As Christian parents, should we attend our son’s wedding if he’s marrying an non-believer? Over the more than twenty years of our marriage we’ve worked hard to raise him in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Now, to our great disappointment, he has made a decision to marry a non-Christian. We love our child, …
Parenting Q&As
What should I do now that I’ve discovered that two of my children have been engaging in sexual activities with one another? Needless to say, my spouse and I are shocked beyond words. Where do we go from here?
Should we force our teen to relocate to a new state with the rest of us? A job change is requiring our family to move, but our adolescent son, who is currently a student in high school, doesn’t want to go with us. He’d rather move in with some friends and graduate from the school …
How should I handle a three-year-old toddler who is mean and aggressive with other children? He’s fine at home where there aren’t any other children around. But when he’s at church or with another family that has children his age, his behavior becomes ugly. On occasion his aggression takes a physical form – hitting, kicking, and …
Do you think it’s a good idea to take a small child out of the home and place him in an institutional setting for a number of hours every week? We’ve been considering preschool for our little boy, but we’re not sure if the pros outweigh the cons. What’s your perspective?
What are your thoughts on corporal punishment as a method of child discipline? Do you think spanking is an appropriate and effective way to correct undesirable behavior? As first-time parents, we want to be certain that we’re doing what’s best for our child. Can you offer us some guidelines?
Is it normal for a pre-adolescent child to become nervous, uneasy, or afraid when mom and dad aren’t around? My daughter doesn’t want me to leave the house without her, and says she misses me when we’re apart. There have been no dramatic changes in our family life during the last few months, so I’m …
What should I give my baby when he’s ready to start eating solid food? How can I know when he’s reached that stage of development?
Should I tell my kids the truth about why their father doesn’t live with us anymore? After becoming involved in an adulterous affair, he left me and moved in with the “other woman.” My children are confused because their dad has been lying to them about where he’s living and the reasons for our separation. …
Is oral sex really sex? We stumbled upon an entry in our daughter’s journal and discovered that she’s been involved in oral sex. That was disconcerting enough, but when we confronted her she argued that oral sex isn’t really sex at all, and that it’s “safer” than vaginal intercourse. She even claims that she’s still …
What should we do when our adolescent son is never available to take part in family activities because he’s spending all of his time with friends? Is his behavior normal? Is it unreasonable of us to expect him to participate in family life?
How can I know if my child has Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)? I’m an adoptive parent of a high-risk child. I’m beginning to think that some aspects of her behavior might be explained by SPD. In particular, it seems that some of her otherwise unexplainable outbursts and meltdowns might be triggered by sensory overload. How …
Would you agree that homeschoolers need to branch out and study subjects other than the Bible? My spouse and I have decided to begin home schooling our children. In researching various curriculum options, we’ve encountered some groups who advocate teaching kids strictly from Scripture to the exclusion of other academic texts or disciplines. We are …
Should we be concerned about our oldest son’s abusive behavior towards his siblings and our household pets? We’re constantly getting on his case about hitting his younger siblings, and lately he’s also been hurting the cat and dog. I used to think he was just aggressive or hyperactive, but now I’m not so sure. Is …
Should a church youth group be social or spiritual in focus? We’re involved in a heated dispute about this at our church. There are two schools of thought. One group thinks that a high school youth group should be primarily spiritual in emphasis, focusing on Bible study, prayer, and outreach or service projects. The rest …
How can we prevent our seven-year-old son from becoming a bully? I’ve noticed that he can be very pushy and often tries to dominate other kids. He always wants to be the “winner” — it’s as if he has a need to prove himself. When provoked, he retaliates fiercely and has hurt other kids in …
How do I handle a kid whose behavior ranges from telling me to “shut up” to slamming a door on her younger sister to trying to steal money from my wallet? My daughter is the classic “defiant child.” She hates school, has trouble getting along with friends, and frequently disobeys her teacher. I’m worried about …
How do we discourage sibling rivalry and introduce a more loving and cooperative atmosphere into our home? I know this behavior is normal up to a point, but I can’t help feeling that there are moments when it verges on becoming seriously destructive. What can my spouse and I do to teach brotherly love?
How can I convince my adult son that matrimony is valuable and worthwhile when his own parents couldn’t make it work? My ex-spouse and I split up when my children were still small, and I thought it was all water under the bridge. Now I find that my son blames me and his dad for …
Is it okay for a boy to be gentle and sensitive? Our two young sons couldn’t be more different. The oldest is a typical boy: loud and in perpetual motion. His 4-year-old brother, however, is so quiet I hardly know he’s around. While our oldest son and his dad spend hours on end rough-housing together, …