Is the quality of time I spend with my family more important than the quantity?
Parenting Q&As
What can we do about a baby who starts screaming uncontrollably the minute we leave the room or put him down for five minutes? Rocking, soothing, noise makers, sleeping with us – nothing seems to help. My wife has been forced to take him to work with her, but she can’t get anything accomplished. What’s the …
As Christian parents, how do we prepare ourselves to give our kids an accurate understanding of God and the kind of solid biblical teaching they’re going to need later on? How can we help them “succeed” in those areas of life that matter to us most – the areas where unseen values take precedence over …
As a parent, how should I deal with my children when mass shootings, natural disasters, and other tragic events involving loss of life occur? Should I do my best to shield them from this information – an almost impossible task in the face of today’s constant news media cycle? Or should I try to talk to …
Is it unhealthy to poke fun at ourselves and tease other family members? We’ve always enjoyed laughing together at our house, and sometimes that includes what some people refer to as “teasing.” Friends of ours have expressed concern that we may be fostering an “unsafe” environment that doesn’t promote respectful relationships. Do you think there’s …
How do I handle 2-year-old who opposes and contradicts me at every turn? says “no” to everything? I’m exasperated! If I offer him a cracker or a cup of water, he says “no!” If I set the cup aside, he cries and begs for it. He acts the same way with other children at the …
What’s your perspective on the safety and advisability of child immunization? Several of our friends, who are also new parents, have very strong feelings against vaccinating children. I want to do what’s best for our baby. Can you give me some guidance in this area?
With everything it takes to work at the office and run a household, how can I find quality time to spend with my children? It seems like there aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to be done. Do you have any suggestions?
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 …
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 …
Should Christians participate in Halloween by allowing their kids to attend costume parties and go trick-or-treating? We have serious problems with this, but all the other families in our neighborhood go all out in celebrating the holiday. Our kids feel left out if we don’t allow them to join in. What do you think we …
Does spanking teach kids to be violent? I have some serious reservations about the appropriateness and effectiveness of this type of discipline. If we spank our child, will this lead her to assume that violence is acceptable, or that it’s okay to hit others or even to hit us back?
Do you have any advice for handling toddler who wanders into our room in the middle of the night screaming, moaning, thrashing wildly, and jabbering incoherently? He doesn’t seem to know us when these Night Terrors get a grip of him. When we try to comfort him, he just pushes us away. Is there anything …
Do you have any advice for a young, recently married couple who are thinking seriously about having children? When should we start? How many kids should we plan on having? How far apart should they be spaced?
How does divorce affect kids?
Would you or would you not recommend that a first-time mother consider nursing her newborn infant? What are the advantages and disadvantages of breastfeeding? I’m anxious to do what’s best for my baby, but I’m also a little worried about becoming “tied down” by nursing. What do you think?
How do we go about choosing the best person to care for our children when we’re away from home? My spouse and I desperately need to get some time away from the kids and start “dating” each other again, at least every other week or so. But we’re not sure how to find a suitable …
How can I undo the damage I’ve caused by being too harsh with my children? I realize that I’ve been overly critical in my attitude toward them, and the results are now beginning to surface. How do we turn this around?
How can missionary parents ease the transition for their children when moving back home from the mission field? Our oldest son, who is eleven-and-a-half, has been struggling for several years here in our host country. After trying to help him adjust in a number of ways, we’ve decided to follow the recommendation of our leadership …
How do I answer my child’s difficult questions about her absent father? I broke up with her dad almost eight years ago — when she was just a baby — and she has never met him. But lately she’s been asking things like, “Do you still love Daddy?” and “Why doesn’t he love me? ” …