Should we tell our children that their mom had an affair?
Parenting
How can I teach my kids anything about God when I don’t fully understand who He is? This is something that most Christians seem to take for granted, but I have to confess that it’s always been hard for me to grasp. Given my own difficulties in this area, how can I possibly be of …
How can I help my 7-year-old daughter understand the proper use of prayer? I’ve tried to teach her that talking to God is simply a way of staying close to Him, but lately she’s been using prayer to ask for everything she wants, such as getting a new toy, going to the movies, or winning …
How can I help my granddaughter who is struggling with her racial identity? She’s the child of an interracial marriage – her mother is white, her father black. Her parents have now divorced and her dad is no longer in the picture. On top of the many other problems that go along with being a …
What does it take to be a good father? I grew up without a dad. Now I’m married with kids of my own, and I’m not sure I’m leading my family in the way God intended. Do you have any advice?
How can we enjoy the lighter side of life and encourage laughter in our home but do it in an appropriate and edifying way? Many of our friends find amusement in things that I personally consider offensive. Can you suggest any helpful guidelines for healthy humor within the family?
How can parents help kids adjust to a cross-country move?
Can you help us figure out how to eliminate as much fighting with our teenager as possible? We’ve argued over pretty much every subject under the sun: grades, tattoos, music, movies, hairstyles, pants-length, study habits, politics. If only for the sake of our own peace of mind we’d like to when it’s okay to back …
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?
How can I teach my children good manners? It seems etiquette has become a thing of the past, both for children and adults. This is something I’m determined to instill in my kids, but I can see that it won’t be easy. How do I teach them to treat people respectfully when the rest of …
When should I tell my children that we’re having a baby? We have two daughters, ages 2 and 4, and my husband and I are anxious to share the news with them. At the same time, we have reasons for being concerned about the possibility of another miscarriage (I had one about six months ago). …
Would you or would you not recommend that a first-time mother consider nursing her newborn infant? What are the advantages and disadvantages of breastfeeding? I’m anxious to do what’s best for my baby, but I’m also a little worried about becoming “tied down” by nursing. What do you think?
Can you help me figure out if my five-year-old son is overly attached to his mother? There are some days when it seems almost impossible to separate him from her. When we ride in the car, he insists that she sit in the back seat with him. Only mama can clean him up when he …
It’s frightening to be a parent of teenagers today. I’ve been lying awake nights worrying about the challenges and temptations my kids face every day at school, in our neighborhood, on the streets, and in all kinds of social situations. Even the church youth group isn’t immune to the influences of secular culture! Is there …
What should we do when our adolescent son is never available to take part in family activities because he’s spending all of his time with friends? Is his behavior normal? Is it unreasonable of us to expect him to participate in family life?
How can I convince my adult son that matrimony is valuable and worthwhile when his own parents couldn’t make it work? My ex-spouse and I split up when my children were still small, and I thought it was all water under the bridge. Now I find that my son blames me and his dad for …
How do I answer my child’s difficult questions about her absent father? I broke up with her dad almost eight years ago — when she was just a baby — and she has never met him. But lately she’s been asking things like, “Do you still love Daddy?” and “Why doesn’t he love me? ” …
Can you help us understand why our 5-year-old son sometimes goes out of control for no obvious reason? He was adopted from a background of trauma and abuse, but we’ve done everything in our power to make him feel loved and secure. Still, he’s developed serious behavioral problems. We’re treating him for ADHD, but so …
How can we encourage our overweight teenager to shed his excess pounds and shift his lifestyle and eating habits in a more healthy direction?