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Parenting

mom and baby with smiling doctor

Finding a Family Doctor

Do you have any advice on how to go about finding a doctor for our family? My husband and I have young children and we’ve just moved to a new town.

couple with backpacks exploring mountains

Intentional Childlessness

Is it okay not to have kids? My spouse and I have been doing some serious thinking about the whole parenting thing, and we’re not sure we want to get involved. How do you feel about childlessness as an intentional lifestyle choice?

boy with fist stretched out to punch

Parent Wonders If Child Should Defend Themselves When Bullied

Should children be taught to fight back or to “turn the other cheek”? As Christian parents, we’ve drummed it into our kids’ heads from day one that physical violence is unacceptable. Unfortunately, the school playground has turned out to be a pretty rough place for one of our sons, and the non-violent policy hasn’t worked …

family together in kitchen

Prioritizing and Planning Family Meals in a Hectic Home

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, …

boy by coffin

Taking Young Children to a Funeral Service

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 …

little boy in bed with thermometer adult hand on his head

Treating a Child’s Fever

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?

crying toddler

Dealing With a Child’s Night Terrors

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 …

boy with downs eating and grinning

Potty Training a Child With Down Syndrome

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.

mom and teen daughter on computer

Changing Relationship With Teen

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 …

teen boy lying in bed with dog

Teen Feels “Sick” on School Day Mornings

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?

man holding Bible sitting in the woods

Helping Kids Carry Parental Values Into Adulthood

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 …

mom and adult son talking

Divorced Parent Concerned That Grown Child Is Skeptical About Marriage

How can I convince my adult son that matrimony is valuable and worthwhile when his own parents couldn’t make it work? My ex-spouse and I split up when my children were still small, and I thought it was all water under the bridge. Now I find that my son blames me and his dad for …

mom and daughter reading in bed

How to Talk to Kids About an Absent Dad

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? ” …

girl angry clenching fists

Adoption: Identifying the Signs of Sensory Processing Disorder

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 …

silouette of girl on pier at sunset

Helping Teens Overcome Poor Body Image

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 …

teen begging on street

Preventing Teens From Running Away

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 people with ADHD?

What are some of the traits seen in children and adults with ADHD?

girl frowning while other teens talk about her in the background

Dealing With the Fallout of Teen Sexting

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 …

mom lying in bed with baby

Infant Sleeping Arrangements and the “Family Bed”

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?

mom and dad smiling at baby

Understanding Sex-Specific Differences Between Mom’s and Dad’s Roles

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 …