As parents, how should we deal with a dismissive and smart-alecky adolescent? Our son says that we don’t treat him with respect, but from my perspective the shoe is actually on the other foot – his behavior towards us is extremely disrespectful. What can we do to resolve this conflict?
Parenting
How do we relate to an adult child in prison? It’s painful to admit this, but through a series of unfortunate circumstances and poor choices, our grown son has been incarcerated. I can’t even begin to describe how horrible we feel. How can we reach out and support him without enabling or appearing to condone …
How can we stop our child from wetting the bed? What do we need to know about the causes of this behavior? Our son is well past the age of potty-training, yet I still have to change his bedding several times a week. I’ve lost my patience with him more than once, and I can …
How does divorce affect kids?
How do I answer my preschooler’s questions about his father who left the family when I was three months pregnant and hasn’t been in touch since? Lately my son has been asking why his dad doesn’t live with us. What should I tell him?
Should we have kids if my spouse is emotionally unstable and has been physically abusive with me? We’ve been married for four years and are in our mid-thirties. My wife has become physically and verbally abusive with me on several occasions. We’ve seen counselors about this and other issues, but the problem persists. A trusted …
Should I allow my 14-year-old son to smoke electronic cigarettes? He’s been hounding me about it and claims that they are medically safe and that there is no reason I should not let him engage in and enjoy this activity. I’ve been telling him “no” even though I know nothing about e-cigarettes and have no …
Should I get my adolescent daughter started on birth control now that I know she’s been having sex with her boyfriend? Needless to say, I’m extremely upset about this. They’re both Christian believers, and they understand that pre-marital sex is wrong – they’re just unable to control themselves. I don’t want to appear to be …
Does your emphasis on the importance of a father’s presence in the home imply that the mother’s role is less crucial in raising children? There are many single moms raising children by themselves, and I can’t help wondering if you view these families as “inferior” or “second-class.” Doesn’t your high regard for the father’s role …
What’s the best way to stop a teenager from using her cell phone to send and receive sexually explicit messages and photos? We recently discovered that our daughter has become involved in “sexting.” When confronted about this, she claimed that this kind of activity is harmless since it doesn’t involve any physical sexual contact. How …
Can you advise me as to how I should talk to my teenage kids about their dad’s homosexual affair? I’ve just been informed that he’s divorcing me and leaving the family for another man. That’s bad enough, but what especially concerns me is the thought of how this is likely to impact my kids. I’m …
What can we do to encourage our school-age son to get away from the television and computer screen and spend more time playing outdoors? We’re getting worried about his health and fitness, and we’d like to know how we can motivate him to become more active. So far all of our “nagging” hasn’t helped a …
How can we help our adolescent son find biblical answers to his deep questions about social justice, the meaning of life, the existence of God, and his own purpose as an individual? We want to point him in the right direction on these important issues and equip him with a solid Christian worldview. Can you …
How can we best relate to our grown child who has completely rejected his Christian faith and upbringing? After graduating from high school he moved in with his girlfriend and became involved with drug and alcohol abuse. Our hearts ache to reach out to him, but we don’t want to appear to be condoning his …
How can I get my daughter to stop lying? I catch her inventing “tall tales” all the time at home, and now she’s complaining that the kids at school don’t believe anything she says. Does she simply have a great imagination, or is this a serious problem?
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 …
What are some things I can do to help develop a healthy self-image in my children? I don’t want them to grow up thinking the world revolves around them, but I do want to instill in them a proper sense of self-respect and of their own value as persons. How should I go about it?
How should we handle it when a friend’s child kicks or whacks one of our kids? Our best friends have a habitually mean and aggressive preschooler about the same age as our children. We try to keep visits short and supervised, but one of our children always ends up getting hit. Is there a way …
How can I help my child develop healthy friendships? I know how easy it can be for kids to make the wrong kinds of friends or to establish connections with others for the wrong reasons. What can I do to provide some helpful guidance in this area?
How do we manage our deep sense of failure as parents after learning that our son is being held back a year in school? How do we help him understand why he didn’t pass his grade level? What should we do if the other kids start to tease him about it?