Could talking about suicide have the effect of pushing a teenager in the wrong direction? I have reasons to believe that my son may be struggling with self-destructive thoughts and tendencies. While I think it’s generally important to confront this situation directly, I keep wondering what might happen if I bring up my concerns and …
Parenting Q&A
Does a pattern of persistent depression indicate that my adolescent son may be in danger of taking his own life? I’ve been hearing a great deal about the rising problem of teenage suicide, and I’m wondering whether my son might be at risk. What exactly is the connection between depression and suicide? Where can I …
Do you have any advice for dealing with a teenage daughter who’s recently gotten involved in premarital sex and other destructive activities? While hunting for an extra set of car keys in my daughter’s purse I came across a condom and a cigarette lighter. Needless to say, I was devastated. Should I confront her about …
Should I be worried that my daughter might be “transgendered” because she likes to dress and act like a boy and spends a lot of time playing sports with her dad? After watching a television talk show on this subject, I’ve begun to wonder whether there might be something more to her behavior than mere …
Should we force our 18-year-old son to worship with us? He’s a Christian but recently decided to stop going to church. Since he lives in our home and we still support him, we think he should follow the rules we establish. But we don’t want to drive him away from the Lord.
Is it wrong to tell children what they should believe about God? Isn’t that a form of “indoctrination?” I’m thinking it’s better to allow kids to make up their own minds.
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?
Is it really important for families to spend time together? Like everyone else, I constantly feel as if I don’t have enough hours in my day. Meanwhile, I’ve read lots of articles and been in on lots of conversations about what’s better – quality or quantity “family time.” Everyone in our house keeps a hectic …
What are some things I can do to help develop a healthy self-image in my children? I don’t want them to grow up thinking the world revolves around them, but I do want to instill in them a proper sense of self-respect and of their own value as persons. How should I go about it?
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 I help my child develop healthy friendships? I know how easy it can be for kids to make the wrong kinds of friends or to establish connections with others for the wrong reasons. What can I do to provide some helpful guidance in this area?
How do we manage our deep sense of failure as parents after learning that our son is being held back a year in school? How do we help him understand why he didn’t pass his grade level? What should we do if the other kids start to tease him about it?
How do I grant my child increasing freedom without being too permissive? Or, to put it another way, how do I keep her safe without being overprotective? I have a twelve-year-old who keeps telling me that she’s old enough to go places by herself. For example, she wants to be able to ride her bike …
What’s the best way to help a child work through the passing of a relative or close family member? My father died this year, and our grade-school-aged son has been asking questions. For example, he wants to know where grandpa has gone and whether he has become a “guardian angel.” How do I respond without …
How do I know whether my child’s fever is serious? It’s the middle of the night, and he’s running a high temperature. What should I do to treat the fever until we can get him to a doctor?
Do you have any advice for handling toddler who wanders into our room in the middle of the night screaming, moaning, thrashing wildly, and jabbering incoherently? He doesn’t seem to know us when these Night Terrors get a grip of him. When we try to comfort him, he just pushes us away. Is there anything …
Can a toddler with Down syndrome be taught to use the toilet? Given my son’s special developmental and mental challenges, I’m not sure whether he has the capacity to understand what I’m asking of him. I’d really appreciate any practical advice you might be able to offer.
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?
Should we force our teen to relocate to a new state with the rest of us? A job change is requiring our family to move, but our adolescent son, who is currently a student in high school, doesn’t want to go with us. He’d rather move in with some friends and graduate from the school …
