Is it normal for a pre-teen child to suddenly put on a lot of weight? Our child has gained quite a few pounds recently, and we’re not sure whether we should be concerned. What is the technical definition of “obesity” in children and teens?
Parenting Q&As
As a parent of teenagers, I understand the importance of distinguishing between what I can and can’t control and granting my kids the freedom they need in order to make their own choices and learn by their own mistakes. Unfortunately, I have reason to believe that my teens are in serious danger of choosing wrong …
Can you help us understand why our 5-year-old son sometimes goes out of control for no obvious reason? He was adopted from a background of trauma and abuse, but we’ve done everything in our power to make him feel loved and secure. Still, he’s developed serious behavioral problems. We’re treating him for ADHD, but so …
Is it possible that mental problems might be behind the erratic behavior of our 6-year-old son who we adopted who we adopted through the foster care system? His behavior is maddeningly unpredictable. He alternates between tantrums, running away, hiding, aggression, and wild hyperactivity. To top things off, he seems to regard us with feelings of …
How can we encourage our child to cooperate and follow his preschool teacher’s instructions? He becomes defiant when there’s a change in the schedule or when the teacher asks him to switch activities. He wants to do things his own way and on his own time. How do we break him of this?
Should I be nervous about letting my elementary-school-age daughter visit a friend’s house? Normally I wouldn’t hesitate to say “yes” since her friend is a sweet and respectful girl. Her father, however, seems overly eager for our daughter to come over. How should we evaluate and respond to this situation? Do you have any advice
How can I make sure that my three-year-old daughter won’t slip away from me when we’re in public places? I have to watch her like a hawk because she continually wanders off. It doesn’t matter where we are – playground, pool, beach, grocery store, or mall. She simply will not stay with me. I recently …
As a father, what are some of the key roles that I play in the life of my daughter? What areas in her life should I focus on and what are some things I can do to create a healthy relationship between us?
What should I do about the constant fighting that goes on between my daughters? Our house is the scene of perpetual sibling battles. My mother says I should intervene, but my husband thinks this is normal for kids their age. Should I be worried?
How can I get my child to obey and do as he’s told? Our young son is defiant and talks back. He won’t do his homework and refuses to clean his room. When we try to discuss these issues with him in a calm, mature way, we usually end up getting angry and yelling at …
How do we help a child who seems to have no sense of humor? Except for our oldest son, who will soon be entering middle school, our entire family has always enjoyed the lighter side of things. Our younger kids are full of fun, and laughter regularly fills our home. By way of contrast, their …
How can we stop our son, age six, from fighting with the boy next door? The neighbor kid gets mad if our son won’t play with him. If he does agree to play, the neighbor and his friends often reject him and drive him away. This boy has been extremely aggressive towards my son, pushing …
How do I talk to my teen daughter about the danger of date rape? I’ve heard that it’s becoming more common, and this worries me as a parent. My daughter has already been involved in several dating situations. I want to know what I can do to prevent her from becoming a victim. How should …
How can my husband and I make sure that we don’t overindulge our cute little girl? She has a wonderful sweet personality and everyone in the family has been doting on her since she was born. But now that she’s four years old, I’m wondering if she’ll ever grow out of this “cute baby” phase. …
Can you give me any ideas for helping children celebrate Valentine’s Day in a healthy and uplifting way? I always loved February 14 when I was a kid, and I’d like my kids to have the same experience. But I don’t want to reinforce our culture’s misguided ideas about romance. Any suggestions?
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 …
How do I handle my children’s questions about God in the midst of disaster and trauma? Over the past month our community has been devastated by a terrible flood. The physical impact of this disaster has been overwhelming, of course. But I’m also deeply concerned about what it may be doing to my children’s faith …
How should parents approach an adolescent who is involved in sexual self-gratification? Without going into details, I can tell you that I have good reason to suppose that my teenager has been masturbating. Needless to say, this is extremely upsetting to me. I’m worried about my child’s spiritual condition, and I have no idea what …
Is it wrong for me as a parent to feel proud of my child and to tell him so? I understand that, from a human perspective, it’s normal and natural to feel this way. But as a Christian I know that the Bible has some very severe things to say about the sin of pride. …
What should I do if my elementary school child is getting so much homework that family time hardly exists and he has little energy for anything else? He spends hours on his assignments every night. As far as I can see, he isn’t slow at completing his tasks. There’s just too much to do! Is …
