Latest news and stories about parenting in Portugal for expats and residents.
Do not say that raising them is difficult. Listen to them with your own childhood in mind and decide with your sixth sense. In the end, you will discover that children never grow up too fast.
People may say they are just joking or celebrating a new baby, but even when well-intentioned, these dismissive behaviours and comments can be painful and harm parents' mental health, self-esteem, and sense of community.
Ana Fraga Silva, a psychologist, explains how these stories created with artificial intelligence can 'fuel insecurities, normalise negative patterns, and hinder relationships'.
Difficult separations can turn into long-lasting conflicts, especially when children are used as instruments between parents. So-called parental alienation can have lifelong consequences, as psychologist Cátia Serra explains.
In truth, we need men not to cry easily and instead behave like the young Portuguese man who was caught in the train accident in Adamuz at the beginning of the year.
Yes, there can be an automatic, hard-to-delay impulse to use a mobile phone at the end of the school day. This 'digital craving' is often driven by FOMO (fear of missing out) and the brain's desire for quick rewards. The article explores how this behaviour impacts socialisation and safety, suggesting that adults should model healthier transitions and foster open dialogue to help adolescents manage their screen time.
This is one of the most common situations in co-parenting. The “game” has a name in the literature: the asymmetry of rules between households. How can this “game” be defused without putting the child in the middle?
Statements by Nicole Assisi, CEO of Thrive, and Ulcca Hansen, Author and Researcher at the 2nd Oeiras Education Forum 2026.
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Character.AI have become a routine part of life for many teenagers, serving as companions for venting and seeking advice. While these tools can offer immediate support and reduce feelings of loneliness, they lack true empathy and understanding. Experts warn that relying on AI for social interaction poses risks, including the erosion of critical thinking and social skills. Rather than banning these tools, parents are encouraged to guide their children in navigating this digital landscape, emphasizing the importance of maintaining real-world human relationships.
Preventing sexting requires digital literacy and an open conversation between parents and children that encourages critical thinking about self-protection, respect in interpersonal relationships, and empathy. Opinion by Vera Ramalho.
When a couple decides to distance themselves from their families, they face the challenge of explaining the absence of the grandparents to their child. What approach should be taken to talk about this distance without causing confusion?
After adolescence, is there less understanding of one's parents? Children are adults in every way, yet a certain childishness persists in their relationship with their parents. Eduardo Sá asserts: 'Those who educate also need affection'.
Psychologist Ana Isabel Lage reveals some tips on how parents and educators can explain war to children. According to the psychologist, we should remain attentive to the questions children may ask about the topic and avoid exposing them to images and news regarding the subject.
They lack scientific support, yet they are deeply rooted in popular belief and even among some health professionals. In her book 'Children Do Not Catch Colds from Walking Barefoot', pediatrician Mónica Cró Braz proposes putting an end to the main myths that torment so many parents in the arduous task of raising children.
Is it a kind of prophecy? Or is it said with a certain tone of superiority? Many ask: are they preparing us for what is to come or devaluing what we have now?
In many families, there is a greater closeness between generations, which translates into greater horizontality in the hierarchical relationship between adults and children, which is essentially considered positive.
“I have made some new enemies: the grandparents!”, says paediatrician Mónica Cró Braz in her book “Children do not catch colds from walking barefoot”, where she debunks myths (such as “teething causes fever”).
Between a generation of rare 'no's' and a world that demands results, children face difficulties in dealing with frustration, concentration, and opposition. Is it a problem or a stage of growth?
An independent Roblox game creator said they believe the platform's child safety measures, including age verification, are not strict enough.
There are children and pre-teens who seem to repeatedly seek out very exclusive (almost dependent) friendships with peers who are domineering or exhibit unhealthy behaviours.
INTERVIEW || Family is a 'necessary evil', says Brazilian psychoanalyst Vera Iaconelli, who was recently in Portugal to present her book, 'Análise: notas do divã', in which she exposes some of the problems of her own family - which tormented and traumatised her, but also contributed to the woman she is today.
On Father's Day, the author reflects on the critical role parents play in their children's health, highlighting the alarming rise of childhood obesity in Portugal. The piece argues that sedentary lifestyles and poor eating habits are being normalised, and urges parents to lead by example through physical activity and better nutrition, noting that children's future health is shaped by the decisions made today.
Avoiding caring for the baby, feeling excessive irritability, and even anger. It is not normal. Being the father of a newborn is a rollercoaster, but you need to seek help if you feel like you are spiralling.
Frederico Batista spoke with 50 fathers of different ages and backgrounds and concluded that, after all, fathers are not so different from mothers. But perhaps they need to talk to each other more. The book “Pais nossos, conversas sobre paternidade” (Our fathers, conversations about fatherhood) arrived in bookstores just in time for Father's Day.
Being a mother or father is very demanding. Between precarious jobs, endless days, and sleepless nights, there is a fatigue that seeps into the home and makes us harsher towards those we love the most.
Let's catch a little bit of this sun and remember that the world keeps turning and that tomorrow (or the day after) we can go back to listening to other people's advice.
The goal of emotional education is not to eliminate stimuli from a child's life. The real work involves strengthening the ego so they learn to live in the world without losing themselves in it. Opinion by Maria Klien.
It is during adolescence that the impact of rumination is greatest, which leads us to reflect on how modern parenting focuses too much on emotions.
There are children who seem to always live at maximum volume. They run, talk, feel, and react with an intensity that often leaves parents caught between enchantment and exhaustion.
All children need affection, attention, and care. But could it be that when pampering has no measure or limits, it can turn into a problem?
