Is it a good idea for children to get involved in sports, dance classes, music lessons, and other commitments outside of their school work and household chores? How much of this kind of thing is too much? Can you suggest any practical guidelines?
Parenting Q&A
How effective are “time outs”? Our son is entering toddlerhood and I’m not sure what type of discipline is best for different behaviors. My friends all seem to rely on “time outs” regardless of the nature of their kids’ behavior. I’m not sure this is always the best method. When are “time outs” an appropriate …
How should I handle a three-year-old toddler who is mean and aggressive with other children? He’s fine at home where there aren’t any other children around. But when he’s at church or with another family that has children his age, his behavior becomes ugly. On occasion his aggression takes a physical form – hitting, kicking, and …
How do we deal with a toddler who resists bedtime? Our 2-year-old recently went from being a great sleeper to suddenly fighting bedtime in an insane way – screaming, hitting, and running around his room. We’ve done nothing to change his schedule – nap from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m., and bedtime at 7:00 p.m. – and we have …
It’s frightening to be a parent of teenagers today. I’ve been lying awake nights worrying about the challenges and temptations my kids face every day at school, in our neighborhood, on the streets, and in all kinds of social situations. Even the church youth group isn’t immune to the influences of secular culture! Is there …
What should we do when our adolescent son is never available to take part in family activities because he’s spending all of his time with friends? Is his behavior normal? Is it unreasonable of us to expect him to participate in family life?
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 should I handle my daughter’s aversion to seeing my ex-husband? The court has granted him visitation rights, but she’s very angry with him for leaving the family and doesn’t want anything to do with him. She needs to know that I understand her feelings. At the same time, I don’t want to keep her …
As a single mom with three young children, is it okay for me to want another person around to help carry the load? I used to feel pretty self-sufficient, but the burden of doing it all by myself is getting heavier. I work full time, take online college courses, and I’m active in church. Do …
Where can we turn for help with the challenge of confronting our adolescent son’s problem with substance abuse? It might even be fair to say his abuse has escalated into a full-blown addiction. We’re devastated and don’t know what to do. Any suggestions?
My husband has never physically harmed me or the kids, but he constantly subjects our children to mean-spirited put-downs. For example, he tells them that they’re stupid and lazy. He demeans my son’s athletic abilities. He tells my daughter that she’s ugly and needs to lose weight. The children try to ignore him and put …
How do I talk to my elementary grade children about a young boy in our community – grade-school age himself – who recently took his own life? I have a hard time understanding how a child that age has the maturity level to contemplate suicide. I’m not sure how to explain this to my own …
How should we respond to pro-gay curriculum in the public schools? The administrators of our child’s elementary school have announced that they will soon be implementing a course of study in “tolerance” and “diversity training” for students in the lower grades. While we expect and have always encouraged our children to respect everyone – including …
Should I let my teenage girls wear pants? I was raised in a conservative Christian home where modesty in behavior and clothing were always stressed as matters of the highest importance for young girls. In particular, my mother made sure I understood that women should never wear pants, since “A woman shall not wear anything …
Do you think there’s any danger of my kids becoming victims of sexual exploitation? I’ve never been a big believer in overly tight controls for my teenagers. My feeling has always been that they should have an increasing amount of independence at this stage of their development. I don’t enforce strict curfews or ask a …
How important is same-sex socialization for toddlers? When we put our two-year-old son in daycare, the provider had oversight of eight kids-seven girls and one boy. Since then the other boy’s parents have made different arrangements, leaving our son as the only male child in the facility. As his dad, I’m worried that this situation …
What can we do to encourage our school-age son to get away from the television and computer screen and spend more time playing outdoors? We’re getting worried about his health and fitness, and we’d like to know how we can motivate him to become more active. So far all of our “nagging” hasn’t helped a …
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?
How can I tell if my child is faking it or not when he complains of a “stomach cramps?” These ailments have a suspicious way of arising when it’s time to do chores or get ready for school. Is this pain real, or is it just a ploy? Should we take him to the doctor, …