child theme preview and page preview in wordpress not the same

The site isn’t published except one or two pages.
https://onlinedateshare.com/wordpress/faq/

I have tried multiple themes and all the same result. Not pulling in my customizations (functionality or appearance) made in my child theme.

here is the functions.php:

<?php
add_action( 'wp_enqueue_scripts', 'donovan_child_enqueue_styles' );
function donovan_child_enqueue_styles() {
 
    $parent_style = 'donovan-style'; // This is 'donovan-style' for the Twenty Seventeen theme.
 
    wp_enqueue_style( $parent_style, get_template_directory_uri() . '/style.css' );
    wp_enqueue_style( 'donovan-child-style',
        get_stylesheet_directory_uri() . '/style.css',
        array( $parent_style ),
        wp_get_theme()->get('1.0')
    );
}
?>

• This reply was modified 5 years, 7 months ago by Jose Castaneda. Reason: added backticks for code
• This reply was modified 5 years, 2 months ago by Ipstenu (Mika Epstein).

so when I edit in the “customize” of my child theme where are those edits going?? When I click on it in wordpress dashboard it takes me to my saved changes in the child theme editor. It shows the menu bar like I want it, etc.

how do I fix the child theme functionality not overriding the parent theme?

I think you looked at it before I reverted what that child theme configurator did. That should all be gone now. Would you please look, again?

Please forgive my lack of knowledge. Very new to this. I really appreciate your assistance.

I have come back to this topic, per your request, Mr. Stern.

What is the point of using the child theme customize if it doesn’t load any of the saved portions?? Where do those saved changes go?? How do I get them to override the parent??

Every bit of code I put in was taken from the wordpress codex instructions. I even copied and pasted only substituting child and parent theme names. You are telling me not to do this. Please explain further answering the questions I have asked.

thanks for your assistance

So what you are telling me is….

Don’t use the customize link with your child theme activated and save as it does nothing.
To include the functions when you make your menu, etc. Everything must be manually input into the functions.php and style.css. Again, what is the point of the customize link in your child theme? I thought WordPress was created to make things easier.

So even if I purchase the premium theme(s) that are somewhat customizable… I still need to put everything that the premium does not do – manually in the child theme’s functions.php and style.css, as it is recommended to always use a child theme so that it is not affected by updates?? And not use the customize link at all.

thank you for your assistance

so again… In my child theme I created my main menu. Saved it. In the customize link. When I publish pages the menu is not there. Do I need to manually put the menu code in the functions.php in my child theme for changes to stick. If I update child theme in customize from wordpress dashboard the changes do not show. Basically, as it sits now my customize is useless to me. Nothing changes.

And what about changing the available color(s), etc?? where do I do that?

And my sidebar under APPEARANCE>WIDGETS does not show any of my widgests even though I can see them in this menu selection???