Do you have any advice on how to go about finding a doctor for our family? My husband and I have young children and we’ve just moved to a new town.
Parenting Q&A
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?
Should children be taught to fight back or to “turn the other cheek”? As Christian parents, we’ve drummed it into our kids’ heads from day one that physical violence is unacceptable. Unfortunately, the school playground has turned out to be a pretty rough place for one of our sons, and the non-violent policy hasn’t worked …
How can our family make time to eat together when we’re so busy? I’d really like to achieve this goal, but we face so many obstacles in making it happen, I’m almost afraid to try. Busy schedules are the rule in our household, and mine is no exception. By the time I get off work, …
Is it a good idea to expose children to the reality of death, disease, and mortality by taking them to visit terminally ill relatives? My grandmother is in the final stages of cancer and her illness has dramatically altered her physical appearance. Recently she expressed a desire to see my two young children. Should I …
How can I know whether my screaming baby has colic? He cries inconsolably for at least three hours straight every night, and nothing I do seems to help. What exactly is colic, and what are the tell-tale symptoms? Can you help me figure out what’s going on?
How can I get my three-year-old son to take his medicine? He’s prone to get the coughs, ear infections and fevers that are so common among kids his age, but he doesn’t like swallowing the medications our doctor recommends. It’s an ongoing battle for me to force it down. Is this normal? Can you suggest …
How do I handle 2-year-old who opposes and contradicts me at every turn? says “no” to everything? I’m exasperated! If I offer him a cracker or a cup of water, he says “no!” If I set the cup aside, he cries and begs for it. He acts the same way with other children at the …
What should we look for in selecting a suitable preschool or playgroup for our child? We’re thinking about putting our daughter in a facility of this kind two or three days a week. There are so many options to choose from, and it’s hard to know whom we can trust.
How can I get my adolescent son to see that it’s important to show appropriate regard for other people? He has developed what I consider a “smart-alecky” or “mouthy” way of responding to other members of the family. Last night, when I asked him to take out the trash, he said, “I’ll do it later, …
Do you think it’s a good idea for our son to wait a year after graduating from high school before enrolling at the university? He’s very responsible in a number of ways, but we’re concerned about him losing momentum. What should we do?
How can we make our grown child’s move back home a smooth and easy transition? Just as we were looking forward to the freedom of an “empty nest,” our daughter decided that she needs to come back and “get her life together” before “moving on to the next step.” The problem is that we don’t …
How can I reconnect with my children after divorcing their mother and abandoning them? I regret to say that I walked out on my wife and family several years ago. Since then, I’ve found the Lord and realized my mistake. Now I’d like to get back in touch with my kids, but they don’t want …
Will my divorce have any serious long-term effects on my kids?
I’ve heard a lot about the post-partum blues, but is it normal to be feeling emotionally down before the baby arrives? I’m currently about three-quarters of the way through my pregnancy, and lately I’ve been very low and sad. Is there anything I can do about this?
Do you have any ideas for helping a pre-teen child who is seriously overweight? He loves food and gets extremely disappointed when we turn down his requests for snacks and treats. He also becomes depressed after several days of healthy eating. How can we reverse this trend?
What should I do if I’m convinced that my adolescent child is seriously depressed and could be suicidal?
What can my husband and I do to help our teenage son become the man God wants him to be? In some ways he seems to be afraid of adulthood, manhood, and everything that goes along with it, and we’d like to get him over that hump. At the same time, we don’t want him …
What’s your perspective on high school proms? They sure have changed since my day, and I’m a little nervous about allowing my teenager to go. Can you offer me any practical guidance?
Should our son be encouraged to marry his pregnant girlfriend? It’s a regrettable situation, but at least she’s planning to keep and raise the baby. Both of them are emotionally immature, financially dependent, and basically ill-equipped to establish themselves as a family. In spite of this, some of our Christian friends have suggested that he …
