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Our Daughter Is Marrying a Non-Christian

As a Christian father, should I give my daughter away at the wedding if she’s marrying a non-believer? Over the more than twenty years of our marriage we’ve worked hard to raise her in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Her decision has come as a great disappointment to us. We love our daughter, …

teen girl looking on phone

Parent of Teen Involved in Sexting

What’s the best way to stop a teenager from using her cell phone to send and receive sexually explicit messages and photos? We recently discovered that our daughter has become involved in “sexting.” When confronted about this, she claimed that this kind of activity is harmless since it doesn’t involve any physical sexual contact. How …

couple arguing man his alcohol

Parenting a Teen Who Struggles With Alcoholism

Where can we turn for advice and assistance in dealing with our adolescent son’s drinking problem? Recently things have escalated to the point where I think it would fair to call him a full-blown alcoholic. His behavior is impacting everyone in the family and tearing our household apart. Can you help?

girl drinking coffee on cell phone

Parents Fear Child May Be Victim of Cyber-Bullying

How can I know for sure whether my child has become a target of intimidating text messages or cruel rumors on social media? Are there any tell-tale signs? If it turns out my child is being cyber-bullied, what can I do to help?

hand of preschooler touching or taking toy

Preschool Kleptomaniac

How can we stop our four-year-old from stealing? It seems like everywhere we go – church, stores, museums, friends’ houses – he walks out with something that doesn’t belong to him. I have a feeling that he’s just being irresponsible-that he puts things in his pocket and then forgets about them. My husband and I have talked …

Dad and little girl walking on beach

“Quality Time” vs. “Quantity Time” in Parenting

Is the quality of time I spend with my family more important than the quantity?

baby in woman's arms mouth open angry cry

Separation Anxiety in Infants

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 …

family living room singing guitar Bibles devotional

Spiritual Training for Children

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 …

child in destroyed area carrying blanket

Talking to Children About Tragic Events

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 …

boy hiding under pillows

“Teasing” in the Family

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 …

Angry toddler girl

Toddler Is Negative and Contrary

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 …

Little girl getting bandaid on arm after vaccination

Vaccination and Immunization

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?

mom on phone flanked by two young kids

Working Mom Struggling to Make Time for Kids

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?

multi-racial family hugging adoption

International Adoptions

Can you help me understand the ins and outs of adopting a child from outside the United States – possibly from a developing country? How does the international adoption process work? I’m concerned about children around the world. Do you have any advice or suggestions?

woman hugging sad female friend

Understanding a Post-Abortal Friend

Why won’t my friend talk about her abortion? It’s obvious that she’s in bad shape emotionally, and I’d like to help her. But every time I try to broach the subject, she clams up. Do you have any insights into what she might be thinking?

parents waiting on bridge for four young children

Becoming a Successful Blended Family

As a recently remarried stepparent, what can I do to make the transition to blended family life as smooth as possible for my children, my spouse’s kids, and everyone else concerned?

mom hugging college age daughter

College Student Concerned About Over-Anxious Mother

How can I help my mom prepare for my upcoming departure for college? I’ll be leaving in a few weeks, and I’m afraid she won’t be able to handle it when I go. Like any good mother, she’s very protective and worries about me. But it seems to me that her worrying is getting out …

man in suit upset looking at watch

Dealing With a Chronically Late Spouse

How do I deal with a chronically late spouse? He’s late for everything except work. I know I’m not responsible for this behavior, but it makes me late too when we’re going somewhere together, and that reflects poorly on my reputation. More importantly, this constant tardiness inconveniences and is disrespectful to the people we invariably …

couple dressed lying together under sheet on bed

Engaged Couple Wants to Know Why Premarital Sex Isn’t Okay

Now that we are committed to be married, why should we wait to have sexual intercourse? How can there be anything wrong with our love-making when we’ve already promised to spend our lives together?

couple standing in front of college wearing backpacks

Getting Married in College

Should my girlfriend and I get married before I graduate from the university? We’re both mature Christians and we’ve both made a commitment to sexual purity before marriage. We’ve been dating about five months, and after much prayer, we’ve decided to get married in two years. Our parents approve of our plans, but mine disagree …