Can you help me understand the dynamics of father-daughter and mother-son relationships? Does a child’s interaction with the parent of the opposite sex take on a greater significance as he or she enters the teenage years? If so, how?
Parenting Q&As
What should we do if it turns out that our child has actually fallen under the control of criminals who market vulnerable teens to customers in the “sex trade?” Without going into details, I can tell you that we have good reason to believe our daughter has become a victim of human trafficking. As you …
How should we respond to our teenage daughter who doesn’t want to be part of our family after becoming pregnant?
Should we allow our son to have long hair? There’s constant conflict in our household over this issue. My husband and I constantly have to tell him to go and get his hair cut. If we didn’t, I think he’d let it grow down over his shoulders. He usually complies, but not without a lot …
I can’t believe that the end of summer is already within sight! School will be starting again in a couple of weeks, and my children are dreading it. Is there anything I can do to help smooth the transition? What would you recommend?
How can I give my kids the chance to try different activities and programs when we don’t have much money? I’m a stay-at-home mom and my husband works hard to support our family, but we’re living on a shoestring budget. I don’t want my children to miss out on life-enriching opportunities.
What’s your perspective on the celebration of Christmas? How do you understand the meaning of the holiday, and what are your feelings about some of the more “fanciful” symbols and traditions, including Santa Claus, that have become such a big part of it?
Are kids happier when they’re closer in age, or is it better to plan them farther apart? What are your thoughts on the spacing of children?
How do we keep our child from becoming a “quitter”? Several months ago our 5-year-old son asked to be enrolled in a Tae Kwon Do program. He’s enjoyed it and usually has a good time once he gets to class. But lately we’ve run into problems with him not wanting to go. We don’t want …
How important is it for adolescents to get enough sleep? And exactly how much is “enough”? My son is trying to convince me that he has enough energy to handle late nights. I tend to disagree. My feeling is that sleep is critical during the teen years, especially with all of the physical changes kids …
At what age do you think a child is too old for a pacifier? We’ve tried several times to take it away, but it’s like pulling teeth. I’ve also been wondering about my son’s attachment to his blanket. Is it a problem if we let him keep it? At this point the thing is nothing …
Why are so many teens making bad sexual choices? This worries me because I have teenage kids of my own and I’m anxious to help them avoid serious mistakes in this area. Can you help me get a better handle on teenage attitudes about sex?
Why do dads need to get involved with their sons on an emotional level? My father was a no-nonsense man who did not share much with me in the way of his feelings. He basically taught me how to work hard, be responsible and make my own way in life. My wife gets upset with …
Can you give me some basic information on parent-child attachment? How does it develop and why is it so important? We’re planning to adopt a 4-year-old from Eastern Europe. We’re excited but also nervous about the challenges we may face. I’m especially anxious about Reactive Attachment Disorder.
How should I respond to my son’s fascination with firearms? At thirteen years of age he’s already made himself an expert on anything that shoots – everything from pistols to semi-automatic rifles to bazookas. He doesn’t own any real guns. But he does have an airsoft rifle and a paintball gun, and I think he spends too …
How can I calm my child’s fears of Satan? Over the past few months my five-year-old has become obsessed with this subject. She’s always asking questions about the devil, and she seems terribly afraid of what he might do to her. She goes to Sunday school, and we pray and read the Bible together every …
How should we respond to pro-gay curriculum in the public schools? The administrators of our child’s elementary school have announced that they will soon be implementing a course of study in “tolerance” and “diversity training” for students in the lower grades. While we expect and have always encouraged our children to respect everyone – including …
Do you have any advice for parents about how to survive the teen years? I’m really getting worn down by the constant conflicts, mood swings and challenges to my authority. What should I do?
How can we help our child overcome his terror of the school bus? The school is too far away for him to walk, and my wife and I both work, so it isn’t feasible to drive him back and forth every day. What can we do?
Before we agree to allow our adult child to move back in with us, are there some key things we ought to consider or any safeguards we need to put in place? Our thirty-year-old daughter has just completed drug rehab and we’re giving careful thought to the option of letting her come back home until …