How can I get my three-year-old son to take his medicine? He’s prone to get the coughs, ear infections and fevers that are so common among kids his age, but he doesn’t like swallowing the medications our doctor recommends. It’s an ongoing battle for me to force it down. Is this normal? Can you suggest …
Parenting Q&A
How do I handle 2-year-old who opposes and contradicts me at every turn? says “no” to everything? I’m exasperated! If I offer him a cracker or a cup of water, he says “no!” If I set the cup aside, he cries and begs for it. He acts the same way with other children at the …
What should we look for in selecting a suitable preschool or playgroup for our child? We’re thinking about putting our daughter in a facility of this kind two or three days a week. There are so many options to choose from, and it’s hard to know whom we can trust.
How can I get my adolescent son to see that it’s important to show appropriate regard for other people? He has developed what I consider a “smart-alecky” or “mouthy” way of responding to other members of the family. Last night, when I asked him to take out the trash, he said, “I’ll do it later, …
Do you think it’s a good idea for our son to wait a year after graduating from high school before enrolling at the university? He’s very responsible in a number of ways, but we’re concerned about him losing momentum. What should we do?
How can we make our grown child’s move back home a smooth and easy transition? Just as we were looking forward to the freedom of an “empty nest,” our daughter decided that she needs to come back and “get her life together” before “moving on to the next step.” The problem is that we don’t …
How can I reconnect with my children after divorcing their mother and abandoning them? I regret to say that I walked out on my wife and family several years ago. Since then, I’ve found the Lord and realized my mistake. Now I’d like to get back in touch with my kids, but they don’t want …
Will my divorce have any serious long-term effects on my kids?
I’ve heard a lot about the post-partum blues, but is it normal to be feeling emotionally down before the baby arrives? I’m currently about three-quarters of the way through my pregnancy, and lately I’ve been very low and sad. Is there anything I can do about this?
Do you have any ideas for helping a pre-teen child who is seriously overweight? He loves food and gets extremely disappointed when we turn down his requests for snacks and treats. He also becomes depressed after several days of healthy eating. How can we reverse this trend?
What should I do if I’m convinced that my adolescent child is seriously depressed and could be suicidal?
What can my husband and I do to help our teenage son become the man God wants him to be? In some ways he seems to be afraid of adulthood, manhood, and everything that goes along with it, and we’d like to get him over that hump. At the same time, we don’t want him …
What’s your perspective on high school proms? They sure have changed since my day, and I’m a little nervous about allowing my teenager to go. Can you offer me any practical guidance?
Should our son be encouraged to marry his pregnant girlfriend? It’s a regrettable situation, but at least she’s planning to keep and raise the baby. Both of them are emotionally immature, financially dependent, and basically ill-equipped to establish themselves as a family. In spite of this, some of our Christian friends have suggested that he …
How can I know for sure whether my child has become a target of intimidating text messages or cruel rumors on social media? Are there any tell-tale signs? If it turns out my child is being cyber-bullied, what can I do to help?
How can we help our adolescent son find biblical answers to his deep questions about social justice, the meaning of life, the existence of God, and his own purpose as an individual? We want to point him in the right direction on these important issues and equip him with a solid Christian worldview. Can you …
How can we best relate to our grown child who has completely rejected his Christian faith and upbringing? After graduating from high school he moved in with his girlfriend and became involved with drug and alcohol abuse. Our hearts ache to reach out to him, but we don’t want to appear to be condoning his …
What can we do to help our son develop a more positive outlook on life? He complains about everything and seldom seems happy. His negative attitude is affecting his school work, and I’m sure it’s hurting his ability to make friends as well.
In light of our tight financial situation, how should we handle all of the costly “extras” at our child’s school? Here’s the latest example: we received a note from my child’s kindergarten teacher informing us that the school would be producing yearbooks that cost $30.00. We declined to buy one, only to learn that our …
How can we teach our children good listening skills? They seem to have trouble paying attention to instructions and following directions. In my daughter’s case, I think she’s just defiant most of the time. As for my son, he’s very intense and tends to get so locked into television, a book, a videogame, or whatever …
