What can I do when the task of caring for my aging parent leaves me feeling tired, discouraged, confused, and torn in several different directions all the time? I guess I didn’t realize it at first, but this is an exhausting job! I’m already burned out! How can I survive without losing my mind?
Family Q&A
When health insurance is available to both spouses, is it wise for each to sign up for coverage?
How do we find the medical and social services we need in order to care effectively for my elderly father? He recently suffered a paralyzing stroke, so we’ve brought him home to live with us. Needless to say, we’re desperate for some outside assistance. Where should we look?
How can I handle worry? I’m a perfectionist, and I really struggle with this. I worry a great deal about everything in life, but especially about my children. Fears and anxieties about what could or might happen to them out in the world are a constant feature of my everyday life. You don’t have to …
What can I do to ensure my aging mom’s safety and security? She lives alone, and I worry that she’s becoming increasingly vulnerable to abuse from outsiders. How can I tell if she’s in any immediate danger?
Should I claim what I donate to God and the church as a deduction on my income tax? How would this fit in with what Jesus says about giving in secret?
Where does giving fit in with wise financial planning? These days it seems that pastors, churches and ministries are constantly asking for my money. In the process, they’re always talking about the importance of giving and telling me that it’s a crucial part of the Christian life. I’m not sure I buy this argument. What’s …
How can I know whether my screaming baby has colic? He cries inconsolably for at least three hours straight every night, and nothing I do seems to help. What exactly is colic, and what are the tell-tale symptoms? Can you help me figure out what’s going on?
Should Christians participate in Halloween by allowing their kids to attend costume parties and go trick-or-treating? We have serious problems with this, but all the other families in our neighborhood go all out in celebrating the holiday. Our kids feel left out if we don’t allow them to join in. What do you think we …
Do you have any advice for parents about how to survive the teen years? I’m really getting worn down by the constant conflicts, mood swings and challenges to my authority. What should I do?
How can we help our child overcome his terror of the school bus? The school is too far away for him to walk, and my wife and I both work, so it isn’t feasible to drive him back and forth every day. What can we do?
Before we agree to allow our adult child to move back in with us, are there some key things we ought to consider or any safeguards we need to put in place? Our thirty-year-old daughter has just completed drug rehab and we’re giving careful thought to the option of letting her come back home until …
How can we get our infant child to sleep through the night? At what point should we start trying to establish a more regular and predictable sleeping routine?
What should we expect with a pregnancy in later life? My wife is in her early forties and we just learned that she is expecting a child. We’re happy but stunned (to say the least). We already have three children (all in their teens now), so we’re familiar with the territory in a general sense. …
How can I tell if my child is having trouble with a bully? Are there any tell-tale signs? And if he is, how can I help him deal with the situation?
How do we help our preschooler develop his strong penchant for fantasy and make-believe in a positive way? We see his lively imagination as a good thing, but we’re also concerned to help him avoid extremes. Do you have any advice?
Should we keep firearms in the house while raising young children? I’ve always considered this a wise security measure. So did my father and grandfather. From my perspective, it’s a question of protecting my family against intruders and other dangers. My wife disagrees. She says it’s unsafe to have kids and guns in the same …
What should I expect from a child with a mental disorder? How can I know which behaviors he’s capable of controlling and which behaviors I should simply accept and make allowances for? We’re facing this situation with our teenage son, and we have no idea how to handle it. Can you help?
If it’s important to maintain clear distinctions between the sexes – and I agree that it is – should we encourage our school-age daughters to think in terms of pursuing non-traditional female career choices? One of our girls has been talking about becoming a firefighter when she grows up. I realize that most people in …
Should I be worried that my daughter might be “transgendered” because she likes to dress and act like a boy and spends a lot of time playing sports with her dad? After watching a television talk show on this subject, I’ve begun to wonder whether there might be something more to her behavior than mere …