How can we prepare our child for the arrival of a new baby? I’ve heard some horror stories about this type of situation, and I’d like to avoid trouble if possible. What can my spouse and I do to ease the transition for him?
Family Q&A
How do I grant my child increasing freedom without being too permissive? Or, to put it another way, how do I keep her safe without being overprotective? I have a twelve-year-old who keeps telling me that she’s old enough to go places by herself. For example, she wants to be able to ride her bike …
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 is a mild-tempered, cooperative child likely to be impacted by the presence of a defiant and strong-willed sibling in the home? My oldest daughter is a model child — pleasant, cheerful, and agreeable. Her brother is the exact opposite. I may contact you about him some other time; believe me, there’s plenty to say. …
What’s the best way to help a child work through the passing of a relative or close family member? My father died this year, and our grade-school-aged son has been asking questions. For example, he wants to know where grandpa has gone and whether he has become a “guardian angel.” How do I respond without …
How do I get my toddler to listen to me and do what I say? He’s right in the middle of the “terrible two’s,” and his favorite word is no. It seems he knows exactly what it takes to drive me up the wall. How should I handle this?
How can we steer our adolescent son away from media that portray gruesome violence and help him make better entertainment choices? He’s fascinated with horror stories – both books and films. We’re concerned that he’s filling his mind with disturbing ideas and images, but he says it’s all just harmless fun. What do you think?
How do we deal with a toddler who resists bedtime? Our 2-year-old recently went from being a great sleeper to suddenly fighting bedtime in an insane way – screaming, hitting, and running around his room. We’ve done nothing to change his schedule – nap from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m., and bedtime at 7:00 p.m. – and we have …
How does your ministry view unmarried moms and their kids? I’m raising a couple of kids on my own. Up to this point my search for a church home hasn’t been too encouraging – I get a strong impression that some Christians don’t approve of women like me and our “illegitimate” children. What’s your perspective?
Do you have any advice for a woman who is about to leave a high-profile career in order to devote all her time to parenting and homemaking? My wife is on the verge of taking this momentous step. How can we make it a smooth transition? We’ve reached this decision together after hours and hours …
Can you help me understand the ins and outs of adopting a child from outside the United States – possibly from a developing country? How does the international adoption process work? I’m concerned about children around the world. Do you have any advice or suggestions?
Why won’t my friend talk about her abortion? It’s obvious that she’s in bad shape emotionally, and I’d like to help her. But every time I try to broach the subject, she clams up. Do you have any insights into what she might be thinking?
As a recently remarried stepparent, what can I do to make the transition to blended family life as smooth as possible for my children, my spouse’s kids, and everyone else concerned?
How can I help my mom prepare for my upcoming departure for college? I’ll be leaving in a few weeks, and I’m afraid she won’t be able to handle it when I go. Like any good mother, she’s very protective and worries about me. But it seems to me that her worrying is getting out …
How do I deal with a chronically late spouse? He’s late for everything except work. I know I’m not responsible for this behavior, but it makes me late too when we’re going somewhere together, and that reflects poorly on my reputation. More importantly, this constant tardiness inconveniences and is disrespectful to the people we invariably …
Now that we are committed to be married, why should we wait to have sexual intercourse? How can there be anything wrong with our love-making when we’ve already promised to spend our lives together?
Should my girlfriend and I get married before I graduate from the university? We’re both mature Christians and we’ve both made a commitment to sexual purity before marriage. We’ve been dating about five months, and after much prayer, we’ve decided to get married in two years. Our parents approve of our plans, but mine disagree …
How can I convince my spouse to seek help for possible depression? I have reason to believe that he’s struggling in this area, but he refuses to admit that this might be true or to take my concerns seriously. I’m not sure if it’s pride, fear, or something else that’s standing in the way, but …
Is there anything wrong with men being stay-at-home dads? I’m currently out of work, and since my wife earns a good salary we decided that it might be best if I simply stay home and take care of the kids for a while. It seemed like a good idea in the beginning, but lately I’ve …
When should a couple start thinking about purchasing a home? My spouse and I have been talking about this possibility. We both agree that we want to own our own home — eventually — but we’re not on the same page when it comes to whether we’re ready now. Do you have any recommendations?