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Family Q&A

woman on sofa talking to therapist

Single Parent Desires Help and Companionship

As a single mom with three young children, is it okay for me to want another person around to help carry the load? I used to feel pretty self-sufficient, but the burden of doing it all by myself is getting heavier. I work full time, take online college courses, and I’m active in church. Do …

teen boy with arms crossed

Tackling Adolescent Rebellion

How do we deal with a defiant teenager? For some reason, our son has recently gone off the deep end. He’s skipping out on school, drinking, smoking, and making all kinds of dangerously bad decisions. Nothing we say makes any difference in his behavior. The last straw came when we had to bail him out …

girl helping boy up

Teaching Children to Be Respectful in a Coarsened Culture

How can I teach my children good manners? It seems etiquette has become a thing of the past, both for children and adults. This is something I’m determined to instill in my kids, but I can see that it won’t be easy. How do I teach them to treat people respectfully when the rest of …

teen guy leaning over on knees looking depressed

Teenage Depression and Suicide

Does a pattern of persistent depression indicate that my adolescent son may be in danger of taking his own life? I’ve been hearing a great deal about the rising problem of teenage suicide, and I’m wondering whether my son might be at risk. What exactly is the connection between depression and suicide? Where can I …

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 …

sad preschool girl holding teddy bear

When Not to Discipline a Child

Are there times, occasions, and situations when I should simply “chill out” and refrain from “getting tough” with a kid who misbehaves? I’m fairly new at the parenting game, and I need all the help and advice I can get in this area. When should I not discipline my child?

couple sitting on blanket reading Bible

Contraception and the “Culture of Death”

Is there a connection between birth control and abortion? My wife and I would like to have a family someday, but for a number of reasons we don’t feel ready yet. During our two years of marriage we’ve sought the Lord’s guidance and have never questioned our decision to postpone childbearing through the responsible use …

air force planes flying

Pro-Life Perspective on War

Is it possible to be pro-life and pro-war at the same time? I’m a Christian and a strong pro-lifer, and I’ve wrestled with this issue many times in my mind over the past several years. The biblical commandment is clear: “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13). As I see it, killing is killing, no matter …

Granddaughter and grandmother looking down at something

Adult Fears That Negative Relationship With Parents Will Impact Children

How can I overcome the bitterness I have about the way my parents treated me growing up? I don’t want these memories to affect my relationship with my own kids. After all these years, I continue to struggle with negative feelings about my mother and father. When I think of them, I remember only their …

doctor in scrubs with stethoscope checking small boy

Christian Calling vs. Family Commitments

As a Christian, how do I sort out the difference between my obligation to family on the one hand and to the work of the gospel on the other? And what’s my responsibility to my extended family as compared with my obligation to my immediate, nuclear family? Is there any distinction between the two? My …

nursery with furniture no baby

Couple at Odds About Having Kids

How can my spouse and I resolve our disagreement about starting a family? I’m anxious to be a mother, but he says he isn’t ready to have children yet. My biological clock is ticking away, and the tension between us is growing. What should I do?

Hands of married man looking at his cell phone

Emotional Affairs and Grounds for Divorce

Are repeated emotional affairs biblical grounds for divorce? On several occasions my husband has become emotionally involved with other women in ways that have been seriously destructive to our marriage. The most recent incident involved a lady with whom he’d been emotionally intimate in the past. I’m tired of his betrayals, and though we’ve been …

couple wearing rings with hands on the Bible

Focus on the Family’s Position on Marriage and Divorce

What is Focus on the Family’s position on divorce and remarriage?

Husband and wife are having an argument

Husband Refuses to Work

What can I do about a husband who won’t get a job?

older couple backpacking together

Keeping Sexual Passion Alive in Marriage

How does a man stay sexually interested in his wife after years and years of marriage? Jesus said that anyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28), but this strikes me as being terribly unrealistic. In my experience, sexual attraction has always been closely …

sad man head bowed hand in prayer pose

Minimizing the Impact of Depression on Your Family

How can I prevent my struggles with depression and anxiety from having a negative impact on my wife and children? It’s bad enough having to cope with these debilitating feelings, but the thought that I’m making life difficult for my family is almost too much to bear. What should I do?

fancy wedding venue with chandelier

Parents and Financial Expectations for Adult Daughter’s Wedding

Is it our responsibility to cover the expenses for our adult daughter’s wedding when she and her husband-to-be have good, professional jobs and earn more than we do? They expect us to do so even though we have limited financial resources after putting our children through college. Do you think this is right? We feel …

bodies of man and woman walking in field holding hands

Preparing for the Empty Nest

What can we do to get ready for the departure of our youngest child? He’ll be going off to college after the end of this year, and my spouse and I will be left “on our own” as empty nesters. I’ve heard that many couples in our position face serious adjustments and are at risk …

couple holding hands behind backs

Revealing an Affair to Spouse of the Other Party Who’s Still “In the Dark”

What’s the best way to handle the revelation of an affair when one guilty spouse has come clean or been exposed, but the husband or wife of the other unfaithful party is still in the dark?

a jumble of tile letters are scattered around, but OCD is clearly spelled out in the middle

Sorting Out Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders

What’s the difference between obsessive-compulsive disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder?