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 …
Get Help
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. …
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?
Would you advise adopting a child from another country or a different ethnic group? My spouse and I are seriously interested in helping a child who needs a home, but we’re unsure about the potential risks and challenges that come with interracial or intercultural adoption.
Can you tell me more about your foster care and adoption outreach? I’ve heard that Focus on the Family is actively involved in promoting adoption and ministering to the needs of children in foster care.
Why can’t I have a biblically based family with multiple partners? Most of the great men of the Bible – Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon – had many wives. Given your ministry’s strong commitment to the Scriptures, I can’t see why you’re against things like polygamy and polyamory. I consider myself a polyamorous Christian. I love several different women, and …
How can I help my husband who is having disturbing flashbacks as a result of active combat duty during his time in the military? Can you provide any helpful information concerning post-traumatic stress disorder? His condition has become much worse over the past several weeks, and our entire family is deeply worried about him. How …
Do you have any ideas for dealing with a spouse who is overly sensitive, like a land-mine just waiting to go off? I walk around the house on eggshells, trying desperately to avoid triggering yet another emotional overreaction. Is there a better way to deal with this?
Should I hold on to pictures of old girlfriends now that I’m engaged to be married? I’ve had a few relationships before this one that never resulted in marriage. I don’t like the thought of destroying my photos of those girls, but I’m pretty certain that my bride-to-be would react strongly if I don’t get …
Should I marry my pregnant girlfriend? Our relationship has always been fine, but I’ve never really thought we’d be together for the rest of our lives. This changes everything. She will be keeping and raising the baby, and I’d like to do my fair share, as well. My girlfriend has some major issues in life, …
How would you advise a woman who just found out that her husband is viewing child pornography?