Panda Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app Continue in app Continue in browser Like what you're reading? Subscribe to our top stories Please enter email address By submitting email you agree to get Bored Panda newsletter. We respect your privacy. We will not publish or share your email address in any way. Almost finished... To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. Almost finished... To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. Are you leaving already? Are you sure you want to post this? We're asking people to rethink comments that seem similar to others that have been reported or downvoted this warning is a mistake x x Let's fight boredom together! Continue with Facebook Continue with Google or Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Forgot your password? Creating an account means you agree with Bored Panda's Terms of Service 0, text: error()"> Become a member Sign Up Have an account? Login Forgot your password? Creating an account means you agree with Bored Panda's Terms of Service 0, text: error(), css: errorCssClass"> Password reminder Please provide your email address and we will send your password shortly. Send Have an account? Login Don't have an account? Sign Up Get our top 10 stories in your inbox: Finish 0, text: error(), css: errorCssClass"> Please enter your email to complete registration Finish 0, text: error(), css: errorCssClass"> Activate to continue Your account is not active. We have sent an email to the address you provided with an activation link. Check your inbox, and click on the link to activate your account. I have already activated my account Resend activation link We and our trusted partners use technology such as cookies on our site to personalize content and ads, provide social media features, and analyze our traffic. You can read more about it and change your preferences here. Agree Bored Panda iOS App Available on App Store Continue in App Bored Panda Android App Available on Google Play Continue in App By using our services you agree to our use of cookies to improve your visit. You can change your preferences here. Agree BoredPanda Login Add Post Search ArtPhotographyAnimalsFunnyTravelIllustrationComicsDIYGood NewsParentingChallengeAsk Pandas More Featured Trending Latest Newsletter The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here. Bored Panda Woman With A PhD In Child Development Shares 9 “ Crazy” Things She Does As A Mom That Other Parents Might Find Useful Home Partnership Advertise Success stories Jobs About us Contact 122points x Facebook Pinterest Twitter 1.7Mviews Parenting, People1 year ago

Woman With A PhD In Child Development Shares 9 “ Crazy” Things She Does As A Mom That Other Parents Might Find Useful

1.7Mviews Liucija Adomaite and
Denis Tymulis
Publish Not your original work? Add source Parents may spend hours and hours discussing and often criticizing each other's parenting practices. And who could judge them? Everyone wants what's best for their child, which often gets confused with thinking that they know what's best for their child. But Dr. Kristyn Sommer, a social media influencer and mom to "a tiny adventurer," has somewhat of a different take on raising her child. With a PhD in child development and many scientific studies made on the subject, Kristyn is an advocate of "evidence-based parenting," according to her TikTok bio. Speaking of which, she has a solid fan base of 104.6K followers tuning in for her useful advice, daily adventures, and informative resources. Recently, she has been posting a series of videos about all "the crazy things she does as a mom with a PhD in child development." From sharing how she talks to her child to never pushing her to eat, these are some of the ideas that Kristyn really swears by! So check out her videos right below, and make sure to tell us what parenting tips and tricks you use in the comment section! More info: Linktr.ee/DrKristynSommer This post may include affiliate links. #1

I Don t Speak To My Daughter Like A Baby

I don't speak to my daughter like a baby. I don't say goo goo gaga, or whatever baby talk it is you want to do. That doesn't mean I don't do child-directed speech. I slow down my speech and highlight things. I point to objects, but I absolutely don't repeat the errors that she makes. If she calls something "bot bot," like a bottle, I don't say "bot bot" back. I repeat the correct word. I literally just say bottle in response to her after she says bot bot. Because she's attempting to say the word I'm saying, but if I say the wrong word back to her, the one that she was attempting to say, she's going to be reaffirmed and think that's the right word, whereas if I say bottle back to her, she gets another chance to hear how that sounds and potentially try it out as a word in her mouth. drkristynsommer Report Final score: 144points POST Roadkill The Brave Roadkill The Brave Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago My parents did this and I'm thankful for it. 102 102points reply View More Replies... View more comments Bored Panda reached out to Kristyn Sommer, the author of these viral TikTok videos who gained a huge following on her social media, both TikTok and Instagram. The mum of an almost-2-year-old, Kristyn lives in Australia, where she teaches development psychology at a university. "I actually started on TikTok posting videos about my experience with postnatal anxiety and my first-ever viral video was one of how my husband supported me during that time (he's a pretty amazing human)," she recounted on starting out. "After that video went viral, I posted another one about crazy things I do as a mum in child development that I thought might surprise people because they surprised me when I decided to do them. And that went viral too and created a community of parents who parented like me!" #2

I m Super Super Lazy

I'm super super lazy. Now everyone's lazy is different. So this is my lazy. I subscribe to the term "lazy parenting" which @scienceminded has a great post on, so go look at that. Basically I sit back and observe my child while she's playing. I might set up an invitation or two, but that's it. I try not to get involved. And there's a Montessori philosophy that is "help as little as possible, but as much as necessary" and that really kind of works well with lazy parenting ideology. I don't want to have to constantly be entertaining my child. I'd like to observe her and help her when she needs it, but not all the time. I also don't interrupt her. And this is a really hard thing to do as a parent. You might be like "no, that isn't how you play with it, let me show you" but interrupting them stops their workflow. They're learning when they're failing. That's why I don't interrupt her, unless she asks for help and really needs it. drkristynsommer Report Final score: 134points POST Konpat Konpat Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago I thought this is the normal thing to have kids playing like? Claiming this is laziness is a little humble-bragging imo 66 66points reply View More Replies... View more comments #3

I Don t Worry About How Much She Is Eating

I don't worry about how much she is eating. I don't panic that she's hasn't eaten enough today, therefore she's starving. And she's going to wake up a million times tonight. Science has proven that kids don't really do that. They don't wake up if they're hungry unless they're starving. Obviously. And if they do wake up in the middle of the night hungry? Is that so weird? Do you sometimes wake up in the middle of the night hungry? Probably. What I prefer to do is make sure that she listens to her body. If in that moment when I'm serving her food, she's not hungry, that's ok. Maybe 20 minutes later she's hungry, then that's ok too, I'll feed her food then. Think about how you feel when you're hungry, and when you want food. Your child is exactly the same but without the same kind of self-control mechanisms. And without the ability to actually go and get themselves a snack. So if you want my advice, stop stressing about what your child's eating and when, and just let them tell you. drkristynsommer Report Final score: 119points POST kjorn kjorn Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago yeah! babies aren't stupid they won't starved themselves to death. 87 87points reply View More Replies... View more comments Finding that community of parents not only made Kristyn feel less alone, but it also "inspired me to do the same for them." "So I started posting content busting parenting myths that I know make parents feel guilty/insecure/uncomfortable with the goal of empowering them into taking charge of raising their own kids their own way (which was something I wished I had someone do for me in the early days of parenting). And now we're here!" Kristyn added that she serves up her opinions and things she does as a mum, and she also chucks in a bunch of fun facts about kids from the science of child development. #4

I Trust Her Independence Of Little Bit More Than Most Would

I trust her independence a little bit more than most would. And I still did it safely. We don't have a baby gate on the stairs, but we used to. But there's still a baby gate at the top of the stairs because she sleeps in her own bed and can get out whenever she likes.
The highchair, we trust her with it. This is what we did. We took the front of the highchair so now it's just a normal chair. She actually climbs in it on her own. It's awesome because we don't have to lift her up all the time. And yes, she's 1 year old. To keep her from screaming at my feet when I cook dinner, we got a leaning tower. She loves it. She helps me cook. drkristynsommer Report Final score: 71points POST Konpat Konpat Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago (edited) I feel again that this is a normal thing to do, not just a PhD mum thing. Perhaps she's from a different culture? 66 66points reply View More Replies... View more comments When asked what would be the main differences in how Kristyn parents her child and others, she said that "I don't stress too much about how my kid is developing. I don't worry whether she's hitting milestones late or early. I don't compare her to any other children and wonder why she isn't doing the same thing." Kristyn added that her understanding of how children develop has taught her that there is huge variability between kids and there are a bunch of different ways of parenting that will all result in a happy, healthy child!"I am completely child-led and practice gentle discipline and positive parenting," Kristyn explained. "I think these concepts are fairly new but they're definitely gaining a lot of traction now and spreading quickly across the social media platforms. So I think these approaches might be surprising to a lot of people but they're becoming well-accepted and I'm stoked that I get to be a person to normalize these approaches for other parents." #5

I Give My Kid Screen Time

I give my kid screen time. Now we all know the AAP recommends no screen time for children under 2. But these recommendations aren't realistic. Multiple studies have proven that this just isn't being listened to because it's not realistic for parents. Kids are getting away. Kids are getting away with more screen time than the AAP recommends That doesn't mean I think you should put your kid in front of the screen for 8 hours a day, but I do think there's a time and place for it. My kid is a car screamer. She screams her head off in the car. I pass her my phone with YouTube on it. And that's it. She watches coco melon and blippi. And she doesn't scream anymore. And I don't have a panic attack. drkristynsommer Report Final score: 65points POST Nene Hughes Nene Hughes Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago We used to watch Blippi.... Until he did an episode with "Sink or Float" IN THE POOL. My toddler then copied it and threw my husband's brand new Milwaukee drill into the pool, when he set it down for two seconds to readjust his grip. 31 31points reply View More Replies... View more comments #6

I Let My Kid Get Messy

I let my kid get messy, like really really messy, but I'm so into her getting messy that I make her all these special sensory materials so she can get even messier again. Why messy sensory play is really good for children's development: it's great for cognitive development and helps develop and enhance memory and encourages language development, particularly abstract concepts. It really helps calm an agitated kid down. It enhances fine and gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination, amongst a whole host of other things. On top of that, it's also inclusive. Every single child can engage in messy sensory play. So I do a lot of sensory play with my daughter. I do it almost every day. So I know how hard it can be to think about what sensory activity to do next and to find recipes that are safe for babies to eat, because we all know babies are going to eat it for all ages.
drkristynsommer Report Final score: 44points POST Calvin Suzuki Calvin Suzuki Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago As long as they clean it up i think that’s ok 28 28points reply View More Replies... View more comments #7

I Don t Give My Kid A Bedtime

I don't give my kid a bedtime. One: It doesn't work and it just made my mental health worse, because I was trying to put her to sleep and tearing my hair out and spending hours doing it, and two: she's clever. She knows when she needs to go to sleep. Just like you. Sometimes you're not tired at bedtime. These are just a couple of the crazy things I do and if you don't do them, that's okay too. drkristynsommer Report Final score: 44points POST ~hUmMuS vIbEs~ ~hUmMuS vIbEs~ Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago I feel like a lot of people wouldn't do this raising a teenager, because they're like "oh they'll just stay up all night texing". No. I personally like to stay up late to read, and my parents don't understand I have a body clock and I'm not just gonna stay up all night. 76 76points reply View More Replies... View more comments Kristyn's TikTok bio mentions "evidence-based parenting," so we asked her about that. Turns out it's the idea that you use the current leading scientific thought to guide your parenting decisions. "This is actually really hard for normal parents to do because it involves being able to read and understand scientific literature (a lot of it) and translating it into practical parenting applications." She confessed that it's honestly even difficult for her, "but I'm lucky because I've been teaching development psychology for many years now). There are some evidence-based parenting programs out there (like the positive parenting program) but in lieu of people doing courses like that, I thought I'd try and bring that content directly to the average parent's phone screen in 60-second clips (which is such a hard thing to do when I usually give 2 hour lectures!!)" Kristyn concluded that she's really enjoying doing this at the moment, and although she said "I'm not perfect and still learning, it's been pretty amazing to hear from other parents who are feeling validated and inspired by the evidence-based parenting content I share. That's my primary goal with TikTok!" #8

My Baby Doesn t Sleep In A Cot

My baby doesn't sleep in a cot and never has. We had to sell it because she wouldn't let me put her in the cot. She hated it. Instead, she has a double bed. drkristynsommer Report Final score: 40points POST Berry Budgie Berry Budgie Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago I was the same! 17 17points reply View more comments #9

I Never Gave My Baby Purees Ever

I never gave my baby purees ever. I did baby-led weaning. Baby-led weaning is when you give your baby finger food from the start. You never give them mashed up food, the idea of baby-led weaning is that they learn to chew before they learn to swallow. Whereas with purees, they learn to swallow before they learn to chew. Apparently lots of people say that this teaches them food skills, good food hygiene, and makes them less picky, all of this sort of folk knowledge. You know what my subjective experience is? This is only anecdotal, not evidence-based. My kid didn't eat food properly until she was 14 months old. I did everything perfectly. I had the right gear. I had the Stokke Tripp Trapp highchair. All the right weaning tools. I prepared all the food perfectly and she still didn't start swallowing food for a really long time and then didn't take to food until she was 14 months old. So if you ask me, feed your baby how you like. drkristynsommer Report Final score: 26points POST Just JoLynn Just JoLynn Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago Funny, I thought babies learned to swallow before they learned to chew since they are breast/bottle fed until they're old enough to move on to more solid food. 120 120points reply View More Replies... View more comments Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing! Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Add New Image Add Your Photo To This List Please use high-res photos without watermarks Upload Photo Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB. Not your original work? Add source Publish Change image Upload Photo Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB. Upload Upload Edit Image Error occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again. Render conversation
Use html version
Generate not embedded version

Add watermark Show Image Only
Hide Caption
Crop
Add watermark Add watermark Source
Title Update Liucija Adomaite Liucija Adomaite Author, BoredPanda staff Liucija Adomaite is a creative mind with years of experience in copywriting. She has a dynamic set of experiences from advertising, academia, and journalism. This time, she has set out on a journey to investigate the ways in which we communicate ideas on a large scale. Her current mission is to find a magic formula for how to make ideas, news, and other such things spread like a virus. Read more » Denis Tymulis Follow Unfollow Denis Tymulis Author, Community member Denis is a photo editor at Bored Panda. After getting his bachelor's degree in Multimedia and Computer Design, he tried to succeed in digital design, advertising, and branding.
Also, Denis really enjoys sports and loves everything related to board sports and water. Read more » Show All Contributors Get the latest inspiring stories via our awesome iOS app! Download Bored Panda app! You May Like Sister-In-Law Can't Meet Her Baby Nephew Because She's Too Broke To Stick To All The Rules His Parents Have Set Mindaugas Balčiauskas It’s Time For The Funniest Parenting Tweets Of The Month, And Here Are The Best Ones This June (40 Pics) Mantas Kačerauskas Woman Online Acknowledges How Badly Her Life Changed After The Birth Of Her Baby, Revealing That It Was The Worst Mistake Of Her Life Monika Pašukonytė Popular on Bored Panda Woman Shows How "Harry Potter" Characters Were Supposed To Look According To Book Descriptions (35 Pics) 50 ‘Weird Facts’ About The World That Might Give You A Fresh Perspective Overworked Employee Quits Because He Wasn't Getting A Fair Wage, Costs The Company $40 Million 40 Embarrassing Moments People Didn't Know Who They Were Talking To And Made A Fool Of Themselves 30 Of The Most Hectic Homes As Shared On 'The Broke Agent' Instagram Account Bride Doesn't Include Wedding Dinner Price In Her Wedding Invites, Is Surprised To See Many Guests Canceling On Her After They Find Out Woman Shows How "Harry Potter" Characters Were Supposed To Look According To Book Descriptions (35 Pics) 50 ‘Weird Facts’ About The World That Might Give You A Fresh Perspective Overworked Employee Quits Because He Wasn't Getting A Fair Wage, Costs The Company $40 Million Start the discussion POST Konpat Konpat Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago I don't get what's crazy about those things, or what her PhD has to do with anything. Are educated people in child-anything the better parents? I doubt it. Put intuition before academics, and your upbringing of children will be much more relaxed. Just my uneducated bit. 46 46points reply Abhinc Abhinc Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago the fact she has a PhD and made that kind of statements is VERY important. parenting can be challenging. people are pressured for results and perfection even in parenting. that leads to a lot of anxiety. so yeah she is helping a lot of people 46 46points reply Load More Replies... Wondering Alice Wondering Alice Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 8 months ago Why are people getting angry? I have met so many mums completely stressed out if they are doing the right thing. To me this all just reads like 'relax, and do what suits you ' but because she has that PhD people can feel safe she is not advising anything dangerous. 5 5points reply David Bruner David Bruner Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago Agreed 3 3points reply David Bruner David Bruner Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago Exactly! 2 2points reply Klaatu Verrata (Cough) Klaatu Verrata (Cough) Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 6 months ago No, actually, she isn't. As a PsyD who not only raised 3 very productive kids, but has also treated many children with behavioral issues, I can 100% assure you that the vast majority of what she is advocating is counterproductive. Children need SOME structure, boundaries, & consistency. It helps them feel safe, bc they understand what's expected of them, & they know that going outside boundaries have consequences. That's important for when they're adults. There are a hundred other things I could say about how this kind of w***y-nilly parenting can be consequential, but let me instead just say: a PhD in soft sciences is no guarantee that someone knows how to raise a kid--so you certainly shouldn't assume they all DO just because they SAY they have a doctorate. 1 1point reply Rissie Rissie Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago To be honest, she sounds like an obnoxious know it all. Now I went into parenting with zero ideas and my kids quickly taught me that book knowledge, even things that have been researched to death do not matter to them. And even though I agree with many things, she has zero experience to look back at with a baby at her hands. I also am very aware what a PhD's actually means. It means you researched the tiniest bit of your field to nice depth. Period. Won't help with parenting at all. 16 16points reply Bookey Bookey Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago She did not come off to me like an obnoxious know it all at all, I am actually finding useful information in what she says and I'm grateful for it. All in all, PhD in child development or not, this is all useful childcare advice, although, to be honest, I am more inclined to listen to her and trust her advice above a random person because of her qualifications. 6 6points reply Rissie Rissie Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago She has zero qualifications. Child development as a study is learning about what works for the mean and if you're lucky you get to study the differences between groups of certain children. It has nothing to do with parenting. Parenting is about understanding all the different needs of your kids specifically. It's a PhD in "your own kids". Child development will teach a student that if you take a large group of kids and you set a certain example, that most will thrive or not. Parenting is knowing exactly what works for your kid or does not. Do you know how many kids are put through all kinds of awful rules because a book told parents to? Or in this case Tik Tok? Sleep training works for the one kid, breaks the other. Practicing "lazy" parenting does not make every child thrive. Some kids need more active examples. As a parent to two totally different children, I can assure you there is no right answer. I have a PhD too. About as relevant as hers when it comes to parenting. 7 7points reply David Bruner David Bruner Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago Someone feeling a bit threatened for no reason....lighten up 2 2points reply Klaatu Verrata (Cough) Klaatu Verrata (Cough) Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 6 months ago Agree. As a PsyD, I've treated many children and adults with behavioral problems whose parents were inconsistent, unstructured, failed to lay down boundaries, and/or introduce consequences into the child-rearing equation. You can raise kids with structure and not have them become phobic, anxious adults. It's all about being balanced, pragmatic, loving, and conscientious--NOT about being a Chillax parent...because permissive parenting RARELY works and often causes more anxiety in children than gentle/positive authoritative parenting, which is the gold standard parenting style for general child-rearing. 0 0points reply Devil's Advocate Devil's Advocate Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago This comment is hidden. Click here to view. PhD in child development is worthless anyway because it's not a field that's been around long enough to be possible to have done meaningful research into how those children grow up. Happy children that you don't set boundaries for and never shout at are great until you realise that's how theyn grow up to be horrible adults with no sense of decency. It's like the kids TV shows that have someone with a child-related PhD on the team, but are so ridiculous it's painful -4 -4points reply David Bruner David Bruner Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago Please go back to day drinking, it's better for humanity. -1 -1point reply Klaatu Verrata (Cough) Klaatu Verrata (Cough) Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 6 months ago (edited) I seriously think you might be one of several fake accounts made by this so-called PhD parenting chick (or her family?) I'm a PsyD behavioral specialist, and these profile comments are very sus--posting strangely defensive and aggressive comments to ANYONE who questions this chick's parenting "knowledge". So lame. People who have raised children know there is a lot of questionable content in this chick's "advice". And by the way, you get to call yourself a parenting specialist until you have ALREADY RAISED well-adjusted children. Ignorance is bliss. Only a fool thinks s/he is an expert in something s/he is in the early stages of doing for the first time and hasn't even come CLOSE to FINISHING yet. 2 2points reply Steven Wilson Steven Wilson Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago You've mentioned your credentials in literally every comment you've made, what did your mother do for a living to raise such a substantial child? 0 0points reply Konpat Konpat Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago Glad you said it. I agree wholeheartedly. 0 0points reply David Bruner David Bruner Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago Feeling threatened and uneducated are we ...? -1 -1point reply Happy_Pandalover Happy_Pandalover Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 1 year ago same thoughts here. I don‘t believe people with education in child behaviour would automatically be better parents. But if she knows her stuff, then she should be able to make good use of her education when it comes to her own children . Same with doctors. It doesn‘t mean a doctor will lead a healthy lifestyle, but he/she should know what‘s healthy or not. Some of her points make sense, so why not. 7 7points reply Jani Q'aadesh Jani Q'aadesh Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 8 months ago Her point of mentioning the phd is that she DOESNT do things exactly by the book as many ppl would expect and that sHe doesn't even recommend that parents stress themselves thinking that a professional knows better than YOU do about what works for YOUR child. She is saying, although she has studied this, she has seen for herself that u can and should be ok with doing things ur own way when it works and keeps u and ur child healthy and happy and developing. 6 6points reply Jennifer Rogers Jennifer Rogers Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago THIS. Istg people have ZERO reading comprehension skills while also always looking for a reason to say some negative s**t to people. 3 3points reply David Bruner David Bruner Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago Trollers gotta troll.... 2 2points reply Leo Domitrix Leo Domitrix Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago This is just how my family does it, minus screen time, b/c, y'know, until lately, no screens. No helicopter/tank parents or whatever. Let kids be muddy, let kids also clean up their messes when they're able, etc. 2 2points reply Klaatu Verrata (Cough) Klaatu Verrata (Cough) Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 6 months ago Yeah, I was with her on #1, but she just got more ridiculous as it went along. I'm a PsyD, and I have worked with PhDs & non-PhDs alike who thought they were a lot smarter about child rearing than they really were. I disagree with most of her "methods"--and I have three kids who graduated with 4.0 to 4.2+ GPAs (two were valedictorians), went to top-rated 1st-tier unis, & are really kind, productive, incredibly polite, respectful, and reliable adults. And it's not bc I'm some kind of genius mom (I was a single parent for 13 yrs), but because I thought about what life skills my abusive/ neglectful parents DIDN'T teach me that I needed, & I made sure I taught them to MY kids. Children NEED structure and consistency to feel safe. They need consistent parenting, boundaries, and lots of love and support. The "parenting" style demonstrated here OFTEN leads to highly maladaptive behavior later on. I suspect she won't be so cocky about her "parenting" in 10 or 12 years. 1 1point reply Lily Mae Kitty Lily Mae Kitty Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago I had trouble getting past how filtered she looks. why oh why do people do this?!? Afraid people will know they have skin? 41 41points reply Miss Cris Miss Cris Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago Or worse, that people would be more or less interested in what she has to say depending on her skin? 22 22points reply Load More Replies... David Bruner David Bruner Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago That's the better question 1 1point reply Tarryn Louise Tarryn Louise Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 8 months ago it's hard to not notice the god awful skin filters isn't it! I hate them too!! 5 5points reply C. Wade C. Wade Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 8 months ago Easy for you to say since you don't need one -3 -3points reply Misty Tree Misty Tree Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 1 year ago Tiktok has an automatic filter that doesn't give you much of a choice, I've heard. 3 3points reply Lily Mae Kitty Lily Mae Kitty Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago oof, that's terrible. I am old and don't ever use a filter. I hate seeing my friends trying to pretend we don't have wrinkles at 60. lol I take a new profile pic once a year b/c that's really what I look like currently. 5 5points reply Nothanks L. Walk Nothanks L. Walk Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago By all means, ignore the message, ignore the qualifications, ignore the reasoning, and focus on her looks instead. After all that's all women are good for, right? *EYEROLL* 1 1point reply Tracy Odrowski Tracy Odrowski Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 8 months ago Lol! I hate these filters, ppl don't look real anymore 1 1point reply Stille20 Stille20 Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago Her advise does not appear to be based on her degree, rather it is based on her experience with one child...who is still a baby... that kind of advise is all over the internet. 39 39points reply keighterz keighterz Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago So true tho, there are way too many mommy bloggers who think they have it all figured out because they have one easy baby. Meanwhile those of us who have children with special needs get absolutely nothing from these parenting blogs. 3 3points reply Load More Replies... Nothanks L. Walk Nothanks L. Walk Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago Either cite your qualifications and counterargument with supporting research or stfu with this anti-intellectual false equivalency of lazy ignorance and dilligent science. 1 1point reply Lily Mae Kitty Lily Mae Kitty Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago wow, so is your habit to go on 7 month old posts and talk s**t to people. Why not go f**k yourself instead? Get a better hobby, a*****e. 2 2points reply David Bruner David Bruner Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago This comment is hidden. Click here to view. Which is obviously your main source of "news" and education... -5 -5points reply Load More Comments POST Konpat Konpat Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago I don't get what's crazy about those things, or what her PhD has to do with anything. Are educated people in child-anything the better parents? I doubt it. Put intuition before academics, and your upbringing of children will be much more relaxed. Just my uneducated bit. 46 46points reply Abhinc Abhinc Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago the fact she has a PhD and made that kind of statements is VERY important. parenting can be challenging. people are pressured for results and perfection even in parenting. that leads to a lot of anxiety. so yeah she is helping a lot of people 46 46points reply Load More Replies... Wondering Alice Wondering Alice Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 8 months ago Why are people getting angry? I have met so many mums completely stressed out if they are doing the right thing. To me this all just reads like 'relax, and do what suits you ' but because she has that PhD people can feel safe she is not advising anything dangerous. 5 5points reply David Bruner David Bruner Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago Agreed 3 3points reply David Bruner David Bruner Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago Exactly! 2 2points reply Klaatu Verrata (Cough) Klaatu Verrata (Cough) Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 6 months ago No, actually, she isn't. As a PsyD who not only raised 3 very productive kids, but has also treated many children with behavioral issues, I can 100% assure you that the vast majority of what she is advocating is counterproductive. Children need SOME structure, boundaries, & consistency. It helps them feel safe, bc they understand what's expected of them, & they know that going outside boundaries have consequences. That's important for when they're adults. There are a hundred other things I could say about how this kind of w***y-nilly parenting can be consequential, but let me instead just say: a PhD in soft sciences is no guarantee that someone knows how to raise a kid--so you certainly shouldn't assume they all DO just because they SAY they have a doctorate. 1 1point reply Rissie Rissie Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago To be honest, she sounds like an obnoxious know it all. Now I went into parenting with zero ideas and my kids quickly taught me that book knowledge, even things that have been researched to death do not matter to them. And even though I agree with many things, she has zero experience to look back at with a baby at her hands. I also am very aware what a PhD's actually means. It means you researched the tiniest bit of your field to nice depth. Period. Won't help with parenting at all. 16 16points reply Bookey Bookey Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago She did not come off to me like an obnoxious know it all at all, I am actually finding useful information in what she says and I'm grateful for it. All in all, PhD in child development or not, this is all useful childcare advice, although, to be honest, I am more inclined to listen to her and trust her advice above a random person because of her qualifications. 6 6points reply Rissie Rissie Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago She has zero qualifications. Child development as a study is learning about what works for the mean and if you're lucky you get to study the differences between groups of certain children. It has nothing to do with parenting. Parenting is about understanding all the different needs of your kids specifically. It's a PhD in "your own kids". Child development will teach a student that if you take a large group of kids and you set a certain example, that most will thrive or not. Parenting is knowing exactly what works for your kid or does not. Do you know how many kids are put through all kinds of awful rules because a book told parents to? Or in this case Tik Tok? Sleep training works for the one kid, breaks the other. Practicing "lazy" parenting does not make every child thrive. Some kids need more active examples. As a parent to two totally different children, I can assure you there is no right answer. I have a PhD too. About as relevant as hers when it comes to parenting. 7 7points reply David Bruner David Bruner Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago Someone feeling a bit threatened for no reason....lighten up 2 2points reply Klaatu Verrata (Cough) Klaatu Verrata (Cough) Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 6 months ago Agree. As a PsyD, I've treated many children and adults with behavioral problems whose parents were inconsistent, unstructured, failed to lay down boundaries, and/or introduce consequences into the child-rearing equation. You can raise kids with structure and not have them become phobic, anxious adults. It's all about being balanced, pragmatic, loving, and conscientious--NOT about being a Chillax parent...because permissive parenting RARELY works and often causes more anxiety in children than gentle/positive authoritative parenting, which is the gold standard parenting style for general child-rearing. 0 0points reply Devil's Advocate Devil's Advocate Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago This comment is hidden. Click here to view. PhD in child development is worthless anyway because it's not a field that's been around long enough to be possible to have done meaningful research into how those children grow up. Happy children that you don't set boundaries for and never shout at are great until you realise that's how theyn grow up to be horrible adults with no sense of decency. It's like the kids TV shows that have someone with a child-related PhD on the team, but are so ridiculous it's painful -4 -4points reply David Bruner David Bruner Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago Please go back to day drinking, it's better for humanity. -1 -1point reply Klaatu Verrata (Cough) Klaatu Verrata (Cough) Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 6 months ago (edited) I seriously think you might be one of several fake accounts made by this so-called PhD parenting chick (or her family?) I'm a PsyD behavioral specialist, and these profile comments are very sus--posting strangely defensive and aggressive comments to ANYONE who questions this chick's parenting "knowledge". So lame. People who have raised children know there is a lot of questionable content in this chick's "advice". And by the way, you get to call yourself a parenting specialist until you have ALREADY RAISED well-adjusted children. Ignorance is bliss. Only a fool thinks s/he is an expert in something s/he is in the early stages of doing for the first time and hasn't even come CLOSE to FINISHING yet. 2 2points reply Steven Wilson Steven Wilson Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago You've mentioned your credentials in literally every comment you've made, what did your mother do for a living to raise such a substantial child? 0 0points reply Konpat Konpat Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago Glad you said it. I agree wholeheartedly. 0 0points reply David Bruner David Bruner Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago Feeling threatened and uneducated are we ...? -1 -1point reply Happy_Pandalover Happy_Pandalover Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 1 year ago same thoughts here. I don‘t believe people with education in child behaviour would automatically be better parents. But if she knows her stuff, then she should be able to make good use of her education when it comes to her own children . Same with doctors. It doesn‘t mean a doctor will lead a healthy lifestyle, but he/she should know what‘s healthy or not. Some of her points make sense, so why not. 7 7points reply Jani Q'aadesh Jani Q'aadesh Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 8 months ago Her point of mentioning the phd is that she DOESNT do things exactly by the book as many ppl would expect and that sHe doesn't even recommend that parents stress themselves thinking that a professional knows better than YOU do about what works for YOUR child. She is saying, although she has studied this, she has seen for herself that u can and should be ok with doing things ur own way when it works and keeps u and ur child healthy and happy and developing. 6 6points reply Jennifer Rogers Jennifer Rogers Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago THIS. Istg people have ZERO reading comprehension skills while also always looking for a reason to say some negative s**t to people. 3 3points reply David Bruner David Bruner Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago Trollers gotta troll.... 2 2points reply Leo Domitrix Leo Domitrix Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago This is just how my family does it, minus screen time, b/c, y'know, until lately, no screens. No helicopter/tank parents or whatever. Let kids be muddy, let kids also clean up their messes when they're able, etc. 2 2points reply Klaatu Verrata (Cough) Klaatu Verrata (Cough) Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 6 months ago Yeah, I was with her on #1, but she just got more ridiculous as it went along. I'm a PsyD, and I have worked with PhDs & non-PhDs alike who thought they were a lot smarter about child rearing than they really were. I disagree with most of her "methods"--and I have three kids who graduated with 4.0 to 4.2+ GPAs (two were valedictorians), went to top-rated 1st-tier unis, & are really kind, productive, incredibly polite, respectful, and reliable adults. And it's not bc I'm some kind of genius mom (I was a single parent for 13 yrs), but because I thought about what life skills my abusive/ neglectful parents DIDN'T teach me that I needed, & I made sure I taught them to MY kids. Children NEED structure and consistency to feel safe. They need consistent parenting, boundaries, and lots of love and support. The "parenting" style demonstrated here OFTEN leads to highly maladaptive behavior later on. I suspect she won't be so cocky about her "parenting" in 10 or 12 years. 1 1point reply Lily Mae Kitty Lily Mae Kitty Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago I had trouble getting past how filtered she looks. why oh why do people do this?!? Afraid people will know they have skin? 41 41points reply Miss Cris Miss Cris Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago Or worse, that people would be more or less interested in what she has to say depending on her skin? 22 22points reply Load More Replies... David Bruner David Bruner Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago That's the better question 1 1point reply Tarryn Louise Tarryn Louise Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 8 months ago it's hard to not notice the god awful skin filters isn't it! I hate them too!! 5 5points reply C. Wade C. Wade Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 8 months ago Easy for you to say since you don't need one -3 -3points reply Misty Tree Misty Tree Community Member • points posts comments upvotes 1 year ago Tiktok has an automatic filter that doesn't give you much of a choice, I've heard. 3 3points reply Lily Mae Kitty Lily Mae Kitty Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago oof, that's terrible. I am old and don't ever use a filter. I hate seeing my friends trying to pretend we don't have wrinkles at 60. lol I take a new profile pic once a year b/c that's really what I look like currently. 5 5points reply Nothanks L. Walk Nothanks L. Walk Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago By all means, ignore the message, ignore the qualifications, ignore the reasoning, and focus on her looks instead. After all that's all women are good for, right? *EYEROLL* 1 1point reply Tracy Odrowski Tracy Odrowski Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 8 months ago Lol! I hate these filters, ppl don't look real anymore 1 1point reply Stille20 Stille20 Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 1 year ago Her advise does not appear to be based on her degree, rather it is based on her experience with one child...who is still a baby... that kind of advise is all over the internet. 39 39points reply keighterz keighterz Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 months ago So true tho, there are way too many mommy bloggers who think they have it all figured out because they have one easy baby. Meanwhile those of us who have children with special needs get absolutely nothing from these parenting blogs. 3 3points reply Load More Replies... Nothanks L. Walk Nothanks L. Walk Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago Either cite your qualifications and counterargument with supporting research or stfu with this anti-intellectual false equivalency of lazy ignorance and dilligent science. 1 1point reply Lily Mae Kitty Lily Mae Kitty Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago wow, so is your habit to go on 7 month old posts and talk s**t to people. Why not go f**k yourself instead? Get a better hobby, a*****e. 2 2points reply David Bruner David Bruner Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 7 months ago This comment is hidden. Click here to view. Which is obviously your main source of "news" and education... -5 -5points reply Load More Comments Popular on Bored Panda I Used AI To See What These 23 Popular Cartoon Characters Would Look Like In Real Life 30 Y.O. Woman Takes DNA Test For Fun Only To Discover Her Long-Term Boyfriend Is Her Full Sibling "I Just Said Thank You And Left": Man’s Nice Gesture Is Praised After Pizza Hut Driver Got A $20 Tip On A $938 Order Woman Flabbergasted At Thrift Store's Prices, Calls Them Out By Sharing 14 Examples 50 Parents Having A Pretty Miserable Day Photoshop Troll Who Takes Photo Requests Too Literally Strikes Again, And The Result Is Hilarious (17 Pics) Popular on Bored Panda 40 Embarrassing Moments People Didn't Know Who They Were Talking To And Made A Fool Of Themselves 30 Of The Most Hectic Homes As Shared On 'The Broke Agent' Instagram Account Bride Doesn't Include Wedding Dinner Price In Her Wedding Invites, Is Surprised To See Many Guests Canceling On Her After They Find Out I Used AI To See What These 23 Popular Cartoon Characters Would Look Like In Real Life 30 Y.O. Woman Takes DNA Test For Fun Only To Discover Her Long-Term Boyfriend Is Her Full Sibling "I Just Said Thank You And Left": Man’s Nice Gesture Is Praised After Pizza Hut Driver Got A $20 Tip On A $938 Order User Submissions The Best Microscopic Photos From The Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition 2022 (92 Pics) I Am So Passionate About Creating Mystical Art, Here Are Some Of The Magical Notebooks I Have Made (23 New Pics) 30 Comics About Making It Through Life While Fighting Mental Health Issues By This Artist “I Own An Official Nanosecond”: 35 Rare Items Owned By Our Community I Photographed This Ukrainian Village Because It Is My Solace That Inspires Me (38 pics) By Changing His Lifestyle And Eating Habits At Age 60, Steve Ramsden Has Successfully Lost Over 60 Lbs And Now Has A Body Of A Bodybuilder Almost finished... To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. Like what you're reading? Subscribe to our top stories Subscribe Please enter email address Also on Bored Panda 50 People Who Are Having A Terrible Day At Work Woman Goes Viral With 7.7M Views When She Shares That Her Date Called Her An Uber To Go Home After He Saw How She Was Dressed 30 Mistakes Made By Designers And Architects Who Didn’t Think Of The Person Who’d Be Using Their Designs People Are Roasting Airbnb For Getting Completely Out Of Hand, Here Are 30 Of The Most Savage Tweets 32-Year-Old Independent Modern Woman Draws Comics On Her Observations About Society (30 New Pics) Employee Maliciously Complies To Work Only His 8 1/2 Hours, Makes The Company Lose $85k Per Year Dad Overhears A Conversation Between His New Wife And His Son, Cancels The Mother’s Day Celebration He’d Planned Employee Gets Told They're "Replaceable", So They Play Along And It Ruins The Company European Is Shocked To Learn How American Suburbs Work, Goes Online To Ask Some Accurate Questions "Lost In History": 50 Pictures That Shed A New Light On Our Past This Online Group Is Dedicated To Things That Are Inexplicably Satisfying, Here Are 50 Of The Best Ones (New Pics) Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid “I Felt So Shaken Up”: Woman Leaves Family Trip After Eavesdropping On Husband’s Conversation With Mother-In-Law Employee Laughs In Boss' Face For Saying It's "Unethical" To Make Plans After Work, Takes The Case To The Director Management Introduces Disciplinary Rules To Make Most Of Employees, Freaks Out When They Turn The Rules Against Them 23 Y.O. Son Tells His Parents He’ll Never Speak To Them Again After Finding Out They’re Paying For Sister’s Education Yet Didn’t Pay For His 50 Times Signs Were So Funny, People Had To Share Them On This Facebook Page The Best And Worst Transformations Seen During School Reunions, As Shared By These 30 Internet Users 50 Times People Spotted Stupid Design Decisions In Public Places And Just Had To Share "Never Come Back To My Restaurant": Chef Bans Rude Restaurant Patrons And Gives $1,350 Bill To 22 Y.O. Employee They Disrespected "An Entitled Mother Insists That I 'Share' My Nintendo Switch With Her Child On My Flight" Woman Buys Ex-Hoarder's Home With All Of Their Belongings, Spends 4 Years Cleaning When Relatives Start Demanding Heirlooms They Didn't Want I Used AI To See What These 30 Popular Cartoon Characters Would Look Like In Real Life, And Here's The Result (New Pics) 50 Times Teachers Hung The Funniest Signs In Their Classrooms And They Ended Up Being Praised Online Also on Bored Panda 50 Parents Having A Pretty Miserable Day Woman Flabbergasted At Thrift Store's Prices, Calls Them Out By Sharing 14 Examples 50 Times Signs Were So Funny, People Had To Share Them On This Facebook Page This Online Group Is Dedicated To Things That Are Inexplicably Satisfying, Here Are 50 Of The Best Ones (New Pics) Employee Maliciously Complies To Work Only His 8 1/2 Hours, Makes The Company Lose $85k Per Year 50 Times People Spotted Stupid Design Decisions In Public Places And Just Had To Share Employee Laughs In Boss' Face For Saying It's "Unethical" To Make Plans After Work, Takes The Case To The Director People Are Roasting Airbnb For Getting Completely Out Of Hand, Here Are 30 Of The Most Savage Tweets 50 Times Teachers Hung The Funniest Signs In Their Classrooms And They Ended Up Being Praised Online 50 People Who Are Having A Terrible Day At Work I Used AI To See What These 30 Popular Cartoon Characters Would Look Like In Real Life, And Here's The Result (New Pics) 32-Year-Old Independent Modern Woman Draws Comics On Her Observations About Society (30 New Pics) "Never Come Back To My Restaurant": Chef Bans Rude Restaurant Patrons And Gives $1,350 Bill To 22 Y.O. Employee They Disrespected Woman Goes Viral With 7.7M Views When She Shares That Her Date Called Her An Uber To Go Home After He Saw How She Was Dressed The Best And Worst Transformations Seen During School Reunions, As Shared By These 30 Internet Users Employee Gets Told They're "Replaceable", So They Play Along And It Ruins The Company Photoshop Troll Who Takes Photo Requests Too Literally Strikes Again, And The Result Is Hilarious (17 Pics) European Is Shocked To Learn How American Suburbs Work, Goes Online To Ask Some Accurate Questions 30 Mistakes Made By Designers And Architects Who Didn’t Think Of The Person Who’d Be Using Their Designs Chefs Are Sharing 30 Common Cooking Mistakes We Need To Avoid Management Introduces Disciplinary Rules To Make Most Of Employees, Freaks Out When They Turn The Rules Against Them “I Felt So Shaken Up”: Woman Leaves Family Trip After Eavesdropping On Husband’s Conversation With Mother-In-Law "Lost In History": 50 Pictures That Shed A New Light On Our Past 23 Y.O. Son Tells His Parents He’ll Never Speak To Them Again After Finding Out They’re Paying For Sister’s Education Yet Didn’t Pay For His Follow We're also on Instagram and tumblr App Store App Store User Submissions Hey Pandas, How Often Do You Forget Something Important, And What Was The Result? 35replies 21 points Hey Pandas, Share Pics Of Your Halloween Decorations 4comments 22 points This Artist Continues To Create Amazing Logic-Challenging Photo Manipulations (70 New Pics) 5comments 33 points Hey Pandas, What's Something You've Made Yourself? (Closed) 6comments 29 points I Created My Own Dark Tarot Deck Featuring Creepy Creatures And Demons (78 Pics) 16comments 53 points This Artist Reimagines Brazilian States As Video Game Characters (22 Pics) 9comments 30 points Hairstylist Shares 30 Women Who Took The Risk Of Cutting Their Hair Short And Got Awesome Results (New Pics) 75comments 51 points Hey Pandas, What Is The Weirdest Name For A Human You've Ever Heard? (Closed) 80replies 21 points Artist Creates Adorable Images Of Dressed-Up Animals With References To Star Wars, The Hobbit And More (44 Pics) 23comments 61 points "An Amazing World Right Under Your Nose": 24 Pictures Of Nature That I Took With A Macro Lens 7comments 43 points Get the App App Store App Store Google News © 2022 Bored Panda