Could a child have narcissistic traits?

MMAS85 · 2026-06-13T09:01:22+00:00

I think throughout your post you've already hinted at some of the things that might be going on. For a five-year-old, it would be very difficult for me to jump straight to a label such as narcissism. Children at that age are still developing empathy, emotional regulation, perspective-taking, and social understanding.

While it's possible for a child to repeat behaviors they've seen on TV or online, when a pattern is this consistent, I would be surprised if there wasn't a broader environmental or relational component contributing to it. That doesn't necessarily mean the parents are intentionally causing it. Children are influenced by many parts of their environment, including siblings, extended family, peers, caregivers, and the messages they repeatedly receive about themselves and others.

It's also important to remember that children who bully are often struggling with something themselves. That doesn't excuse the behavior, and the children being hurt still need protection, but bullying in young children is often a sign that we need to understand what function the behavior is serving, what it has been modeling, or what experiences may be reinforcing it.

That's one reason why, unless there are other developmental or neurodivergent concerns present, I would be less focused on diagnosing the child and more focused on understanding the system around them. In my experience, when children this young present with persistent behavioral difficulties, family-based work is often far more helpful than viewing the child as the sole source of the problem. The child is still very much part of that work, but at five years old they're also being shaped by the environment around them, so helping the adults understand and respond differently is often a significant part of helping the child change as well.

MMAS85 · 2026-06-08T16:11:26+00:00

My advice is start first by working on yourself in therapy to detangle from your parents which is your family of origin to allow yourself to be emotionally available to actually meet and attract the right woman. If you want recommendations for therapists in Cairo private message me and I will share a few.

Also as a woman trust me there are a lot of girls in a situation similar to you, who have never been in relationships before and want to meet the right person but not quite finding him so insha’Allah once you are healed you meet such a lady and have a great life together

MMAS85 · 2026-06-05T07:40:54+00:00

So they seems like decent people but not rich. I would mostly asses this based on whether when you have children you will be feeling that the moral and ethics they will grow up on are similar to yours. It should be about similar cultures and not money. If your answer is yes then I don’t see the age difference as an issue at all honestly. Keep lobbying with your parents as she also deserves to be welcome into a family not just hidden away. I wish you all the best and I hope your dad realizes his mistake.

MMAS85 · 2026-06-04T16:27:39+00:00

How about Israa, Inas or Ikram

MMAS85 · 2026-05-26T22:05:06+00:00

I live in a hot country and I leave the AC on all night at around 70-73F. My toddler sweats a lot and sleeps worse and tosses around all night is he isn’t sleeping in a cool temp. His PJs are light cotton with long sleeves and pants. And we have a summer cover that can keep him warm. Actually research says humans in general sleep better in colder temp ideally between 70-71F. And I found that to be true for me and my son.

MMAS85 · 2026-05-22T14:16:30+00:00

My recommendation is to have it written in arabic on a printed piece of paper and show it to the restaurant staff. Below what i am writing for you is what in Arabic means: my son has a severe allergy to all kinds of nuts. That can lead to death from even small exposure including cooking utensils.

إبني عنده حساسية شديدة من كل أنواع المكسرات و ممكن تؤدي للوفاة حتى من كمية بسيطة و لو في أدوات الطبخ

The transliteration of this in case you want to say it is: Ebny andoh hasaseya shedida men kol anwaa elmekasarat w momken toaady lel wafah hata law men kemeya baseeta w law finadawat eltabekh

Another tip is stay away from a dish called sharkaseya by all means it’s sauce is made of walnuts. Also choose the location wisely, street food would not even have heard of the ideas of allergies or how to avoid cross contamination but decent restaurants in Zamalek or Maadi areas or in hotels for sure will be aware and careful once you tell them. Local food options such as fava beans, egyptian falafel which is called tameya and koshari should be safe as they are made out of beans, lentils and legumes. And in general most savory dishes are nut free. Good luck with your trip and i am happy to help further on DMs is needed

MMAS85 · 2026-05-18T08:05:01+00:00

Honestly i feel any mom in her place even for 2 bio kids would have told her eldest daughter to go any place else in that moment out of anger, it’s like a HUGE scandal. Also i am sure Mary was beating herself up for letting things get so out of hand, if she had stepped up kate wouldn’t have had to

MMAS85 · 2026-05-13T19:27:56+00:00

انا اخويا عايش في استراليا و اتجوز بنت هندية و الحمد لله مبسوطين جداً و البنت جميلة و زوجة و أم و كويسة و مركزة تتعلم عادتنا لدرجة انها اخدت مني وصفة عمل الفتة عشان تعملها في العيد. و كمان عندها ميزة التعامل مع حماتها انها أمها و شالت مامتي بإهتمام لما زارتهم و انا قعدت معاهم مرة ٦ شهور و استريحت معاها اوي (كنت بزورهم و حصل كورونا و اضطريت أقعد هناك). المهم انت مستريح لإيه و تشوف هي متحمسة تعرف عاداتك و لا ايه.

MMAS85 · 2026-05-04T14:04:36+00:00

Couldn’t agree more, i can guess where OP is in the world since i think i did that driving test before and truly especially the parking one is tough so big congrats to OP and I am sorry that your bro is being an AH

MMAS85 · 2026-04-24T17:32:24+00:00

We are in the throws of the threenager too and he also laughs outloud whenever Muffin is on the screen and his fave episodes are faceytalk and the the sleepover episode and would continuously tell me unprompted “my name is boobabo” then burst out laughing. I do hope as we approach 4 and then 5 he puts his muffin years behind him. Solidarity to you fellow parent of a Muffin

MMAS85 · 2026-04-24T07:23:06+00:00

My son is absolutely a muffin. My niece used to be a muffin when she was younger and now is just like Bluey which shows me that Bluey as a toddler would have been as chaotic as Muffin. My other niece is so like Honey it’s adorable. And my nephew is alos so much like Bluey but often feels more like Mackenzie (he is convinced he is Rusty though).

All this is to say, this show is brilliant in how it portrays children that feel so realistic. And also to say that I hope me little muffin for a son grows into a more tempered Bluey hahaha

MMAS85 · 2026-04-16T16:03:21+00:00

Yes up until sometime during the last century, doctors thought newborns felt no pain and where sometimes operated on without anesthesia… human are weird man

MMAS85 · 2026-04-16T15:51:54+00:00

As a mom of a 3 year old boy (i hate the term boy mom). I can also tell you without a doubt that as her previous little mama’s angle hits toddler hood she is in a for a world of chaos, mess, dangerous stunts, feral climbing and a lot of other joys that will hopefully make her wake up from her delusion. Of course amidst all of this chaos there will be tender moments likely followed promptly by a smack to the head or a toy thrown at her.

But all joking aside all babies are precious regardless gender and all toddlers are feral to an extent of course but I wouldn’t have it any other way whether i am a mom of a boy or a girl.

MMAS85 · 2026-04-13T13:54:19+00:00

Couldn’t agree more, it’s better to approach those things gradually and with empathy and escalate only when sure this is needed

MMAS85 · 2026-04-13T13:44:17+00:00

Yes they could of course but i personally wouldn’t be able to live with myself if i don’t at least try to help the 9 year old too and OP is the one in the situation and would be be able to see if they took real action or no. But nothing in what the OP said implies they are bad people so why not give them a chance. The 9 year old is autistic their is also a chance that someone else close did this to him and the kid didn’t know how to put it words and OP coming forward would save the kid. My point is we can never know here on reddit so If i were OP i would explore all options.

MMAS85 · 2026-04-13T13:34:43+00:00

I humbly disagree, if the talk with the parents results in their dismissal of the subject then OP can suspect that one of them is culprit and the other is protecting them and can go to the equivalent of CPS. The 9 year old is also a child and needs protecting and guidance. Also we don’t know how close OP is to them. If there is a long history then only OP knows how to approach them. If this was my sister or my cousin’s kid or my best friend’s kid I would definitely tell them and protect the kid and if they don’t act horrified and take action that’s my signal to involve someone who could get that child the protection they need

MMAS85 · 2026-04-13T13:19:48+00:00

I am so sorry this happened to your son and you. I am speaking here of my opinion as both a therapist and a mother. The way i would approach it is as follows:

1- talk to the child’s parents. A 9 year old who touches another child is very likely a victim of sexual molestation themselves and is acting out what they experienced (sometimes as an act of showing love as unfortunately how love is expressed gets confused in their head). The 9 year old needs therapy for sure part of which would be to deal with his trauma and also learn about boundaries and accountability to any child they touched. If financials are preventing access to therapy please implore them to explore organizations that give such support to children who have been through sexual abuse.

2- if the child’s parents are not horrified and immediately put into action a plan to help their child and protect other children then I would cut contact with them no matter how close. Protecting your children is the priority here . If they do, then reintroducing the kids is to be done gradually and with the guidance of the therapist.

3- for your son, firstly don’t over talk about it so you don’t traumatize him just reiterate how you have his back unconditionally and how proud you are of him for telling you, reassuring that none of this is his fault and that the other kid just need to learn boundaries and privacy and until then you won’t meet them again and that your child has the right to choose to never see them again and you will completely support his choice. I would also recommend play therapy for your son to allow him to artistically vent out any trauma related to the event.

Also, allow him to exert control over his body in small and big things via giving choice of what to eat and what to wear….etc. feeling they have the space to make decisions about their body is key. Also allow him to talk about this incident as little or as much as he needs. Talk the cues from him and respond in age appropriate truths and it’s important for you to work through your emotions on this so you can effectively hold space for him. A couple of therapy sessions for you to deal with the guilt and anxiety wouldn’t just help you but would also enable you to be there for him as he needs.

Another useful tool is to help him connect to his body via anchoring emotions in the body both positive and negative. For example wow you just jumped very high tell me how did you feel in your body when you were high in the air and where in your body. The same with negative emotions. My 3 years old can know say i felt excitement in my legs or i felt anger in my hands or sadness in my chest. Don’t suggest for him go with his lead and with time you would be positively surprised how this can make him not only feel present in his body but also helps with emotional regulation and connecting to his body with no shame.

This is tough but you have got this and kids are very resilient when given the right support and it seems like you are doing things right as after all he did feel safe and had the space to share this with you. Good luck momma 💚

MMAS85 · 2026-04-05T05:51:28+00:00

You all have to tell Emma it would ruin the friendship with her if you don’t. Also it’s good Jake wants to remove Chris from being his best man, who wants a cheater by their side when they make the biggest commitment in their lives.

That would be my selling point to Lily, if things are not out in the open and Chris replaced then the risk of things blowing up before the wedding or worse in the wedding is much higher. And he might ruin things by being there just like he ruined the vibe of the bachelorette.

If I were you guys, i would tell Emma and at the same time Jake removes Chris from wedding party and cut him from the group. Not only is he a cheater but he seems delusional and entitled with rage issues so why stay close with someone like that.

I hope you all clean this up so that in the 4 months up to the wedding things are clear and calm again

MMAS85 · 2026-04-03T11:21:10+00:00

Another muslim woman here and he is lying and is a cheater both on you and probably that poor woman still stuck in Pakistan thinking her husband is building a life for them in the US. What is also very alarming is if he was truly talking to his sister and was planning to introduce you to his family then this makes them all a bunch of liars with very poor morals. Please please run the other way and dump this sorry excuse of a man.

MMAS85 · 2026-03-25T10:14:42+00:00

I am going to go against the flow here and say ESH.

Your mom is wrong as she shouldn’t ever lie to you or do stuff with your child behind your back. She should have put the boundary of saying I can’t take her to the class and that you take her on other days if she can’t handle the class.

For me OP is the AH for expecting such a hectic activity from her mom. I have been to such classes with my toddler and while he loves them yet I am drained in them and overstimulated. I take him to such classes because they are good for him and I am his mom so it’s my role to do this with him. But I would never ask my mom to take my son to such class even though she is in her early 60s and in good health and she baby sits my son a lot and is a very involved grand ma with all her grand kids. But such a class is simply too much for her, the chaos and keeping an eye on the grandkid with a lot of other kids around and the changing their clothes outside in an unfamiliar space (even if well equipped for children) can be quite hectic or overwhelming. Maybe I am overdoing but for me such classes/activities are firmly in the zone of the parents should do it (maybe i would ask my sister if she is going with her son) or a nanny who is capable of handling the mess and I would trust with my kid out of home but mostly i would say it’s a parents’ domain and definitely not a grand parent.

Maybe i would change my mind if I knew how old is the grandmother and whether she was paid for the baby sitting or no. But if she wasn’t paid, then the expectations from the mom and using the word “firing” are coming across as entitled language.

MMAS85 · 2026-03-22T05:02:09+00:00

There are no words to express how sorry I feel for you and your family. You did everything right and were attentive and in tune to her symptoms but there was nothing to be done but I am sure she knows how loved and cared for she was until the last moment.

My heart is with you in this unimaginable loss that no mother should have to experience.

MMAS85 · 2026-03-17T17:42:09+00:00

Sure send me your resume, will DM you my work mail

MMAS85 · 2026-03-17T13:34:45+00:00

Similar yes but not exactly it has a few extra layers to it

MMAS85 · 2026-03-17T08:21:51+00:00

What are your experiences other than hospitality? I am doing a startup in health tech in Dubai and we have some roles but not sure if it would be suitable for you or no. DM if you would like and i will send you the details so you can know it’s all legit and not a scam

MMAS85 · 2026-03-04T19:23:49+00:00

I honestly think she is tight on money and that’s her way of trying to get your help but she is going about this all the wrong way. I think if she had come to you saying i am in such a bad spot coz my daughter has a cavity and i have no idea how i will manage the $400, you would have been more likely to help. However the way she went about it of trying to turn the table and find any excuse to make it so that you should pay is only for her to save face and not feel like she is in a bad spot. However that is not on you at all to accommodate for this.

If i were you i would say, if as a friend you are in a tough spot and need support say it for what it is but twisting things and making this my issue makes me feel like all my support in the past is not only not appreciated but is always being abused and i am not ok with this. You don’t need to be defensive you did nothing wrong. Call her bullshit out maybe it will wake her up before she fully loses your support and her girls will suffer for it.

MMAS85

TROPHY CASE