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 …
Parenting Q&As
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?
How can we assess whether or not our child is ready to start school? Can you suggest any basic guidelines?
How should we handle it when a friend’s child kicks or whacks one of our kids? Our best friends have a habitually mean and aggressive preschooler about the same age as our children. We try to keep visits short and supervised, but one of our children always ends up getting hit. Is there a way …
How can we comfort and support a young girl who has just been through the trauma of rape? We just learned that one of our children was recently the victim of a sexual assault. We are absolutely devastated. How can we help our daughter heal from this traumatic experience? What first steps should we take …
How do we help our “typical” kids deal with the fact that our family is different in some ways from those of their friends? Our youngest son was recently diagnosed with autism, and his older siblings have begun to express resentment over the impact this has had on them and our family.
How do I tell my two school-age children that their daddy has left us for a man?
Do you have any advice or suggestions for a mother who wants to make the transition from full-time career woman to stay-at-home mom? What can I do to make this change as smooth as possible for the entire family?
When a husband and wife discipline their children the same way, is there a need for a more balanced approach? I’ve heard that one of the ways male-female differences crop up in marriage and parenting is in sex-distinct approaches to child discipline: fathers supposedly emphasize justice, fairness, and duty (based on rules), while mothers are …
As Christian parents, should we attend our son’s wedding if he’s marrying an non-believer? Over the more than twenty years of our marriage we’ve worked hard to raise him in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Now, to our great disappointment, he has made a decision to marry a non-Christian. We love our child, …
What should I do now that I’ve discovered that two of my children have been engaging in sexual activities with one another? Needless to say, my spouse and I are shocked beyond words. Where do we go from here?
Should we force our teen to relocate to a new state with the rest of us? A job change is requiring our family to move, but our adolescent son, who is currently a student in high school, doesn’t want to go with us. He’d rather move in with some friends and graduate from the school …
How should I handle a three-year-old toddler who is mean and aggressive with other children? He’s fine at home where there aren’t any other children around. But when he’s at church or with another family that has children his age, his behavior becomes ugly. On occasion his aggression takes a physical form – hitting, kicking, and …
Do you think it’s a good idea to take a small child out of the home and place him in an institutional setting for a number of hours every week? We’ve been considering preschool for our little boy, but we’re not sure if the pros outweigh the cons. What’s your perspective?
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. …