Can you help me cope with the practical, day-to-day aspects of my spouse’s death? I’m already seeing a therapist, and close friends are helping me work through the grief. Where I really need some guidance is in the area of business details, daily responsibilities, house repairs, car maintenance, paying bills – that sort of thing. …
Get Help
Are non-believers more likely than believers to commit suicide? I’m asking because our son walked away from his faith soon after starting college. Lately he has become increasingly moody and withdrawn. Is he at risk for suicide? What’s the relationship between a young person’s faith or worldview and his outlook on life?
How can I help a friend who was recently raped? So far, I’m the only person she’s told. She’s paralyzed with feelings of shame and guilt. She’s also afraid that she’ll only make a bad situation worse if she reports the incident or goes to the police. What should I do?
Why is it important to identify specific financial objectives? How does this fit in with what Jesus said about letting tomorrow “worry about itself” (Matthew 6:34)? If I make plans and set monetary goals of my own, doesn’t this rule out the necessity of trusting God on a day-by-day basis?
Should we keep tithing to our church while trying to pay off debts? My husband and I are on a tight budget and trying our best to pay off a large backlog of debt that has been building over the past several years. Would it be better to put our giving on hold until we’ve …
Should we be worried that our child is having trouble paying attention and sticking with her assignments in the classroom? We don’t think this is ADHD because she can sit for hours in front of the computer or the television without being distracted. Is this kind of behavior common among kids in the elementary grades?
Should I raise my kids under a philosophy of law or grace? Since the Gospel is all about grace, doesn’t this suggest that it’s a mistake for Christian parents to raise their children according to a lot of rules and regulations? Paul even tells us, in Galatians 3:24, that the law was nothing but a …
Is it normal for a parent’s relationship with a child to take on a different tone during the teen years? I was always close to my daughter in the past, but things aren’t the same since she became a teenager. I can’t connect with her anymore – she’s always texting or talking to friends on her …
Should I be worried about having a third child? My husband has concerns about what he calls “middle child syndrome.” Do you think his misgivings are justified?
Is it really important for families to spend time together? Like everyone else, I constantly feel as if I don’t have enough hours in my day. Meanwhile, I’ve read lots of articles and been in on lots of conversations about what’s better – quality or quantity “family time.” Everyone in our house keeps a hectic …
How can I teach my two-year-old to share his things and be more cooperative, generous, and kind when he plays with others? I’ve been shocked to see how selfish he can be in social situations with other children.
How can I raise my kids so that they will grow up to be genuinely godly adults? Most of the parenting materials I’ve seen have a great deal to say about discipline, mental and emotional health, obedience and order in the home. Unfortunately, there isn’t much out there on the subject of character development, especially …
Should I insist on being in the exam room when my child visits a doctor? Recently I took my 14-year-old daughter to our family doctor for a check-up and was told by the office staff that I would need to stay out. To be honest, my husband and I are concerned about messages my daughter …
How do I tell my young children (ages eight, seven, and four) that their grandparents – my husband’s mom and dad – are splitting up as a result of Grandpa’s involvement with another woman? Since these grandparents live out of state, we only see them every three to four months or so. We don’t plan …
Should I let my teenage girls wear pants? I was raised in a conservative Christian home where modesty in behavior and clothing were always stressed as matters of the highest importance for young girls. In particular, my mother made sure I understood that women should never wear pants, since “A woman shall not wear anything …
Should parents come to the rescue when grown and married children need monetary assistance? Our daughter and her husband are struggling, and we’d like to help them out. But we don’t want to set an unhealthy precedent or cross a boundary. How do you think we should handle this?
Do you have any advice for parents trying to help a teenager who struggles with bad feelings about her figure and physical appearance? Our daughter has a poor body image and a distressingly negative view of herself, but she won’t talk about it. How do we bring this up without smothering her, alienating her or …
How can I encourage my husband to take the responsibilities of parenthood more seriously and get involved more directly with our children? He likes the “fun” part of raising kids – for instance, he’s great at getting down on the floor and “wrestling” with our toddler. But when it comes to the practical side of being …
How do I know if my son is spending too much time playing online computer games? If I let him, I think he would waste all of his waking hours doing this. I’m concerned about the Internet horror stories I’ve heard, and I wish I could broaden his interests. Do you have any suggestions?
When a husband and wife discipline their children the same way, is there a need for a more balanced approach? I’ve heard that one of the ways male-female differences crop up in marriage and parenting is in sex-distinct approaches to child discipline: fathers supposedly emphasize justice, fairness, and duty (based on rules), while mothers are …