How can I help my 15-year-old son feel more confident around girls his age? He’s still very shy and nervous in mixed company, and I’m looking for ways to give him a boost in this area. Any suggestions?
Parenting Q&As
What do we need to know before adopting a child who’s been abused? We’re considering adopting a 2-year-old who was removed from his birth home due to abuse. He’s been in the foster care system for the past year. What risks are we facing?
Can you give me some basic information on parent-child attachment? How does it develop and why is it so important? We’re planning to adopt a 4-year-old from Eastern Europe. We’re excited but also nervous about the challenges we may face. I’m especially anxious about Reactive Attachment Disorder.
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 …
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 …
What kind of treatments or therapies are available to kids who suffer from Sensory Processing Disorder? We’re fostering a boy from an abusive, high-risk background. After several consultations with an occupational therapist we’ve come to the conclusion that many of his most aggravating behavioral problems can be traced to sensory-based issues.
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?
How can I help my adolescent son deal with his anger? It’s easy to tell that he is very angry about something, but I have a sense that he’s trying desperately to squash his feelings and keep a lid on his emotions. Try as I might, I can’t get him to talk about it. What …
How can I help our young sons control their tempers? My husband comes from a long line of “angry men,” and I’m beginning to see the same tendency in our kids. What should I do?
Are “pro-ana” websites helpful for those with anorexia and other eating disorders? I recently discovered that my teenage daughter, who has struggled with an eating disorder (anorexia), has been visiting one of these sites on a regular basis. When I questioned her about it, she said that it’s designed to provide girls in her situation …
Should I raise my kids under a philosophy of law or grace? Since the Gospel is all about grace, doesn’t this suggest that it’s a mistake for Christian parents to raise their children according to a lot of rules and regulations? Paul even tells us, in Galatians 3:24, that the law was nothing but a …
How do I know when my disciplinary methods have crossed an inappropriate line? I was disciplining my five-year-old last night and feel that I got out of control in the way I handled the situation. I’m terrified this morning that I may have gone too far. How can I know for sure? What should I …
How do I avoid toddler-care burnout? I’m a young stay-at-home mom with two children under the age of five. I love my kids, and I’ve willingly given up a career and other pursuits to devote myself to them full-time. Still, I have to admit that the stress, the strain, and the tedium all wear on …
How can we stop our child from wetting the bed? What do we need to know about the causes of this behavior? Our son is well past the age of potty-training, yet I still have to change his bedding several times a week. I’ve lost my patience with him more than once, and I can …
What is your opinion of boarding school for children? I’ve always thought that they were destructive to families. But recently my spouse and I have received a call to serve as missionaries overseas, and apparently this arrangement is part of the deal. I’m not sure this is best for our children and our family, but …
How should I respond to my son’s fascination with firearms? At thirteen years of age he’s already made himself an expert on anything that shoots – everything from pistols to semi-automatic rifles to bazookas. He doesn’t own any real guns. But he does have an airsoft rifle and a paintball gun, and I think he spends too …
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 …
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 …
Do you have any ideas on how to stop my older kids from picking on their younger brother? I intervene when I can, but all this bullying is causing the youngest one to play the victim, and I don’t want to encourage him in that attitude. How do I handle this situation?
How can I know whether my screaming baby has colic? He cries inconsolably for at least three hours straight every night, and nothing I do seems to help. What exactly is colic, and what are the tell-tale symptoms? Can you help me figure out what’s going on?
