diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/components/Chat.svelte b/frontend/src/lib/components/Chat.svelte
index 5e82a7c..53996da 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/components/Chat.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/components/Chat.svelte
@@ -14,6 +14,14 @@
 
 	const isOwn = (msg: any) => msg.authorId === chatStore.actorId;
 
+	// Colour comes from the sender's user record (loaded with the family on
+	// page load) — no per-message snapshot, no live colour tracking. Falls back
+	// to the stored authorColor for any message sent before this change.
+	function colorOf(msg: any): string {
+		if (msg.authorId === chatStore.actorId) return chatStore.actorColor || '#6366f1';
+		return msg.authorColor || '#6366f1';
+	}
+
 	function scrollToBottom(instant = false) {
 		if (!container) return;
 		container.scrollTo({
@@ -107,15 +115,18 @@
 			{#each chatStore.messages as msg (msg.id)}
 				<div class="msg-row" class:own={isOwn(msg)}>
 					{#if !isOwn(msg)}
-						<span class="avatar" style="background:{msg.authorColor || '#6366f1'}">
+						<span class="avatar" style="background:{colorOf(msg)}">
 							{msg.authorName?.charAt(0).toUpperCase()}
 						</span>
 					{/if}
 					<div class="bubble-wrap">
 						{#if !isOwn(msg)}
-							<span class="msg-author">{msg.authorName}</span>
+							<span class="msg-author" style="color:{colorOf(msg)}">{msg.authorName}</span>
 						{/if}
-						<div class="bubble">
+						<div
+							class="bubble"
+							style="background:{colorOf(msg) + '33'}; color:{colorOf(msg)}"
+						>
 							{#each renderContent(msg.content) as seg (msg.id + ':' + seg.text)}
 								{#if seg.mention}
 									<button class="mention" onclick={() => insertMention(seg.text.slice(1))}
@@ -274,8 +285,6 @@
 		position: relative;
 	}
 	.msg-row.own .bubble {
-		background: #6366f1;
-		color: #fff;
 		border-bottom-left-radius: 14px;
 		border-bottom-right-radius: 4px;
 	}
@@ -288,7 +297,7 @@
 		text-transform: capitalize;
 	}
 	.msg-row.own .msg-time {
-		color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);
+		color: rgba(17, 24, 39, 0.45);
 	}
 	.mention {
 		background: #ede9fe;
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/server/migrate.ts b/frontend/src/lib/server/migrate.ts
index 4ae8943..b5c9511 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/server/migrate.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/server/migrate.ts
@@ -106,27 +106,30 @@ async function ensureUsers(ids: Record<string, string>): Promise<void> {
     changed = true;
   }
 
-  const listRule = "famId = @request.auth.famId";
-  const parentWrite = "famId = @request.auth.famId && @request.auth.role = 'parent'";
-  if (usersCol.listRule !== listRule || usersCol.viewRule !== listRule ||
-      usersCol.updateRule !== parentWrite || usersCol.deleteRule !== parentWrite) {
-    changed = true;
-  }
+	const listRule = "famId = @request.auth.famId";
+	const parentWrite = "famId = @request.auth.famId && @request.auth.role = 'parent'";
+	// Members can edit their own record (name/colour); parents can edit any
+	// family member. Delete stays parent-only.
+	const selfOrParentWrite = "@request.auth.id = id || (famId = @request.auth.famId && @request.auth.role = 'parent')";
+	if (usersCol.listRule !== listRule || usersCol.viewRule !== listRule ||
+	    usersCol.updateRule !== selfOrParentWrite || usersCol.deleteRule !== parentWrite) {
+		changed = true;
+	}
 
-  if (changed) {
-    await updateCollection(usersCol.id, {
-      name: "users",
-      type: "auth",
-      listRule,
-      viewRule: listRule,
-      createRule: usersCol.createRule || "",
-      updateRule: parentWrite,
-      deleteRule: parentWrite,
-      fields: usersCol.fields,
-      indexes,
-      passwordAuth: { enabled: true, identityFields },
-    });
-  }
+	if (changed) {
+		await updateCollection(usersCol.id, {
+			name: "users",
+			type: "auth",
+			listRule,
+			viewRule: listRule,
+			createRule: usersCol.createRule || "",
+			updateRule: selfOrParentWrite,
+			deleteRule: parentWrite,
+			fields: usersCol.fields,
+			indexes,
+			passwordAuth: { enabled: true, identityFields },
+		});
+	}
 }
 
 // Superuser-only OTP store for the child join gate. Holds the rotating code and
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/stores/chat.svelte.ts b/frontend/src/lib/stores/chat.svelte.ts
index e4b8de4..3b12b67 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/stores/chat.svelte.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/stores/chat.svelte.ts
@@ -50,21 +50,38 @@ class ChatStore {
 	});
 
 	async init(opts: ChatInit) {
+		// Re-initialize whenever the family OR the actor changes (e.g. switching
+		// between parent and child in the same browser session). The store is a
+		// module singleton — keeping the previous actor's identity/subscription
+		// would make one direction's realtime silently dead.
+		const sameIdentity =
+			this.initialized &&
+			this.famId === opts.famId &&
+			this.actorId === opts.actorId &&
+			this.actorType === opts.actorType;
+		if (sameIdentity) return;
+		if (this.initPromise) {
+			await this.initPromise;
+			if (
+				this.initialized &&
+				this.famId === opts.famId &&
+				this.actorId === opts.actorId &&
+				this.actorType === opts.actorType
+			)
+				return;
+		}
+
+		this.cleanup();
+		this.destroyed = false;
 		this.famId = opts.famId;
 		this.actorId = opts.actorId;
 		this.actorType = opts.actorType;
 		this.actorName = opts.actorName;
 		this.actorColor = opts.actorColor;
 		this.pbToken = opts.pbToken || '';
-
-		if (this.initialized && this.famId === opts.famId) return;
-		if (this.initPromise) {
-			await this.initPromise;
-			if (this.initialized && this.famId === opts.famId) return;
-		}
-
-		this.cleanup();
-		this.destroyed = false;
+		this.messages = [];
+		this.typing = {};
+		this.unread = 0;
 		this.lastSeenAt = Date.now();
 
 		this.initPromise = (async () => {
diff --git a/frontend/src/routes/[fam]/[username]/preferences/+page.svelte b/frontend/src/routes/[fam]/[username]/preferences/+page.svelte
index 3db86ef..1954046 100644
--- a/frontend/src/routes/[fam]/[username]/preferences/+page.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/routes/[fam]/[username]/preferences/+page.svelte
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <script lang="ts">
-	import { enhance } from '$app/forms';
+	import { enhance, applyAction } from '$app/forms';
 	import { ViewHeader, CardGrid, Card, Button } from '$lib/components';
 
 	let { data, form } = $props();
@@ -24,7 +24,20 @@
 {:else}
 	<CardGrid>
 		<Card cols={2} title="Appearance">
-			<form method="POST" action="?/update" use:enhance>
+			<form
+				method="POST"
+				action="?/update"
+				use:enhance={() => {
+					return async ({ result }) => {
+						// Apply the action result (so the success/error message
+						// shows) WITHOUT resetting the form — the default enhance
+						// clears name/email inputs on a successful submit.
+						if (result.type === 'success' || result.type === 'failure') {
+							await applyAction(result);
+						}
+					};
+				}}
+			>
 				<div style="margin-bottom:1rem">
 					<label style="display:block;font-size:0.85rem;color:#374151;margin-bottom:0.25rem">
 						Display Name
@@ -83,7 +96,9 @@
 					<p style="color:#059669;font-size:0.85rem;margin-bottom:0.5rem">Saved!</p>
 				{/if}
 
-				<Button type="submit" variant="primary">Save</Button>
+				<div class="form-actions">
+					<Button type="submit" variant="primary">Update preferences</Button>
+				</div>
 			</form>
 		</Card>
 
@@ -97,3 +112,11 @@
 		</Card>
 	</CardGrid>
 {/if}
+
+<style>
+	.form-actions {
+		margin-top: 1.25rem;
+		padding-top: 1.25rem;
+		border-top: 1px solid #e5e7eb;
+	}
+</style>
diff --git a/shared/pb/schema.ts b/shared/pb/schema.ts
index 91e8662..fa83320 100644
--- a/shared/pb/schema.ts
+++ b/shared/pb/schema.ts
@@ -90,6 +90,8 @@ export const RULE_PARENT_SCOPED =
   "famId = @request.auth.famId && @request.auth.role = 'parent'";
 export const RULE_FAM_WRITE = "@request.body.famId = @request.auth.famId";
 export const RULE_FAM_SCOPED = "famId = @request.auth.famId";
+// Anyone in the family can read (list/view/subscribe) — members + parents.
+export const RULE_FAM_READ = "famId = @request.auth.famId";
 // fams has no self-referencing famId field; its record id IS the famId.
 export const RULE_OWN_FAM = "id = @request.auth.famId";
 
@@ -270,6 +272,8 @@ export const SCHEMA_PLAN: CollectionPlanEntry[] = [
         createRule: RULE_FAM_WRITE,
         updateRule: RULE_FAM_SCOPED,
         deleteRule: RULE_FAM_SCOPED,
+        listRule: RULE_FAM_READ,
+        viewRule: RULE_FAM_READ,
       })(ids),
   },
   {
@@ -286,6 +290,8 @@ export const SCHEMA_PLAN: CollectionPlanEntry[] = [
         createRule: RULE_FAM_WRITE,
         updateRule: RULE_FAM_SCOPED,
         deleteRule: RULE_FAM_SCOPED,
+        listRule: RULE_FAM_READ,
+        viewRule: RULE_FAM_READ,
       })(ids),
   },
   {