What can we do to help our son develop a more positive outlook on life? He complains about everything and seldom seems happy. His negative attitude is affecting his school work, and I’m sure it’s hurting his ability to make friends as well.
Parenting
In light of our tight financial situation, how should we handle all of the costly “extras” at our child’s school? Here’s the latest example: we received a note from my child’s kindergarten teacher informing us that the school would be producing yearbooks that cost $30.00. We declined to buy one, only to learn that our …
How can we teach our children good listening skills? They seem to have trouble paying attention to instructions and following directions. In my daughter’s case, I think she’s just defiant most of the time. As for my son, he’s very intense and tends to get so locked into television, a book, a videogame, or whatever …
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 …
Can you give me any ideas for helping children celebrate Valentine’s Day in a healthy and uplifting way? I always loved February 14 when I was a kid, and I’d like my kids to have the same experience. But I don’t want to reinforce our culture’s misguided ideas about romance. Any suggestions?
How can I give my kids the chance to try different activities and programs when we don’t have much money? I’m a stay-at-home mom and my husband works hard to support our family, but we’re living on a shoestring budget. I don’t want my children to miss out on life-enriching opportunities.
What’s the best way to help a child work through the passing of a relative or close family member? My father died this year, and our grade-school-aged son has been asking questions. For example, he wants to know where grandpa has gone and whether he has become a “guardian angel.” How do I respond without …
Is it normal for a pre-teen child to suddenly put on a lot of weight? Our child has gained quite a few pounds recently, and we’re not sure whether we should be concerned. What is the technical definition of “obesity” in children and teens?
How can I teach my two-year-old to share his things and be more cooperative, generous, and kind when he plays with others? I’ve been shocked to see how selfish he can be in social situations with other children.
How can I make the transition from breast to bottle as smooth as possible for my baby and me? What’s the best way to wean a child, and when should I begin the process?
How should we respond to our teenager when he claims that we don’t care about what he has to say? We do try to give him our full attention whenever he talks to us, but he still complains that we’re not listening. We don’t think his accusations are fair, but we also want him to …
As parents, how should we deal with a dismissive and smart-alecky adolescent? Our son says that we don’t treat him with respect, but from my perspective the shoe is actually on the other foot – his behavior towards us is extremely disrespectful. What can we do to resolve this conflict?
How do we relate to an adult child in prison? It’s painful to admit this, but through a series of unfortunate circumstances and poor choices, our grown son has been incarcerated. I can’t even begin to describe how horrible we feel. How can we reach out and support him without enabling or appearing to condone …
How do I tell my young children (ages eight, seven, and four) that their grandparents – my husband’s mom and dad – are splitting up as a result of Grandpa’s involvement with another woman? Since these grandparents live out of state, we only see them every three to four months or so. We don’t plan …
Now that I’m divorced, how can I stay involved with my kids? One of the most difficult outcomes of the settlement is that it limits my contact with them. Legally, I’m only allowed to have them a few days out of each month. I’d like to be more involved, but my ex-wife is very strict …
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.
How can I tell to what extent my adopted child’s erratic behavior and moods might be based on neurochemical issues? I’m not sure about the details of his background before we adopted him, but I have a hunch there was some kind of neglect or abuse. It’s been more challenging to raise him than we …
What can I do to “drug-proof” my home? I’m aware that drug abuse is a huge problem among adolescents, and I want to educate myself about this issue so that I can protect my own kids and prevent them from falling into this trap. How can I make sure that they’re safe?
As a parent of teenagers, I understand the importance of distinguishing between what I can and can’t control and granting my kids the freedom they need in order to make their own choices and learn by their own mistakes. Unfortunately, I have reason to believe that my teens are in serious danger of choosing wrong …
Can you help us deal with the with the issue of sexually suggestive teenage dancing? My teens have been asking to attend parties and school dances, but when my wife and I got a glimpse of some of the lewd activity that goes under the name of “dancing” nowadays we told them “no.” Are we …