As a single mother of a preschooler, should I continue a relationship with a man who doesn’t strike me as having the potential to be a good dad? I’ve met a man at church who is a solid Christian, and we’ve developed strong feelings for one another, but I just don’t know whether he would …
Parenting Q&As
At what age do you recommend that a child start a summer job?
Can you advise me as to how I should talk to my teenage kids about their dad’s homosexual affair? I’ve just been informed that he’s divorcing me and leaving the family for another man. That’s bad enough, but what especially concerns me is the thought of how this is likely to impact my kids. I’m …
What we do about a 14-year-old boy who ends up destroying something every time we require him to do a chore around the house? When asked to unload the dishwasher, he cracked a set of expensive glasses. When assigned to clear the driveway, he broke the snow shovel. We already know that he dislikes work …
Will my divorce have any serious long-term effects on my kids?
How can I effectively deal with my struggle with severe depression while protecting my unborn baby? I’ve tried counseling before, but by itself that hasn’t seemed to work. I have found antidepressants to be extremely effective in my treatment, but I’m afraid that the medication will do harm to my baby in some way. I …
How will pregnancy affect my moods, my energy, and my mental outlook? How will it impact my relationship with my spouse? I’ve just become pregnant for the first time and I’m not quite sure what to expect.
Can you give me some basic information on parent-child attachment? How does it develop and why is it so important? We’re planning to adopt a 4-year-old from Eastern Europe. We’re excited but also nervous about the challenges we may face. I’m especially anxious about Reactive Attachment Disorder.
How should I respond to my son’s fascination with firearms? At thirteen years of age he’s already made himself an expert on anything that shoots – everything from pistols to semi-automatic rifles to bazookas. He doesn’t own any real guns. But he does have an airsoft rifle and a paintball gun, and I think he spends too …
How can I get my daughter to stop lying? I catch her inventing “tall tales” all the time at home, and now she’s complaining that the kids at school don’t believe anything she says. Does she simply have a great imagination, or is this a serious problem?
Are ongoing nervous habits potentially harmful to children? My child has one, and I’ve done everything I can think of to put a stop to it, but so far nothing has worked. It’s driving me crazy. What should I do?
Should I get my adolescent daughter started on birth control now that I know she’s been having sex with her boyfriend? Needless to say, I’m extremely upset about this. They’re both Christian believers, and they understand that pre-marital sex is wrong – they’re just unable to control themselves. I don’t want to appear to be …
As a father, what can I do to improve my relationship with an emotionally erratic adolescent girl? This past year has been difficult for me. I’ve watched my daughter make the transformation from a kind, joyful, cooperative little girl to a sullen, argumentative, hard-to-get-along-with teen. Our relationship used to be a source of enjoyment for …
How do we deal with a small child who takes off and has to be chased down every time he misbehaves and suspects that he’s about to be punished? He tends to run away whenever any kind of problem surfaces, and we have to run after him just to talk to him, let alone correct …
Is there any hope for the parent of a defiant, strong-willed child? I go through life feeling frazzled, dazed, and tired to the bone. Every day – almost every hour! – brings another confrontation, and sometimes I feel as if I don’t have the strength to go on. Any suggestions?
Should we put off having kids and starting a family until we’re more mature and established? My wife and I are in our late twenties. She’s in grad school and I’m working to get my new business off the ground. We’re extremely busy, and to be honest, I’m not sure I’m ready to be a …
At what age do you recommend that we start introducing our child to the worship service at church? What’s the best way to go about it?
How can I help my teens deal with the fallout of my divorce? It’s been painful for everyone, but I’m especially concerned about my oldest son. Ever since my ex-husband left a year and a half ago, he seems to be putting himself under a lot of pressure to assume the role of the “man …
Is it okay not to have kids? My spouse and I have been doing some serious thinking about the whole parenting thing, and we’re not sure we want to get involved. How do you feel about childlessness as an intentional lifestyle choice?
