How long should I take antidepressants? After struggling with anxiety and depression for several years, I finally decided to see a doctor about my problem. He put me on an antidepressant, and it’s definitely improved my mood. But I’m worried that I’ll have to take this drug for the rest of my life. Would it …
Family Q&A
What would it take to help an aging parent maintain the greatest possible sense of his own human dignity, worth, and independence? My wife and I are more than willing to take care of my aging father, but he’s always been a proud man, and we don’t want to crush his spirit. How do we …
Do you think it’s wrong for my spouse to smoke marijuana? He’s been a fairly regular user for most of our married life, and I’ve never seen it as a big problem since many people have assured me that pot isn’t addictive. But he’s been using it more often lately, and sometimes he even smokes …
Is my husband going through “male menopause”? Lately he’s been irritable and moody, but when I ask him about it he says he can’t put a finger on anything. We’re both in our mid-fifties, and I remember that when I went through menopause I felt a lot like my husband seems to be feeling now. …
How can I help my adolescent son deal with his anger? It’s easy to tell that he is very angry about something, but I have a sense that he’s trying desperately to squash his feelings and keep a lid on his emotions. Try as I might, I can’t get him to talk about it. What …
How can I encourage my teens to combine cell phone use with a proper respect for others? In the beginning I was happy to provide my son and daughter with their own phones because I wanted to make sure that we could stay in touch at all times. More recently, however, I’ve become increasingly frustrated …
How should I respond to my child’s fascination with evil characters? He’s only three years old, but whenever he plays make-believe, he always takes on the role of the villain, and the only action-figures toys he wants are those representing “bad guys.” In response, we’ve completely phased movies and television out of his life, but …
Can you help me “let go” of my son who is heading off to college? I’m worried about the challenges he’ll be facing on his own – challenges to his faith and his moral values, not to mention the practical challenges of living on his own for the first time. We’ve always been a close-knit …
How can we prevent our seven-year-old son from becoming a bully? I’ve noticed that he can be very pushy and often tries to dominate other kids. He always wants to be the “winner” — it’s as if he has a need to prove himself. When provoked, he retaliates fiercely and has hurt other kids in …
How do I handle a kid whose behavior ranges from telling me to “shut up” to slamming a door on her younger sister to trying to steal money from my wallet? My daughter is the classic “defiant child.” She hates school, has trouble getting along with friends, and frequently disobeys her teacher. I’m worried about …
How do we discourage sibling rivalry and introduce a more loving and cooperative atmosphere into our home? I know this behavior is normal up to a point, but I can’t help feeling that there are moments when it verges on becoming seriously destructive. What can my spouse and I do to teach brotherly love?
How does divorce affect kids?
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?
How do we go about choosing the best person to care for our children when we’re away from home? My spouse and I desperately need to get some time away from the kids and start “dating” each other again, at least every other week or so. But we’re not sure how to find a suitable …
How can I undo the damage I’ve caused by being too harsh with my children? I realize that I’ve been overly critical in my attitude toward them, and the results are now beginning to surface. How do we turn this around?
How can missionary parents ease the transition for their children when moving back home from the mission field? Our oldest son, who is eleven-and-a-half, has been struggling for several years here in our host country. After trying to help him adjust in a number of ways, we’ve decided to follow the recommendation of our leadership …
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? ” …
What’s your perspective on boys playing with plastic rifles and pistols and other make-believe firearms? I’ve always been against toy guns because I think they encourage a tendency toward violent behavior later in life. Some of my friends don’t agree. What do you think?
When should my husband and I stop showering with our toddler-age children and changing clothes in front of them? Can you give us some guidelines for modesty in the home?
Can you help me understand the dynamics of father-daughter and mother-son relationships? Does a child’s interaction with the parent of the opposite sex take on a greater significance as he or she enters the teenage years? If so, how?