What should I do now that I’ve discovered that two of my children have been engaging in sexual activities with one another? Needless to say, my spouse and I are shocked beyond words. Where do we go from here?
Sexuality Q&A
Is oral sex really sex? We stumbled upon an entry in our daughter’s journal and discovered that she’s been involved in oral sex. That was disconcerting enough, but when we confronted her she argued that oral sex isn’t really sex at all, and that it’s “safer” than vaginal intercourse. She even claims that she’s still …
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?
If there are identifiable gender distinctions – psychological and emotional as well as physical and sexual – do they have practical implications for parents? What do moms and dads need to know about this subject, and how will such knowledge help them do a better job of raising their kids?
How can we persuade our son and his girlfriend to think more seriously about what they’re going to do with the baby they’ve conceived?
Is there anything my husband and I can do to undo or minimize the devastation our teenage daughter has experienced because of her involvement with “sexting”? Her life – and our entire family’s – was turned upside-down when nude images of her were electronically circulated around her school. As you can imagine, the resulting emotional trauma has …
What are some things I can do to discourage my teen from engaging in “sexting”? I’ve become increasingly worried as I’ve read about the rise in this kind of activity among kids. I’m also aware that the consequences can be extremely serious. At the same time, I’m not sure that there’s anything I can do …
Should we tell our children that their mom had an affair?
Can you help us deal with the with the issue of sexually suggestive teenage dancing? My teens have been asking to attend parties and school dances, but when my wife and I got a glimpse of some of the lewd activity that goes under the name of “dancing” nowadays we told them “no.” Are we …
How do I tell my two school-age children that their daddy has left us for a man?
Should we let our 16-year-old girl spend time with an older guy? He’s 25 and very involved in our church praise band. For the last year he and my daughter have had a fun brother-sister type relationship. He’s very likeable and held in high esteem at our church, but for some reason my mother’s intuition …
How can I convince my adult son that matrimony is valuable and worthwhile when his own parents couldn’t make it work? My ex-spouse and I split up when my children were still small, and I thought it was all water under the bridge. Now I find that my son blames me and his dad for …
What’s your opinion of babies sleeping with their parents? A friend of mine believes that the so-called “Family Bed” is beneficial for every member of the household. She even claims that this practice can prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and provide other health benefits. Is she right?
When it comes to parenting children effectively, are there any truly meaningful distinctions between the contributions of the mother and those of the father? As a dad, I’m actively involved with my kids on the weekends and evenings, and I even go to school meetings when I can. Is there something special I’m supposed to …
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?
Should I insist on being in the exam room when my child visits a doctor? Recently I took my 14-year-old daughter to our family doctor for a check-up and was told by the office staff that I would need to stay out. To be honest, my husband and I are concerned about messages my daughter …
How do I handle conflicts over clothes and fashion with my teen daughter? This is becoming a real battleground at our house. She insists on wearing outfits that are inappropriate, immodest, and revealing. I won’t even begin to tell you what we go through when it’s time to shop for bathing suits. What can I …
How can we help our grown son choose better girlfriends? He’s still living with us, and we’re anxious to see him “grow up,” move out on his own and get married. He’s brought several girls home to meet us over the past few years, but so far he’s shown very poor judgment and we haven’t …
As a parent of a teenager, is “sexting” something that I need to be concerned about? I’ve heard a few stories about this on the news, but I’ve never felt that my daughter would be susceptible to temptations of this kind. We haven’t talked about it because I’m really not up to speed on the …
Can you tell us what changes we should expect as our child goes through puberty and enters adolescence — and how we should deal with them? I realize that this is likely to be a challenging time in our son’s life. I’m also assuming that my spouse and I will have to bear a large …
