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?
Everyday Parenting Q&A
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 …
As a parent and grandparent, should I step in to help if I feel that my son-in-law is not caring properly for my daughter and my grandchildren? What makes this especially difficult is that his actions (or lack thereof) could put his family’s safety at risk. For example, he constantly forgets to put oil in …
How can we get our defiant toddler to lie down and go to sleep at night?
What can my husband and I do to help our teenage girl become the woman God wants her to be? In this gender-bending society, we’re especially concerned to make sure that she retains her femininity while also growing up to be a strong, well-adjusted, self-sufficient adult. Any suggestions?
Now that our son is over 18, should he still obey us?
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 …
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?
How can I make peace between my husband and our teenage daughter? Every day when he picks her up from school he either starts a fight or delivers a lecture about how she’s not measuring up academically. Then she calls me, angry or in tears. Grades have always been a problem for our daughter, and …
Psychologist Dr. Bill Maier says that imaginary friends are a totally normal part of life for preschoolers. Parents shouldn’t be concerned about imaginary friends unless a child is so focused on the relationship with the “friend” that he or she seems to be losing touch with reality. And of course, you should never let your …
Do I really have any influence over how my kids turn out?
What can we do to help our son develop a more positive outlook on life? He complains about everything and seldom seems happy. His negative attitude is affecting his school work, and I’m sure it’s hurting his ability to make friends as well.
In light of our tight financial situation, how should we handle all of the costly “extras” at our child’s school? Here’s the latest example: we received a note from my child’s kindergarten teacher informing us that the school would be producing yearbooks that cost $30.00. We declined to buy one, only to learn that our …
How can we teach our children good listening skills? They seem to have trouble paying attention to instructions and following directions. In my daughter’s case, I think she’s just defiant most of the time. As for my son, he’s very intense and tends to get so locked into television, a book, a videogame, or whatever …
As a dad, what are some of the key roles that I play in the life of my son? What areas in his life should I focus on and what are some things I can do to cultivate a healthy relationship between us?
How can my husband and I make sure that we don’t overindulge our cute little girl? She has a wonderful sweet personality and everyone in the family has been doting on her since she was born. But now that she’s four years old, I’m wondering if she’ll ever grow out of this “cute baby” phase. …
When a husband and wife discipline their children the same way, is there a need for a more balanced approach? I’ve heard that one of the ways male-female differences crop up in marriage and parenting is in sex-distinct approaches to child discipline: fathers supposedly emphasize justice, fairness, and duty (based on rules), while mothers are …
How can we raise our kids effectively when so many of our friends and family members hold perspectives and values that conflict with our beliefs? We’re a strong Christian family and we require our children to live by Christian standards of behavior. But not everyone shares our faith, and it’s frustrating to feel as if …
Can you help us decide on a strategy for giving our child the best possible education? Our daughter is ready to start school, and we want her to get her moving in the right direction. What kind of options and alternatives are available to us?
How can we teach our girls to be more discerning about relationships? I understand that girls are more relational than boys, but sometimes I worry that my two “tween” daughters are over the top and out of control in this area. Honestly, they soak up new “friendships” like a sponge, seemingly without any discernment or …
