My husband has never physically harmed me or the kids, but he constantly subjects our children to mean-spirited put-downs. For example, he tells them that they’re stupid and lazy. He demeans my son’s athletic abilities. He tells my daughter that she’s ugly and needs to lose weight. The children try to ignore him and put …
Parenting
How do I talk to my elementary grade children about a young boy in our community – grade-school age himself – who recently took his own life? I have a hard time understanding how a child that age has the maturity level to contemplate suicide. I’m not sure how to explain this to my own …
How can we comfort and support a young girl who has just been through the trauma of rape? We just learned that one of our children was recently the victim of a sexual assault. We are absolutely devastated. How can we help our daughter heal from this traumatic experience? What first steps should we take …
How should parents approach an adolescent who is involved in sexual self-gratification? Without going into details, I can tell you that I have good reason to suppose that my teenager has been masturbating. Needless to say, this is extremely upsetting to me. I’m worried about my child’s spiritual condition, and I have no idea what …
Should we allow our unmarried adult daughter to share a room with her boyfriend in our house? She lives out of town, and she plans to bring this man home with her for Christmas. To our disappointment, they have been sexually active for some time, and I know they’ll expect to sleep in the same …
How should I respond to my child’s fascination with evil characters? He’s only three years old, but whenever he plays make-believe, he always takes on the role of the villain, and the only action-figures toys he wants are those representing “bad guys.” In response, we’ve completely phased movies and television out of his life, but …
How can we help a young child who is struggling with his faith? Last night during our prayer time my young son tearfully confessed that he’s having trouble believing in God. How should I address this?
How can we raise our kids effectively when so many of our friends and family members hold perspectives and values that conflict with our beliefs? We’re a strong Christian family and we require our children to live by Christian standards of behavior. But not everyone shares our faith, and it’s frustrating to feel as if …
Do you have any ideas on how to stop my older kids from picking on their younger brother? I intervene when I can, but all this bullying is causing the youngest one to play the victim, and I don’t want to encourage him in that attitude. How do I handle this situation?
Does spanking teach kids to be violent? I have some serious reservations about the appropriateness and effectiveness of this type of discipline. If we spank our child, will this lead her to assume that violence is acceptable, or that it’s okay to hit others or even to hit us back?
How do my husband and I know when it’s time to stop having children? We’re expecting baby number five in a few weeks. That will make a total of five kids within the space of five years! I’ve seen a lot of Christian literature on the subject of starting a family, but how can we …
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 can I tell whether my toddler has a serious case of stuttering or stammering, or whether it’s just a normal part of speech development when he has difficulty getting his words out?
Why are so many kids overweight these days? What can we do to help our child avoid obesity and develop healthy eating habits?
Is it a good idea for children to get involved in sports, dance classes, music lessons, and other commitments outside of their school work and household chores? How much of this kind of thing is too much? Can you suggest any practical guidelines?
Is there a way to get concerned friends and family members to back off and stop telling us how to raise our child? My spouse and I are new parents and are overwhelmed by all the tips we’ve been receiving. Sometimes people even contradict each other. I feel like telling them to mind their own …
How can I make sure that my three-year-old daughter won’t slip away from me when we’re in public places? I have to watch her like a hawk because she continually wanders off. It doesn’t matter where we are – playground, pool, beach, grocery store, or mall. She simply will not stay with me. I recently …
What are some of the most common medical problems to watch out for during the first three months of my baby’s life?
What should we do when our toddler explodes in a fit so violent that it’s just about impossible to calm her down? She has always been strong-willed and prone to tantrums, but just recently there have been occasions when she has become so frustrated that her behavior has spiraled completely out of control. At such …
What factors do we need to consider – what should we look for and what should we avoid – when selecting a daycare facility for our child? Some of our friends and family have had bad experiences in this area. Naturally, we’d like to avoid that if at all possible. Do you have any suggestions?