What are the tell-tale signs of alcoholism? I’m worried about my husband, but I’m not sure if I have grounds for insisting that he do something about his drinking. When football season comes around, it’s five months of him and his friends sitting in front of the TV drinking beer. That doesn’t happen every night, …
Family Q&A
Do you have any suggestions as to how I can come alongside someone who is grieving the loss of a spouse? A dear friend’s husband just died. My spouse and I would like to be available to comfort her in any way we can. How can we best support her during this time of loss?
What do you think about references to wizardry, sorcery, spells, and magic in storybooks, films, TV shows, and various other forms of entertainment? It seems our children are being bombarded with this, not only in Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit, but even in relatively innocent Disney movies. To complicate matters, …
What do we need to do to make our home as safe and comfortable as possible for my elderly mom? She’s not coping well on her own, so we’re arranging to have her come and live with us. Can you offer any suggestions, especially when it comes to preventing falls?
Do you think there’s something wrong with a senior citizen who doesn’t enjoy the freedom of the so-called “golden years?” After decades of looking forward to retirement, I find the promised carefree lifestyle isn’t quite what I expected. I worked hard to attain this goal, and now I’m struggling with discontentment. What do you suggest …
How much time should I devote to my work? My job requires me to put in long hours every week. As a result I’m not able to give as much attention to other things — including my family — as I’d like. In your opinion, how much time is too much time for work? Do …
Can you help us understand why our 5-year-old son sometimes goes out of control for no obvious reason? He was adopted from a background of trauma and abuse, but we’ve done everything in our power to make him feel loved and secure. Still, he’s developed serious behavioral problems. We’re treating him for ADHD, but so …
Is it possible that mental problems might be behind the erratic behavior of our 6-year-old son who we adopted who we adopted through the foster care system? His behavior is maddeningly unpredictable. He alternates between tantrums, running away, hiding, aggression, and wild hyperactivity. To top things off, he seems to regard us with feelings of …
How can we encourage our child to cooperate and follow his preschool teacher’s instructions? He becomes defiant when there’s a change in the schedule or when the teacher asks him to switch activities. He wants to do things his own way and on his own time. How do we break him of this?
Should I be nervous about letting my elementary-school-age daughter visit a friend’s house? Normally I wouldn’t hesitate to say “yes” since her friend is a sweet and respectful girl. Her father, however, seems overly eager for our daughter to come over. How should we evaluate and respond to this situation? Do you have any advice
How can I make sure that my three-year-old daughter won’t slip away from me when we’re in public places? I have to watch her like a hawk because she continually wanders off. It doesn’t matter where we are – playground, pool, beach, grocery store, or mall. She simply will not stay with me. I recently …
As a father, what are some of the key roles that I play in the life of my daughter? What areas in her life should I focus on and what are some things I can do to create a healthy relationship between us?
What should I do about the constant fighting that goes on between my daughters? Our house is the scene of perpetual sibling battles. My mother says I should intervene, but my husband thinks this is normal for kids their age. Should I be worried?
How can I get my child to obey and do as he’s told? Our young son is defiant and talks back. He won’t do his homework and refuses to clean his room. When we try to discuss these issues with him in a calm, mature way, we usually end up getting angry and yelling at …
How can I help my family develop a healthier lifestyle? We have young children, and I’d like to do everything I can during these early years to encourage everyone in the house – mom, dad, and kids – to develop habits that will give us many long, healthy, happy days together. Can you provide me …
Why is it so difficult raising adolescents nowadays? I understand that it’s supposed to be a process of gradually letting go, granting them more independence, and setting them free to become the adults God wants them to be. But while I know all this in my head, there are days when I just can’t put …
How can I teach my kids anything about God when I don’t fully understand who He is? This is something that most Christians seem to take for granted, but I have to confess that it’s always been hard for me to grasp. Given my own difficulties in this area, how can I possibly be of …
If there are identifiable gender distinctions – psychological and emotional as well as physical and sexual – do they have practical implications for parents? What do moms and dads need to know about this subject, and how will such knowledge help them do a better job of raising their kids?
How do I prevent my teenagers from using marijuana now that it’s been decriminalized? My state recently passed a measure decriminalizing the possession and recreational use of pot. Needless to say, this is all very disturbing for me. As a parent who is fighting hard to keep my children on the straight and narrow, I …
How can we get the most out of our family dinner times? Our family recently committed to sharing mealtimes together at least three times a week. It was an adjustment in the beginning. There were a lot of rough spots, but I’m pleased to say that we’re already seeing some positive results. At this point …