How should we respond to our teenage daughter who doesn’t want to be part of our family after becoming pregnant?
Parenting Q&As
Should we allow our son to have long hair? There’s constant conflict in our household over this issue. My husband and I constantly have to tell him to go and get his hair cut. If we didn’t, I think he’d let it grow down over his shoulders. He usually complies, but not without a lot …
I can’t believe that the end of summer is already within sight! School will be starting again in a couple of weeks, and my children are dreading it. Is there anything I can do to help smooth the transition? What would you recommend?
How can I give my kids the chance to try different activities and programs when we don’t have much money? I’m a stay-at-home mom and my husband works hard to support our family, but we’re living on a shoestring budget. I don’t want my children to miss out on life-enriching opportunities.
What’s your perspective on the celebration of Christmas? How do you understand the meaning of the holiday, and what are your feelings about some of the more “fanciful” symbols and traditions, including Santa Claus, that have become such a big part of it?
Are kids happier when they’re closer in age, or is it better to plan them farther apart? What are your thoughts on the spacing of children?
How do we keep our child from becoming a “quitter”? Several months ago our 5-year-old son asked to be enrolled in a Tae Kwon Do program. He’s enjoyed it and usually has a good time once he gets to class. But lately we’ve run into problems with him not wanting to go. We don’t want …
How important is it for adolescents to get enough sleep? And exactly how much is “enough”? My son is trying to convince me that he has enough energy to handle late nights. I tend to disagree. My feeling is that sleep is critical during the teen years, especially with all of the physical changes kids …
At what age do you think a child is too old for a pacifier? We’ve tried several times to take it away, but it’s like pulling teeth. I’ve also been wondering about my son’s attachment to his blanket. Is it a problem if we let him keep it? At this point the thing is nothing …
Why are so many teens making bad sexual choices? This worries me because I have teenage kids of my own and I’m anxious to help them avoid serious mistakes in this area. Can you help me get a better handle on teenage attitudes about sex?
Why do dads need to get involved with their sons on an emotional level? My father was a no-nonsense man who did not share much with me in the way of his feelings. He basically taught me how to work hard, be responsible and make my own way in life. My wife gets upset with …
How can I help our young sons control their tempers? My husband comes from a long line of “angry men,” and I’m beginning to see the same tendency in our kids. What should I do?
Should children be allowed to have smart phones or mobile devices? Our oldest has started driving and all of our kids are constantly on the move. My spouse thinks they need phones in order to stay better connected with us. Do you think this is a good idea?
How should I handle my daughter’s aversion to seeing my ex-husband? The court has granted him visitation rights, but she’s very angry with him for leaving the family and doesn’t want anything to do with him. She needs to know that I understand her feelings. At the same time, I don’t want to keep her …
How do I handle conflicts with my ex-spouse over different parenting styles? Our divorce settlement stipulated that we would share responsibility for the children. The arrangement sounded fine on paper, but it’s a disaster in practice. I’m a firm believer in structure and discipline. Unfortunately, that goes out the window every time the kids spend …
How can we stop our preschooler from bullying other kids? Our 4-year-old is a bright and loving child, but he’s also quite strong willed. His teachers have already talked to us several times about his uncooperative behavior — interrupting, ignoring instructions, etc. But now something more serious has happened. He recently pushed one student to …
How can I find a trustworthy source to diagnose and treat my young child’s deficient speech and language skills? He’s way behind his peers in this area, and I’m especially concerned because he’s supposed to start school next fall. How do I talk to him about this without making him feel abnormal?
How can we assess whether or not our child is ready to start school? Can you suggest any basic guidelines?
How should we handle it when a friend’s child kicks or whacks one of our kids? Our best friends have a habitually mean and aggressive preschooler about the same age as our children. We try to keep visits short and supervised, but one of our children always ends up getting hit. Is there a way …
How can we comfort and support a young girl who has just been through the trauma of rape? We just learned that one of our children was recently the victim of a sexual assault. We are absolutely devastated. How can we help our daughter heal from this traumatic experience? What first steps should we take …
