What’s your opinion on teens getting involved in social networking and online chat rooms? I’ve read some of the teen conversations on the sites my daughter wants to visit, and they seem relatively harmless. But I’m still afraid of losing control over my child’s interactions with her peers. Should I be concerned?
Family Q&A
How do we help our other kids thrive when we have to devote so much time and attention to our child with special needs? My husband and I have four kids ranging in age from eight years to two months. Our youngest son was born with Down syndrome, and as a family, we’re doing our …
How can I help my granddaughter who is struggling with her racial identity? She’s the child of an interracial marriage – her mother is white, her father black. Her parents have now divorced and her dad is no longer in the picture. On top of the many other problems that go along with being a …
Is it appropriate to pay our school-aged children for doing household tasks? When I was growing up I always received an allowance, but my spouse says that kids need to work without being paid because that’s part of being a family. What do you think?
Is it really important for families to spend time together? Like everyone else, I constantly feel as if I don’t have enough hours in my day. Meanwhile, I’ve read lots of articles and been in on lots of conversations about what’s better – quality or quantity “family time.” Everyone in our house keeps a hectic …
How can I teach my two-year-old to share his things and be more cooperative, generous, and kind when he plays with others? I’ve been shocked to see how selfish he can be in social situations with other children.
How can I raise my kids so that they will grow up to be genuinely godly adults? Most of the parenting materials I’ve seen have a great deal to say about discipline, mental and emotional health, obedience and order in the home. Unfortunately, there isn’t much out there on the subject of character development, especially …
Why do kids start (and continue) using drugs and other intoxicants? What steps can I take to protect my children against the dangers of substance abuse?
How do I tell my young children that their dad won’t be around for a long time because he’s going to jail? He just received a two-year prison term. Is there a gentle way to break this to them and help them understand?
Is it my place to get involved if I’m convinced that the physical environment in my son’s house has become unsafe and unhealthful for my grandchild? I love my son and daughter-in-law, but I’m worried about their ten-month-old daughter’s health. The house is piled with trash, the floors are filthy, there’s month-old pizza stuck to …
How can I encourage my bashful preschooler to open up and break out of his shell? He’s soft-spoken, reserved, and afraid of walking into a room full of people. He used to cry when we’d take him to the church nursery, and now he resists being left at his daycare center. Is there something we …
How can I help my adolescent son settle on a vocation and make wise plans for the future? He seems to be thinking more seriously about career choices and wondering what God wants him to do with his life.
Do you have any suggestions for things families can do together while the kids are out of school on Spring Break? We don’t have a lot of money to spend, but we would like to take advantage of the time off to strengthen our relationships and have some good old fashioned fun. Any ideas?
Now that I’m divorced, how can I stay involved with my kids? One of the most difficult outcomes of the settlement is that it limits my contact with them. Legally, I’m only allowed to have them a few days out of each month. I’d like to be more involved, but my ex-wife is very strict …
How can I help my 14-year-old son turn his grades around, especially when he doesn’t see the need for getting assistance from me or anybody else? He’s been falling behind in school and recently brought home 2 “Ds.” I used to tutor him when he was younger, but for the last two years he’s refused …
Could talking about suicide have the effect of pushing a teenager in the wrong direction? I have reasons to believe that my son may be struggling with self-destructive thoughts and tendencies. While I think it’s generally important to confront this situation directly, I keep wondering what might happen if I bring up my concerns and …
Should children be taught to fight back or to “turn the other cheek”? As Christian parents, we’ve drummed it into our kids’ heads from day one that physical violence is unacceptable. Unfortunately, the school playground has turned out to be a pretty rough place for one of our sons, and the non-violent policy hasn’t worked …
Can you help us figure out how to eliminate as much fighting with our teenager as possible? We’ve argued over pretty much every subject under the sun: grades, tattoos, music, movies, hairstyles, pants-length, study habits, politics. If only for the sake of our own peace of mind we’d like to when it’s okay to back …
How much do my children need to know about my past? I’m a strong Christian and a dedicated parent, but during adolescence and young adulthood there was a time when I chose to “walk on the wild side.” Is there any reason to be completely open with them about the moral failings of my early …
How can I help my small child deal with his overwhelming fear of insects? He’s always been a little scared of bugs, but recently he was bitten by something at school during snack time, and now he gets hysterical every time the class is supposed to go outside. What’s the solution?