r/Parenting rules, stats, and what to post
Know the rules before you post. So easy grandma can do it.
- To post
- No minimum in the rules
- To comment
- No minimum in the rules
- Self-promotion
- Banned
- Links
- Banned
- Promo risk
- High
- From the rules, not from removal counts
- Community age
- 18 years
- Since Mar 2008
About r/Parenting
A source-backed Rankhog guide to r/Parenting: public rules, community context, posting fit, and startup-promotion risk before you publish.Checked from the r/Parenting rules on Reddit.
r/Parenting rules
10 rules, in the community's own words.
- 1
Posts: Parents and Guardians Only
Posting is only for Legal Parents and Guardians. This includes step-parents, adoptive parents, and long-term partners. It does not include relatives, sitters, nannies, or other acquaintances. A note on Parentification of siblings - this is a kind of neglect, not a type of parenting. Non-Parents should utilize the subreddit Wikis for a variety of resources for all.
- 2
Posts and Comments: Please Be Kind
We want to avoid participating in ways that are intentionally rude, mean, or belittling of experiences or lifestyles. Please check the tone of the content before replying - light content doesn't need deep analysis, avoid making light of serious situations. Hate speech or bigotry will result in an immediate ban. Avoid sealioning - arguing back and forth with no resolution. If you cannot agree to disagree, move on. Report rude content and block users rather than responding.
- 3
Comments: Anyone Can Comment
Please keep in mind that parents and non-parents are both allowed to participate in the comment section. Allowing more people to participate in comments leads to a diverse range of opinions and experiences. Please report rule-breaking comments, and participate in a way that offers encouragement and advice while also creating helpful discourse about the genuine experiences of our members.
- 4
Posts and Comments: No Medical Discussion
We don’t allow medical discussion. Medical-related topics can be tricky to discuss online & we don't want to contribute to misinformation, disinformation, or ableism. Please avoid asking the community to help you find medical-related support, advice, or discussion. Temporary bans may occur to avoid users reposting content. Please see the Wikis and Sidebar for alternatives to r/Parenting for medical discussions, advice, or support.
- 5
Posts and Comments: No Legal/CPS Discussion or Advice
We do not allow discussion related to legal or CPS situations. Please see r/legaladvice or r/CPS. If you are worried about child neglect use this link or search "find child services in [my area]." For immediate help see The Crisis Wiki or US/CAN Redditors can use 211/org.
- 6
Posts and Comments: No Sexual Content
If you are concerned about the abuse of a minor, please seek official support immediately. This subreddit is not for discussion about the sexual habits or behaviors about children or adults. We do have the following support resources: Sexual Health and Support Wiki | RAINN.org | Difficult Discussions
- 7
Posts: No Images, Linking, Non-Parenting Content
- Pictures or videos of any kind are not allowed.
- Links of any kind are considered spam.
- All discussions should be text-based. All posts should be parenting-related, about your own children, and focus on your own parent journey. See sidebar and wikis for communities where you can post videos, links, or about related but non-parenting situations.
- 8
Posts and Comments: No PSAs, Meta, Call-Outs, Brigading
All posts should be formatted to be advice and discussion-based posts. Focus on your own parenting experience.
- PSAs spread misinformation, cause unnecessary worry, & feel like scolding. Use official sources for recalls.
- Meta-content (about sub, users, mods) should be directed to Modmail.
- Open-letters, call-outs, "I see/hear you", style content is not allowed.
- No screenshots or linking of other subs. No tagging users.
- 9
Posts and Comments: Automatic Perma-Ban and Spam Notice
We cannot list every type of content that is prohibited. We hope previous rules explanations are sufficient to explain what content is allowed. Do not post surveys, studies, petitions, interview requests, off-site invites, self-promotion, market research, fundraising/begging, crowdsourcing, soliciting feedback, blogs, vlogs, influencer content, articles, parent-led inventions, AMAs, AI/LLM produced, or similar content. Violations result in a permanent ban. Not eligible for appeal.
- 10
Check out Wikis, MegaThreads, and Highlighted Content!
Mods may remove content that doesn't fit the spirit of the subreddit.
- See Wiki Index for resources collected & organized specifically for the community of r/Parenting by moderators.
- Highlighted posts and MegaThreads are pinned to the top of the feed. See them for weekly, seasonal, or important Mod Announcements.
- As always, use Modmail to communicate with Mods.
What to post in r/Parenting
What fits the room, and what gets removed.
Works well
- A text post describing a specific struggle you are having with your child's sleep habits and asking for advice.
- A discussion post sharing your personal thoughts on a common developmental milestone you are navigating with your own kids.
- A text post asking for general advice on how to handle a particular situation with your child's behavior.
- A reflection on a parenting philosophy you are trying to implement in your family and seeking discussion from others.
Avoid
- Posting any images or videos of any kind.
- Including any links, as they are considered spam.
- Asking for medical or legal advice or discussion.
- Engaging in self-promotion, market research, or fundraising.
- Posting meta content about the subreddit or its users.
Best hours to post in r/Parenting
These hours are in UTC. The free tool converts them to your clock. Based on 35 top posts from the last 90 days.
- Saturday 00:00 UTC2 top posts
- Saturday 21:00 UTC2 top posts
- Thursday 05:00 UTC2 top posts
The week, hour by hour
Top posts that went up in each hour (UTC), last 90 days UTC Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 00:00 1 1 2 01:00 02:00 1 1 03:00 1 04:00 1 1 1 1 05:00 2 1 06:00 1 07:00 08:00 09:00 1 10:00 1 11:00 1 12:00 1 13:00 1 14:00 1 15:00 1 1 16:00 1 17:00 1 1 18:00 1 19:00 1 1 20:00 1 1 21:00 2 22:00 1 23:00 1
What actually works in r/parenting
These are the highest scoring posts Rankhog observed in r/parenting over the past month, with what each one did differently. Rankhog watches this community continuously, so it sees posts when they are published and again as they climb.
- Upvotes
- 858
- Comments
- 193
- Posted
- Nov 3, 2026
Why it worked
- Rankhog breakout tier from a local post-score estimate
- Almost no downvotes (96% upvoted)
- Upvotes
- 830
- Comments
- 93
- Posted
- Nov 5, 2026
Why it worked
- Rankhog breakout tier from a local post-score estimate
- Told in the first person
- Short paragraphs rather than one block of text
- Almost no downvotes (97% upvoted)
- Upvotes
- 707
- Comments
- 50
- Posted
- Nov 3, 2026
Why it worked
- Rankhog breakout tier from a local post-score estimate
- Almost no downvotes (96% upvoted)
- Upvotes
- 264
- Comments
- 922
- Posted
- Nov 3, 2026
Why it worked
- Rankhog breakout tier from a local post-score estimate
- Told in the first person
- Kept short enough to read in one pass
- Upvotes
- 243
- Comments
- 463
- Posted
- Nov 3, 2026
Why it worked
- Rankhog breakout tier from a local post-score estimate
- Asks the community a question instead of announcing something
- Short paragraphs rather than one block of text
- Upvotes
- 234
- Comments
- 235
- Posted
- Nov 4, 2026
Why it worked
- Rankhog breakout tier from a local post-score estimate
- Upvotes
- 233
- Comments
- 221
- Posted
- Nov 5, 2026
Why it worked
- Rankhog breakout tier from a local post-score estimate
- Asks the community a question instead of announcing something
- Short paragraphs rather than one block of text
- Upvotes
- 205
- Comments
- 382
- Posted
- Nov 7, 2026
Why it worked
- Rankhog breakout tier from a local post-score estimate
- Asks the community a question instead of announcing something
- Short paragraphs rather than one block of text
- Upvotes
- 199
- Comments
- 31
- Posted
- Nov 3, 2026
Why it worked
- Rankhog breakout tier from a local post-score estimate
- Asks the community a question instead of announcing something
- Almost no downvotes (98% upvoted)
- Upvotes
- 154
- Comments
- 357
- Posted
- Nov 6, 2026
Why it worked
- Rankhog top tier from a local post-score estimate
- Asks the community a question instead of announcing something
- Short paragraphs rather than one block of text
What r/Parenting Is For
This community is a place to discuss the ups and downs of child-rearing. It covers everything from the early stages of pregnancy to when your teenagers are ready to leave the nest. People use it to get advice on things like potty training, breastfeeding, how to get a baby to sleep, or to ask if a weird thing their kid does is normal.
Rules That Matter Before Posting
The rules that matter most are “Posts: Parents and Guardians Only”, “Posts and Comments: No Medical Discussion”, “Posts and Comments: No Legal/CPS Discussion or Advice”, “Posts and Comments: No Sexual Content”, “Posts: No Images, Linking, Non-Parenting Content”, and “Posts and Comments: Automatic Perma-Ban and Spam Notice”.
What To Post
A good post here should be text based and focus entirely on your own parent journey. You should write discussion posts that are advice and discussion based, sharing your personal experience with a specific parenting challenge or topic. Remember that the content must be about your own children.
What To Avoid
You must avoid posting any images or videos of any kind. You must also avoid sharing links of any kind, because they are considered spam. Furthermore, you cannot post anything that is about meta content, like open letters or call-outs, and you must avoid any form of self-promotion or market research.
A note from Anthony
The rules here are extremely strict about what is allowed in the community. It is very clear that this space is only for the personal parenting journey of legal parents and guardians. The ban on links and self-promotion means you must earn your place through genuine discussion, not marketing.
By Anthony Riera, founder and operator of Rankhog. Every guide is built from the community's own public rules and data, then checked by Rankhog's grounding audit before it goes live.
Common questions about r/Parenting
What subreddits are similar to r/Parenting?
Subreddits like r/Parenting are r/daddit, r/beyondthebump, r/toddlers, r/NewParents, r/AskParents, r/workingmoms, r/moderatelygranolamoms and r/DanielTigerConspiracy.
Am I allowed to post if I am not a legal parent or guardian?
Posting is only for legal parents and guardians, which includes step-parents, adoptive parents, and long-term partners. Relatives, sitters, or nannies are not included.
Can I ask the community for medical advice about my child?
The community does not allow medical discussion. You must see the Wikis and Sidebar for alternatives if you need medical support or advice.
Is it okay to share a link to a resource or blog post?
No, links of any kind are considered spam, and all discussions should be text-based. You must focus on your own parent journey.
Subreddits like r/Parenting
Other rooms for the same crowd.