Should I tell my kids the truth about why their father doesn’t live with us anymore? After becoming involved in an adulterous affair, he left me and moved in with the “other woman.” My children are confused because their dad has been lying to them about where he’s living and the reasons for our separation. …
Parenting
How can I bond with a disconnected child? Our daughter is newly adopted, and we’re excited to have her home. But she’s struggling with attachment issues. We don’t know all the details of her history, but some of her behavior indicates she may have been abused. Can we reverse the damage and move in a …
What should we say to our children about the suicide of my father-in-law (their grandfather)? It happened about four years ago. At the time our kids were very young and my wife and I simply told them that Grandpa died because he was sick and elderly without providing any further details. Our two oldest are …
What can my husband and I do to help our teenage son become the man God wants him to be? In some ways he seems to be afraid of adulthood, manhood, and everything that goes along with it, and we’d like to get him over that hump. At the same time, we don’t want him …
What’s your perspective on high school proms? They sure have changed since my day, and I’m a little nervous about allowing my teenager to go. Can you offer me any practical guidance?
Should our son be encouraged to marry his pregnant girlfriend? It’s a regrettable situation, but at least she’s planning to keep and raise the baby. Both of them are emotionally immature, financially dependent, and basically ill-equipped to establish themselves as a family. In spite of this, some of our Christian friends have suggested that he …
Should children be allowed to have smart phones or mobile devices? Our oldest has started driving and all of our kids are constantly on the move. My spouse thinks they need phones in order to stay better connected with us. Do you think this is a good idea?
How do I handle my children’s questions about God in the midst of disaster and trauma? Over the past month our community has been devastated by a terrible flood. The physical impact of this disaster has been overwhelming, of course. But I’m also deeply concerned about what it may be doing to my children’s faith …
What tools does Focus on the Family make available for use in passing the Christian faith along to our kids?
Are ongoing nervous habits potentially harmful to children? My child has one, and I’ve done everything I can think of to put a stop to it, but so far nothing has worked. It’s driving me crazy. What should I do?
How do we stop our two teenage sons from fighting over a girl? What should we do? The sixteen-year-old, who has always been more outgoing than his brother, has struck up a “friendship” with a girl our seventeen-year-old has liked for over a year. This kind of thing has happened before, though it’s always been …
How do we help a child who seems to have no sense of humor? Except for our oldest son, who will soon be entering middle school, our entire family has always enjoyed the lighter side of things. Our younger kids are full of fun, and laughter regularly fills our home. By way of contrast, their …
Is it a good idea to try to educate a child with a developmental or potential learning disability at home? I want my son to have every possible advantage and to progress as he should, but I’m not sure I’m qualified to help him with his special needs.
How can my wife and I come to an agreement about child discipline? I’ve tried to teach my son a strong sense of discipline, but my wife often disagrees with my approach and methods. She says I’m “too hard on the boy.” As you can imagine, this can sometimes become a sore spot in our …
How can my spouse and I get a break from the kids once in a while? During the early days of our marriage my spouse and I used to enjoy long, quiet evenings together at home — candlelight dinners, movie nights, etc. Since our children were born we can’t even find two minutes to sit …
Are kids happier when they’re closer in age, or is it better to plan them farther apart? What are your thoughts on the spacing of children?
Is it unhealthy to poke fun at ourselves and tease other family members? We’ve always enjoyed laughing together at our house, and sometimes that includes what some people refer to as “teasing.” Friends of ours have expressed concern that we may be fostering an “unsafe” environment that doesn’t promote respectful relationships. Do you think there’s …
Can you share any ideas for getting a newborn to sleep? For some reason, our baby fights to stay awake, especially when we put her in the crib or bassinet. The only place that isn’t problematic is the cradle swing, and the only time things go smoothly is after a late-night feeding. How should we …
How can we tell if a babysitter has acted inappropriately with our kids? It’s painful even to think about this, but we have reasons for suspecting that our babysitter may have abused our young child. What would you suggest we do in such a case? Are there “red flags” or tell-tale signs that we should …
How can I encourage my bashful preschooler to open up and break out of his shell? He’s soft-spoken, reserved, and afraid of walking into a room full of people. He used to cry when we’d take him to the church nursery, and now he resists being left at his daycare center. Is there something we …