What should I do when my 6-year-old son tells me he wishes he were dead?
Parenting Q&A
A lesbian couple with young children recently moved in a couple of houses down the block. Our kids have struck up a friendship with their kids, and I’m at a bit of a loss as to how to handle the situation. I want to teach my kids to be loving and accepting of the children. …
Do you have any suggestions for getting a 2-year-old to go to bed and stay there? It’s a miserable struggle at our house because our son fights us every step of the way. When he does finally get to sleep, it’s not unusual for him to be up several times during the night, requesting water …
Now that our son is over 18, should he still obey us?
What should I do when my baby wants to go on sucking after I’ve finished nursing him? He screams something awful when I try to remove him from the breast. I’ve thought about resorting to a pacifier, but I get conflicting opinions on this subject from family and friends. How do you understand the pros …
As a parent and grandparent, should I step in to help if I feel that my son-in-law is not caring properly for my daughter and my grandchildren? What makes this especially difficult is that his actions (or lack thereof) could put his family’s safety at risk. For example, he constantly forgets to put oil in …
Is it unusual, abnormal or immoral for my child to be touching or playing with his genitals? I’ve caught him at it several times at home, and once it even happened in public. What should I do?
Should we be concerned about a child who doesn’t like to take risks? By way of example, he consistently avoids scary roller coasters. My husband thinks he should be pushed harder and forced to face his fears. I feel we should give him time to develop confidence at his own pace. What’s your perspective?
Is there anything I can do to improve my chances of carrying a baby to term after losing my first pregnancy? My doctor told me that about one in four pregnancies ends this way. But he didn’t run any tests to find out what went wrong, and I can’t bear the thought of having another …
What should we do about our young son walking in on us during sex?
Is it normal for married adult children to become disconnected from their parents? There’s a coldness, distance, and separation that’s crept into my relationship with my adult daughter, and I think her spouse may have something to do with it. What have I done wrong? How do I show my concern and let her know …
What kind of standards of conduct and behavior should parents impose upon an adult child living in their home? Our single 29-year-old daughter lives with us in separate quarters off of the main house. She knows how deeply we feel about marriage as the only appropriate context for sexual expression, but she’s made a habit …
Should we force our adolescent son to attend church with us? He used to enjoy it, but now has no interest in going at all. We want to respect his independence and give him the freedom to make age-appropriate decisions for himself, but it also worries us to think that he may be drifting away …
How do I know when it’s time to ask my adult child to leave?
Psychologist Dr. Bill Maier says that imaginary friends are a totally normal part of life for preschoolers. Parents shouldn’t be concerned about imaginary friends unless a child is so focused on the relationship with the “friend” that he or she seems to be losing touch with reality. And of course, you should never let your …
Do I really have any influence over how my kids turn out?
I’m six months into my pregnancy. For the first few months I avoided alcohol. But about three months ago my friends convinced me that a drink now and then wouldn’t create any troubles with my unborn baby’s health, and I started having a glass of wine once or twice a week. Now I’m worried that …
What are some meaningful ways our church can help and support a family of a child with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)? This young family attends our church regularly but struggles to connect with most of the people in our congregation. I’m ashamed to say that we’re largely to blame for their feelings because we’ve …
How can I deal with the effects of sleep deprivation that come with a newborn? Our little girl has been home for two weeks, and already my job performance is suffering. My wife and I take turns getting up with her in the night, but unlike my wife, I can’t go back to sleep again …
Should we provide financial assistance to our middle-aged adult children? Our son-in-law just lost his job. He’s always made a good living but has struggled with serious health issues that have placed a burden on their finances. Our daughter has never once offered to help with their income by seeking work of any kind. I’m …