Q. You often mention that parents need to be role models for our children. Exactly what behaviors and values do you believe we need to model?   A.  Being a good parental role model is important, because children mimic what they see and hear. This is sometimes...

Q.My husband and I have a 4-week-old baby who keeps us both worn out. I feel so depleted, but I have to keep myself going. Some friends have offered to watch the baby while I run an errand or go out for a date night with my husband. But I feel so guilty when I leave...

Q. My 5-year-old son has Asperger’s, and I’m working to learn about his needs and how to handle discipline. I have a 9-year-old daughter who didn’t behave the way my son does. So, what should I do when, for example, he refuses to come to the dinner table?   A....

Q. My 13-year-old daughter has lost interest in things she used to love to do. She doesn’t seem to have much energy. She’s irritable much of the time. Could she be depressed, or is this some sort of phase that girls go through at this age? Should I take her to see a...

Q. We’re expecting our first child, and I’m curious about pacifiers. My wife plans to breastfeed our baby. Will we still need or want to use a pacifier? And if we do, when is a good time to get the child to give up the pacifier? A. Sometimes when mothers breastfeed,...

Q. My daughter and I got into a heated argument the other day. My husband was there, and he took my daughter’s side. It’s been bothering me ever since, and my relationships with both my husband and daughter have been affected. How can I make things right? A. I think...

Q.  When my middle school daughter cried because she wasn’t put in the same English class as her best friend, I called the principal to request she be moved. I told my sister about it, and she called me a “lawnmower” parent. She said I make excuses for my daughter and...

Q. We have two boys, ages 13 and 16. My husband leaves early for work, so it’s my job to get the boys up, ready for school and out to the car for the drive to school. I have to call them several times before they finally get up. By then I’m frantic, because we barely...

Q.  My 2-year-old son is having trouble giving up playtime. A while ago, I noticed when I ask him to stop playing so we can leave the house or eat or go to bed, he throws a tantrum. So, I was just letting him tire himself out. But recently, he started banging his head...

Q. Our son is 3 years old and an only child. Lately, my husband has been talking a lot about having another baby. I know he gets pressure from his parents, because our son is their only grandchild. My mother-in-law has made it clear she’d love to buy cute little girl...

Q.  I’m in a bad situation. My husband yells at me in front of our children (2 and 7 years old). He says I’m fat and lazy. He says he hates me. Once in a while, he hits me, but not where anyone could see. I’m staying with him for now because I have nowhere to go and...

Q. We were eating in a restaurant when my 16-year-old son blurted out “You’re bad parents!” This presumably because we took away his cell phone during the meal. He said he was expecting an important text from his girlfriend. He and his sister left and started walking...