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 …
Parenting Q&A
Should my husband and I spend Christmas morning together with the kids at his parents’ house in spite of the fact that we’ve been separated for four months? He said he wants me to come because he’s hoping to be present next year when it’s my turn to have the kids on Christmas morning. Although …
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 …
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 …
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 children and adults with ADHD?
How should we handle the discovery that our teenager has been sexually active for the past several months? We’re not happy about it, but we want to deal with the problem without alienating our child. What should we do?
How do I tell my two school-age children that their daddy has left us for a man?
How can our family establish some workable media standards? I understand the need for thoughtful discernment in this area as opposed to mindless rules, but sometimes I feel the need for more solid guidelines in order to gauge the merits of movies and music and to weigh specific decisions about appropriate family entertainment. Can you …
Should a church youth group be social or spiritual in focus? We’re involved in a heated dispute about this at our church. There are two schools of thought. One group thinks that a high school youth group should be primarily spiritual in emphasis, focusing on Bible study, prayer, and outreach or service projects. The rest …
How can we make family prayer a priority? We’re a Christian family and my spouse and I are eager to raise our kids in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Can you give us some helpful pointers in this area? Our children are small, and it’s been a real struggle to make prayer times …
How can we help our daughter adjust to the stress and strain associated with my husband’s new job in another city? We only see him on weekends, which makes her very angry and depressed. Despite our reassurances, she insists that her Daddy doesn’t love her anymore. What should we do?
How can we prevent our seven-year-old son from becoming a bully? I’ve noticed that he can be very pushy and often tries to dominate other kids. He always wants to be the “winner” — it’s as if he has a need to prove himself. When provoked, he retaliates fiercely and has hurt other kids in …
Do you have any advice for a young, recently married couple who are thinking seriously about having children? When should we start? How many kids should we plan on having? How far apart should they be spaced?
As a dad, what are some of the key roles that I play in the life of my son? What areas in his life should I focus on and what are some things I can do to cultivate a healthy relationship between us?
Do you have any suggestions for things families can do together while the kids are out of school on Spring Break? We don’t have a lot of money to spend, but we would like to take advantage of the time off to strengthen our relationships and have some good old fashioned fun. Any ideas?
Is it acceptable for parents to read their teenage daughter’s journal or diary or to go through things in her room if they have reasons to suspect that she might be involved in some kind of unhealthy or immoral activity? If so, how should we handle the situation if we do find evidence that something …
Can you suggest some basic, general guidelines on how to discipline children? We’ve just become parents and neither of us had positive role models growing up. We want to do a good job raising our child. What principles should we keep in mind when it comes to discipline?
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?
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 …