How should I discipline a pre-teen whose behavior is characterized by a serious lack of maturity? He’s not disobedient or defiant – just irresponsible. For example, he doesn’t put things away. He leaves his bike out in the front yard where it could easily be stolen, and I’m constantly tripping over his clothes, shoes, and …
Parenting Q&A
How can we assess whether or not our child is ready to start school? Can you suggest any basic guidelines?
How can my husband and I make sure that we don’t overindulge our cute little girl? She has a wonderful sweet personality and everyone in the family has been doting on her since she was born. But now that she’s four years old, I’m wondering if she’ll ever grow out of this “cute baby” phase. …
When it comes to parenting roles, aren’t moms and dads interchangeable? I understand that there are some basic and very important differences between males and females, and I can even see how these sex distinctions might come into play in the parenting process. But it seems to me that one can go too far with …
What are the theological and ethical implications of a woman carrying a preborn child for another woman? I’ve been thinking about doing this for an infertile couple I know. But I’m a Christian and want to be sure I consider any biblical issues about surrogacy.
What should we do about paying for college? This is our son’s senior year in high school. We have yet to discuss specifics, but he obviously assumes that we’ll be footing the entire bill. Though he’s only an average student, he seems to be making some pretty big plans and entertaining some extremely high hopes …
How useful are rules as guidelines for adolescents? As our children move into the teen years it’s becoming more difficult and confusing to govern their behavior by this method. It certainly doesn’t work the way it did when they were younger. For example, I can’t get my middle son to keep his room clean no …
Can you share any ideas for getting a newborn to sleep? For some reason, our baby fights to stay awake, especially when we put her in the crib or bassinet. The only place that isn’t problematic is the cradle swing, and the only time things go smoothly is after a late-night feeding. How should we …
How can we tell if a babysitter has acted inappropriately with our kids? It’s painful even to think about this, but we have reasons for suspecting that our babysitter may have abused our young child. What would you suggest we do in such a case? Are there “red flags” or tell-tale signs that we should …
What factors do we need to consider – what should we look for and what should we avoid – when selecting a daycare facility for our child? Some of our friends and family have had bad experiences in this area. Naturally, we’d like to avoid that if at all possible. Do you have any suggestions?
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 can I help my grown-up son who is in an unhappy marriage after living with his wife for several years prior to the wedding? It’s a difficult and complicated situation, and lately he’s been talking about getting a divorce. Is there any way I can reach out to this young couple?
As a single mother of a preschooler, should I continue a relationship with a man who doesn’t strike me as having the potential to be a good dad? I’ve met a man at church who is a solid Christian, and we’ve developed strong feelings for one another, but I just don’t know whether he would …
Is it possible that mental problems might be behind the erratic behavior of our 6-year-old son who we adopted who we adopted through the foster care system? His behavior is maddeningly unpredictable. He alternates between tantrums, running away, hiding, aggression, and wild hyperactivity. To top things off, he seems to regard us with feelings of …
If my spouse and I argue and disagree a lot, will this have a negative effect on our kids? Though our relationship is still intact (for the most part), we have what I can only describe as a “high-conflict marriage.” Is this likely to hurt our children?
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 …
How can I help my 15-year-old son feel more confident around girls his age? He’s still very shy and nervous in mixed company, and I’m looking for ways to give him a boost in this area. Any suggestions?
How can we prepare our toddler for the upcoming birth of a new baby? What’s the best way to explain the birthing process so that he can understand it? I’d like to be as honest as possible with him, but I also want to be careful not to give him more information than he needs. …
Can you help me understand the dynamics of father-daughter and mother-son relationships? Does a child’s interaction with the parent of the opposite sex take on a greater significance as he or she enters the teenage years? If so, how?