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Parenting

toddler hands driving two toy cars on table

Dealing With a Selfish Toddler

How can I teach my two-year-old to share his things and be more cooperative, generous, and kind when he plays with others? I’ve been shocked to see how selfish he can be in social situations with other children.

Woman feeding baby with bottle

Weaning a Breastfeeding Child

How can I make the transition from breast to bottle as smooth as possible for my baby and me? What’s the best way to wean a child, and when should I begin the process?

teen lifting arms angrily while looking at laptop

Dealing With a Teen Who Says Parents Don’t Listen

How should we respond to our teenager when he claims that we don’t care about what he has to say? We do try to give him our full attention whenever he talks to us, but he still complains that we’re not listening. We don’t think his accusations are fair, but we also want him to …

unhappy teen

Teen Is Disrespectful but Wants Respect

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?

hands of prisoner reaching through bars

Relating to an Imprisoned Adult Child

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 …

backs of students in caps and gowns

Teens Taking a Year Off Before College

Do you think it’s a good idea for our son to wait a year after graduating from high school before enrolling at the university? He’s very responsible in a number of ways, but we’re concerned about him losing momentum. What should we do?

Girl holding adult hand looking at lights

Maintaining Holiday Traditions While Mom and Dad Are Separated

Should my husband and I spend Christmas morning together with the kids at his parents’ house in spite of the fact that we’ve been separated for four months? He said he wants me to come because he’s hoping to be present next year when it’s my turn to have the kids on Christmas morning. Although …

girl angry clenching fists

Adoption: Identifying the Signs of Sensory Processing Disorder

How can I know if my child has Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)? I’m an adoptive parent of a high-risk child. I’m beginning to think that some aspects of her behavior might be explained by SPD. In particular, it seems that some of her otherwise unexplainable outbursts and meltdowns might be triggered by sensory overload. How …

silouette of girl on pier at sunset

Helping Teens Overcome Poor Body Image

Do you have any advice for parents trying to help a teenager who struggles with bad feelings about her figure and physical appearance? Our daughter has a poor body image and a distressingly negative view of herself, but she won’t talk about it. How do we bring this up without smothering her, alienating her or …

teen begging on street

Preventing Teens From Running Away

What should we do if we suspect that our adolescent son is making plans to run away? Is there something we can do to prevent this from happening?

What are some of the traits seen in people with ADHD?

What are some of the traits seen in children and adults with ADHD?

girl frowning while other teens talk about her in the background

Dealing With the Fallout of Teen Sexting

Is there anything my husband and I can do to undo or minimize the devastation our teenage daughter has experienced because of her involvement with “sexting”? Her life – and our entire family’s – was turned upside-down when nude images of her were electronically circulated around her school. As you can imagine, the resulting emotional trauma has …

mom lying in bed with baby

Infant Sleeping Arrangements and the “Family Bed”

What’s your opinion of babies sleeping with their parents? A friend of mine believes that the so-called “Family Bed” is beneficial for every member of the household. She even claims that this practice can prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and provide other health benefits. Is she right?

mom and dad smiling at baby

Understanding Sex-Specific Differences Between Mom’s and Dad’s Roles

When it comes to parenting children effectively, are there any truly meaningful distinctions between the contributions of the mother and those of the father? As a dad, I’m actively involved with my kids on the weekends and evenings, and I even go to school meetings when I can. Is there something special I’m supposed to …

family mom dad kids looking out TV remote

Media Guidelines in the Home

How can our family establish some workable media standards? I understand the need for thoughtful discernment in this area as opposed to mindless rules, but sometimes I feel the need for more solid guidelines in order to gauge the merits of movies and music and to weigh specific decisions about appropriate family entertainment. Can you …

one person helping another up a hill at sunset

Developing Christian Character in Children

How can I raise my kids so that they will grow up to be genuinely godly adults? Most of the parenting materials I’ve seen have a great deal to say about discipline, mental and emotional health, obedience and order in the home. Unfortunately, there isn’t much out there on the subject of character development, especially …

family reading together two parents three young kids

Problems with Family Devotions

Do you have any suggestions for more effective ways to worship and study the Bible together as a family? We’ve tried hard to have regular devotions at our house, but it’s been difficult and discouraging because our children seem so bored and uninvolved. Can you help us?

boy frowning swimming pool wet hair

Child Has a Negative Attitude

What can we do to help our son develop a more positive outlook on life? He complains about everything and seldom seems happy. His negative attitude is affecting his school work, and I’m sure it’s hurting his ability to make friends as well.

boy looking at scrapbook

Cost, Time, and Peer Pressures of Extracurricular Activities

In light of our tight financial situation, how should we handle all of the costly “extras” at our child’s school? Here’s the latest example: we received a note from my child’s kindergarten teacher informing us that the school would be producing yearbooks that cost $30.00. We declined to buy one, only to learn that our …

boy high fiving mom on bed

Developing Effective Communication Patterns With Kids

How can we teach our children good listening skills? They seem to have trouble paying attention to instructions and following directions. In my daughter’s case, I think she’s just defiant most of the time. As for my son, he’s very intense and tends to get so locked into television, a book, a videogame, or whatever …