Parenting Challenges: 7 Problems Parents Face Today

If you have a job outside the home, our tips on parenting while working may help. Parents at home all day get worn out as well, so we wrote about tiredness as a full-time mom. New moms can also read about the challenges of first-time moms.

4. What do you do when your child doesn't listen or talks back?

Stay calm, state the rule once, and follow through every time. Children push limits to find out where they are. That is normal, even when it is hard to live with.

• Get close first: say their name and wait for eye contact before you ask
• Keep it short: one clear request works better than a speech
• Give a choice: "Shoes on now, or after you brush your teeth?"
• Follow through: do what you said you would do, calmly
• Notice the good: say so when they listen the first time

For more on limits, read our ways to discipline children and these positive parenting techniques. With little ones, start with toddler temper tantrums. With older kids, see how to deal with your teenager.

5. How do you stay close to your child as they grow up?

Spend a little time alone with each child, and listen more than you talk. What children like and worry about changes fast, and the best way to keep up is to ask.

• Ten minutes a day: with no phone, doing what they choose
• Ask better questions: "What made you laugh today?" gets more than "How was school?"
• Let them teach you: their game, their song, their homework
• Keep small rituals: a bedtime chat, pancakes on Saturday

Letting a child explain something to you tells them their thinking matters. The My Smartest Child mug makes a joke of it. It reads "My smartest child gave me this mug," and the child who gives it gets to claim the title.

If you are raising a girl, our guide to mother-daughter communication goes deeper. Fathers can read how to be a good dad. For the whole household, here are simple ways to strengthen family relationships.

6. How do you help a child who seems anxious or sad?

Notice the change, ask gently, and get help if it lasts. This is a worry many parents share. Pew found that about four in ten parents are extremely or very worried that their child might struggle with anxiety or depression, and 35% feel the same about bullying.

• Watch for changes: in sleep, eating, friends or schoolwork
• Ask and then wait: "You seem quiet lately. Want to talk?"
• Keep routines steady: regular meals, sleep and time together
• Bring in help: talk to your child's doctor or school counselor if you are concerned

Pressure from friends is part of this for older kids, so we wrote about helping teens say no. If the whole house feels tense, look at these signs of issues in families, and at what family wellness means day to day.

7. How do you know you are doing a good job as a parent?

You are doing a good job if your children feel loved and safe, and you keep showing up. No parent gets every day right. The CDC describes the job this way: "Parenting is a process that prepares your child for independence." Its positive parenting tips are grouped by the child's age.

• They come to you: with good news and with bad news
• You say sorry: when you get it wrong
• You teach by example: children learn kindness and hard work by watching you
• You keep learning: reading this counts

Parents don't always hear "good job" out loud. Sometimes it arrives as a joke. The My Favorite Child mug reads "My favorite child gave me this mug." It is a child's cheeky way of saying thanks for putting up with me.

If you want one small thing to work on next, try these ways to be a better parent. Dads can learn from other fathers' parenting regrets, and moms can set a few mom goals of their own. And when June comes around, here is why it matters to celebrate Father's Day.

These problems don't mean you are failing. They come with raising children right now, and most of them get easier one small step at a time.