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 …
Parenting Q&As
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 …
My husband has never physically harmed me or the kids, but he constantly subjects our children to mean-spirited put-downs. For example, he tells them that they’re stupid and lazy. He demeans my son’s athletic abilities. He tells my daughter that she’s ugly and needs to lose weight. The children try to ignore him and put …
Do you think there’s any danger of my kids becoming victims of sexual exploitation? I’ve never been a big believer in overly tight controls for my teenagers. My feeling has always been that they should have an increasing amount of independence at this stage of their development. I don’t enforce strict curfews or ask a …
We have a toddler who is just learning to talk – is there anything important we should know about the respective ways in which moms and dads influence speech development? I understand that word use is one of the key areas in which men and women differ, and I’m interested to know what this implies …
Should a college freshman join a fraternity? Our son is in his first year at the university, and he wants to pledge to a fraternity on his campus. I don’t know much about fraternities, and I’m not sure what to think. What is your perspective on this?
What are some of the most common medical problems to watch out for during the first three months of my baby’s life?
Can you suggest some basic, general guidelines on how to discipline children? We’ve just become parents and neither of us had positive role models growing up. We want to do a good job raising our child. What principles should we keep in mind when it comes to discipline?
Is it wrong to tell children what they should believe about God? Isn’t that a form of “indoctrination?” I’m thinking it’s better to allow kids to make up their own minds.
Should I, as a single parent, be thinking seriously about adopting another child? How does your ministry feel about this?
How can we tell if a babysitter has acted inappropriately with our kids? It’s painful even to think about this, but we have reasons for suspecting that our babysitter may have abused our young child. What would you suggest we do in such a case? Are there “red flags” or tell-tale signs that we should …
Should I teach my child about the importance of self-denial? We don’t hear much about it in the modern American church, and contemporary secular culture doesn’t value it at all. But I’m not sure how our kids will understand what it means to follow Jesus if we neglect this aspect of the disciple’s calling.
Can you help us with our adolescent daughter who is having doubts about God? She has been raised in a solid Christian home, and her faith has always been very important to her. But recently she seems to be struggling with doubt. Last week she asked me how Christians can be sure they’re right when …
What’s it like to go through labor and childbirth? I’m in the last trimester of my pregnancy, and I’ve been getting a little anxious. I’ve heard horror stories about incredible pain, fainting husbands, and screaming wives. Is it really that bad?
Is it normal for a pre-teen child to suddenly put on a lot of weight? Our child has gained quite a few pounds recently, and we’re not sure whether we should be concerned. What is the technical definition of “obesity” in children and teens?
As a parent of teenagers, I understand the importance of distinguishing between what I can and can’t control and granting my kids the freedom they need in order to make their own choices and learn by their own mistakes. Unfortunately, I have reason to believe that my teens are in serious danger of choosing wrong …
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 …
What should we look for in selecting a suitable preschool or playgroup for our child? We’re thinking about putting our daughter in a facility of this kind two or three days a week. There are so many options to choose from, and it’s hard to know whom we can trust.
Should I permit my child to play video games? If I do decide to let video games into my home, which games should I allow and how can I maintain control over the kind of gaming in which my child becomes involved?
