Our teen daughter struggles with her sexuality and wants to dress like a boy. We want to help her respect God’s design for sexuality while also keeping our relationship with her strong — but we always end up arguing with her. How can we find a professional therapist who can help us sort it out?
Parenting Q&As
Our grandson is being supported by his parents (our daughter and son-in-law) to “transition” to a girl. They say that if we don’t call him by his new female name, they’ll cut us out of their lives. We don’t know where this is coming from or what to do. How do we show them love …
If I think that my teen might be same-sex attracted, how should I talk to him about it? He’s mentioned the subject several times, so I’m getting concerned.
Do you have any advice for disciplining and training uncooperative school-age children? I hear a lot about dealing with strong-willed toddlers, but not so much about older kids. My child is now in the elementary grades and life in our household is still an ongoing battle. Can you help us?
How can we build strong communication with our teen?
Do you have any encouragement for moms who have no choice but to take a job outside the home?
How do we find a good residential treatment program for our teen?
Some of the warning signs of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder.
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 …
How do I know when it’s time to ask my adult child to leave?
Can you explain why my infant daughter started screaming when my great-aunt dropped by last weekend and wanted to hold her? In the past she’s always had a ready smile for everyone, but on this occasion she simply went ballistic! What do you think has happened?
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 …
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?
What should I do when my 6-year-old son tells me he wishes he were dead?
What can we do about a child who urinates on herself when something upsets her? She’s well past the age of potty training, but she wets her pants every time she gets angry. We’ve been making her hand-wash her clothes when this happens, but so far the behavior hasn’t stopped. What can we do?
Should we be worried about our little boy’s sexual identity? He’s still very young, but he likes to play store and draw pictures all day long, and he can’t throw a ball three feet. Is he turning into a “sissy?” What can we do to help him develop a healthy sense of his masculinity?
How can we be sure that our young son will grow up to be a healthy, fully masculine man? He’s only five years old, but his mother and I are already concerned about certain aspects of his behavior and temperament. He avoids loud, rough-and-tumble play, and so far he hasn’t shown much interest in team …
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? …
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 motivate my two lazy teenagers? They won’t help me around the house, and they consistently wait until the last minute to do their homework. As a single parent, I usually don’t have the energy to make them get down to work. Is there a way to break this negative pattern?
