How should we handle our eight-year-old son’s strong aversion to being by himself? He sleeps in the same room with his younger sister because he doesn’t want to be alone. He won’t play in his room or in the basement unless someone else is there. The last time he tried, he suffered a panic attack …
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Should I allow my three-year-old son to play dress-up with his older sisters? He not only enjoys putting on the same frilly dresses they wear, but the costume jewelry as well. This doesn’t seem like healthy behavior to me. What can I do to stop it?
Do you have any advice or words of encouragement for couples who are having difficulty conceiving a child? My spouse and I are both in our mid-thirties. We waited to have children until our careers were established. We’ve been trying for nearly a year to get pregnant, still without result. Are we doing something wrong? …
Could “night terrors” be demonic in origin? I have serious concerns about some of the advice your ministry and certain other Christian organizations are giving on this subject. We’ve confronted this problem in our family. Our son used to wake up screaming and go wandering through the house in the middle of the night. Experience …
Do you have any advice for parents who are dealing with the challenge of raising a teenager who struggles with depression and bipolar disorder? We’ve tried everything we can think of to help our daughter, but so far our efforts haven’t had much of an impact. Can you offer us some hope?
A lesbian couple with young children recently moved in a couple of houses down the block. Our kids have struck up a friendship with their kids, and I’m at a bit of a loss as to how to handle the situation. I want to teach my kids to be loving and accepting of the children. …
What kind of standards of conduct and behavior should parents impose upon an adult child living in their home? Our single 29-year-old daughter lives with us in separate quarters off of the main house. She knows how deeply we feel about marriage as the only appropriate context for sexual expression, but she’s made a habit …
Should we be concerned about a child who doesn’t like to take risks? By way of example, he consistently avoids scary roller coasters. My husband thinks he should be pushed harder and forced to face his fears. I feel we should give him time to develop confidence at his own pace. What’s your perspective?
Is there anything I can do to improve my chances of carrying a baby to term after losing my first pregnancy? My doctor told me that about one in four pregnancies ends this way. But he didn’t run any tests to find out what went wrong, and I can’t bear the thought of having another …
Is it normal for married adult children to become disconnected from their parents? There’s a coldness, distance, and separation that’s crept into my relationship with my adult daughter, and I think her spouse may have something to do with it. What have I done wrong? How do I show my concern and let her know …
Does Proverbs 22:6 promise that kids raised in a godly home will turn out OK?
What should I do when my baby wants to go on sucking after I’ve finished nursing him? He screams something awful when I try to remove him from the breast. I’ve thought about resorting to a pacifier, but I get conflicting opinions on this subject from family and friends. How do you understand the pros …
At what age should I begin teaching my child about the “facts of life?” He’s still small —in fact, I would have assumed that he’s not old enough for “the talk” yet. The problem is that he’s already been hearing a lot about the subject. It’s obvious that he has picked up certain words from …
How do we deal with an adult child who has no job, is living in our basement, and drawing heavily on our financial resources? My husband and I can’t agree on the best way to handle this situation, and it’s becoming a real strain on our relationship. What should we do?
How can I overcome my child’s aversion to my girlfriend? I’m the father of a wonderful six-year-old boy. His mother divorced me when he was about three, and has since remarried. At present, she has primary custody and I have visitation rights. My son doesn’t like to “share” me with anyone else and this has …
How should we respond to our teenage son who has gotten his girlfriend pregnant?
Should we force our adolescent son to attend church with us? He used to enjoy it, but now has no interest in going at all. We want to respect his independence and give him the freedom to make age-appropriate decisions for himself, but it also worries us to think that he may be drifting away …
What should I do when my 6-year-old son tells me he wishes he were dead?
Do you have any suggestions for getting a 2-year-old to go to bed and stay there? It’s a miserable struggle at our house because our son fights us every step of the way. When he does finally get to sleep, it’s not unusual for him to be up several times during the night, requesting water …
Should I be concerned that my young son has been spending a lot of time watching violent cartoons and playing with the “spin-off” action figures marketed by the shows’ producers? How do you think these programs and products affect the attitudes and behavior of children?
