How can our family make time to eat together when we’re so busy? I’d really like to achieve this goal, but we face so many obstacles in making it happen, I’m almost afraid to try. Busy schedules are the rule in our household, and mine is no exception. By the time I get off work, …
Parenting
Would you recommend that we take our three young children, ages three, four, and six, to their grandfather’s funeral? My father-in-law is terminally ill and is not expected to live for more than a few weeks. As my husband and I begin preparing ourselves, both practically and emotionally, for his passing, I’m wondering what arrangements …
How do I know whether my child’s fever is serious? It’s the middle of the night, and he’s running a high temperature. What should I do to treat the fever until we can get him to a doctor?
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 …
Can a toddler with Down syndrome be taught to use the toilet? Given my son’s special developmental and mental challenges, I’m not sure whether he has the capacity to understand what I’m asking of him. I’d really appreciate any practical advice you might be able to offer.
Is it normal for a parent’s relationship with a child to take on a different tone during the teen years? I was always close to my daughter in the past, but things aren’t the same since she became a teenager. I can’t connect with her anymore – she’s always texting or talking to friends on her …
How can I tell if our teenager is faking an illness to get out of school? He often complains of not feeling well on school day mornings, but, interestingly enough, his symptoms usually disappear by mid-afternoon and rarely surface at all on weekends. Is it wrong of me to distrust him?
How can I instill a solid Christian character into my child? Most of the parenting materials I’ve seen have a great deal to say about discipline, mental and emotional health, obedience and order in the home. Unfortunately, there isn’t much out there on the subject of character development, especially from a Christian perspective. Do you …
Do you think it’s a good idea for our son to wait a year after graduating from high school before enrolling at the university? He’s very responsible in a number of ways, but we’re concerned about him losing momentum. What should we do?
Should my husband and I spend Christmas morning together with the kids at his parents’ house in spite of the fact that we’ve been separated for four months? He said he wants me to come because he’s hoping to be present next year when it’s my turn to have the kids on Christmas morning. Although …
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 …
Do you have any advice for parents trying to help a teenager who struggles with bad feelings about her figure and physical appearance? Our daughter has a poor body image and a distressingly negative view of herself, but she won’t talk about it. How do we bring this up without smothering her, alienating her or …
What should we do if we suspect that our adolescent son is making plans to run away? Is there something we can do to prevent this from happening?
What are some of the traits seen in children and adults with ADHD?
Is there anything my husband and I can do to undo or minimize the devastation our teenage daughter has experienced because of her involvement with “sexting”? Her life – and our entire family’s – was turned upside-down when nude images of her were electronically circulated around her school. As you can imagine, the resulting emotional trauma has …
What’s your opinion of babies sleeping with their parents? A friend of mine believes that the so-called “Family Bed” is beneficial for every member of the household. She even claims that this practice can prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and provide other health benefits. Is she right?
When it comes to parenting children effectively, are there any truly meaningful distinctions between the contributions of the mother and those of the father? As a dad, I’m actively involved with my kids on the weekends and evenings, and I even go to school meetings when I can. Is there something special I’m supposed to …
How can our family establish some workable media standards? I understand the need for thoughtful discernment in this area as opposed to mindless rules, but sometimes I feel the need for more solid guidelines in order to gauge the merits of movies and music and to weigh specific decisions about appropriate family entertainment. Can you …
How can I raise my kids so that they will grow up to be genuinely godly adults? Most of the parenting materials I’ve seen have a great deal to say about discipline, mental and emotional health, obedience and order in the home. Unfortunately, there isn’t much out there on the subject of character development, especially …
Do you have any suggestions for more effective ways to worship and study the Bible together as a family? We’ve tried hard to have regular devotions at our house, but it’s been difficult and discouraging because our children seem so bored and uninvolved. Can you help us?