Could my child’s struggles in math be linked to some kind of learning disability? She gets straight A’s in every other subject, but when it comes to working with numbers she really has problems keeping her head above water. We’re having a hard time understanding why this is the case.
Parenting Q&As
How can my wife and I come to an agreement about child discipline? I’ve tried to teach my son a strong sense of discipline, but my wife often disagrees with my approach and methods. She says I’m “too hard on the boy.” As you can imagine, this can sometimes become a sore spot in our …
As a Christian father, should I give my daughter away at the wedding if she’s marrying a non-believer? Over the more than twenty years of our marriage we’ve worked hard to raise her in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Her decision has come as a great disappointment to us. We love our daughter, …
What’s the best way to stop a teenager from using her cell phone to send and receive sexually explicit messages and photos? We recently discovered that our daughter has become involved in “sexting.” When confronted about this, she claimed that this kind of activity is harmless since it doesn’t involve any physical sexual contact. How …
Where can we turn for advice and assistance in dealing with our adolescent son’s drinking problem? Recently things have escalated to the point where I think it would fair to call him a full-blown alcoholic. His behavior is impacting everyone in the family and tearing our household apart. Can you help?
How can I know for sure whether my child has become a target of intimidating text messages or cruel rumors on social media? Are there any tell-tale signs? If it turns out my child is being cyber-bullied, what can I do to help?
How can we stop our four-year-old from stealing? It seems like everywhere we go – church, stores, museums, friends’ houses – he walks out with something that doesn’t belong to him. I have a feeling that he’s just being irresponsible-that he puts things in his pocket and then forgets about them. My husband and I have talked …
What are your thoughts on corporal punishment as a method of child discipline? Do you think spanking is an appropriate and effective way to correct undesirable behavior? As first-time parents, we want to be certain that we’re doing what’s best for our child. Can you offer us some guidelines?
Is it normal for a pre-adolescent child to become nervous, uneasy, or afraid when mom and dad aren’t around? My daughter doesn’t want me to leave the house without her, and says she misses me when we’re apart. There have been no dramatic changes in our family life during the last few months, so I’m …
What should I give my baby when he’s ready to start eating solid food? How can I know when he’s reached that stage of development?
Should I tell my kids the truth about why their father doesn’t live with us anymore? After becoming involved in an adulterous affair, he left me and moved in with the “other woman.” My children are confused because their dad has been lying to them about where he’s living and the reasons for our separation. …
Is oral sex really sex? We stumbled upon an entry in our daughter’s journal and discovered that she’s been involved in oral sex. That was disconcerting enough, but when we confronted her she argued that oral sex isn’t really sex at all, and that it’s “safer” than vaginal intercourse. She even claims that she’s still …
What should we do when our adolescent son is never available to take part in family activities because he’s spending all of his time with friends? Is his behavior normal? Is it unreasonable of us to expect him to participate in family life?
How can I know if my child has Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)? I’m an adoptive parent of a high-risk child. I’m beginning to think that some aspects of her behavior might be explained by SPD. In particular, it seems that some of her otherwise unexplainable outbursts and meltdowns might be triggered by sensory overload. How …
Would you agree that homeschoolers need to branch out and study subjects other than the Bible? My spouse and I have decided to begin home schooling our children. In researching various curriculum options, we’ve encountered some groups who advocate teaching kids strictly from Scripture to the exclusion of other academic texts or disciplines. We are …
Should we be concerned about our oldest son’s abusive behavior towards his siblings and our household pets? We’re constantly getting on his case about hitting his younger siblings, and lately he’s also been hurting the cat and dog. I used to think he was just aggressive or hyperactive, but now I’m not so sure. Is …
Should a church youth group be social or spiritual in focus? We’re involved in a heated dispute about this at our church. There are two schools of thought. One group thinks that a high school youth group should be primarily spiritual in emphasis, focusing on Bible study, prayer, and outreach or service projects. The rest …
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?