Should I be concerned about my six-year-old sleeping too much? She does not want to wake up in the morning, even though she goes to bed early and sleeps through the night? Is this normal? Do you have any suggestions?
Parenting
As a father, what are some of the key roles that I play in the life of my daughter? What areas in her life should I focus on and what are some things I can do to create a healthy relationship between us?
How can we encourage and promote our young child’s love for learning when we don’t have the money for preschool? She already knows how to read and she’s curious about everything. I’m not sure that I’m equipped to homeschool a child of her ability. What do you suggest we do?
How can I undo the damage I’ve caused by being too harsh with my children? I realize that I’ve been overly critical in my attitude toward them, and the results are now beginning to surface. How do we turn this around?
How can we be more intentional about doing things together that will strengthen relational bonds and family ties in the future? I know it’s important to make good memories, but it’s tough to find time for it with so much going on in day-to-day life. Do you have any suggestions or advice?
How can we help our adolescent daughter, who is depressed and angry as a result of our recent relocation to a new town and a new school? The move has taken a heavy toll on all of our kids, but our teenager is particularly upset. She won’t talk about anything but our old home, and …
Can you help us decide on a strategy for giving our child the best possible education? Our daughter is ready to start school, and we want her to get her moving in the right direction. What kind of options and alternatives are available to us?
How can we teach our girls to be more discerning about relationships? I understand that girls are more relational than boys, but sometimes I worry that my two “tween” daughters are over the top and out of control in this area. Honestly, they soak up new “friendships” like a sponge, seemingly without any discernment or …
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 …
How can I find a trustworthy source to diagnose and treat my young child’s deficient speech and language skills? He’s way behind his peers in this area, and I’m especially concerned because he’s supposed to start school next fall. How do I talk to him about this without making him feel abnormal?
How can I get my adolescent son to see that it’s important to show appropriate regard for other people? He has developed what I consider a “smart-alecky” or “mouthy” way of responding to other members of the family. Last night, when I asked him to take out the trash, he said, “I’ll do it later, …
What can I do to bolster the self-esteem of my teenage daughter who is feeling crushed after not being asked to the prom? I’ve never seen her this low before, and I’m feeling like I need to take steps to build her back up again. Can you help me?
Should I, as a single parent, be thinking seriously about adopting another child? How does your ministry feel about this?
As a father, what can I do to improve my relationship with an emotionally erratic adolescent girl? This past year has been difficult for me. I’ve watched my daughter make the transformation from a kind, joyful, cooperative little girl to a sullen, argumentative, hard-to-get-along-with teen. Our relationship used to be a source of enjoyment for …
My husband has never been violent with me, but it is an entirely different story where our children are concerned. He is frequently lashes out at them physically, and has seriously injured them on more than one occasion. I want to protect them, but I’m terrified of how he may react if I challenge him. …
As a parent, how should I deal with my children when mass shootings, natural disasters, and other tragic events involving loss of life occur? Should I do my best to shield them from this information – an almost impossible task in the face of today’s constant news media cycle? Or should I try to talk to …
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 …
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 …
Do you think there’s any danger of my kids becoming victims of sexual exploitation? I’ve never been a big believer in overly tight controls for my teenagers. My feeling has always been that they should have an increasing amount of independence at this stage of their development. I don’t enforce strict curfews or ask a …
How important is same-sex socialization for toddlers? When we put our two-year-old son in daycare, the provider had oversight of eight kids-seven girls and one boy. Since then the other boy’s parents have made different arrangements, leaving our son as the only male child in the facility. As his dad, I’m worried that this situation …