Living Vicariously Through Your Children
Q. My husband pushes our sons (10 and 16) and daughter (12) to excel in sports. He coaches some of their teams, and when he’s not coaching, he’s that guy yelling at the kids and the referee. He won’t let them quit. He expects them to get college sports...
Importance of Kids Volunteering
Q. When I suggested to my 15-year-old that she find a volunteer position, she said she’d rather hang out with friends or listen to music, and if she were going to work, she wanted to be paid. Then she asked, “What’s the big deal with volunteering anyway?” I didn’t...
Are You Raising a Praise Junkie?
Q. My wife and I have two small children, ages 2 and 4. All my wife’s attention is focused on letting them know they are special. She praises them for every little thing, but she is critical of how I do things. Am I awful to want my wife to tell me “Good job” once in...
Interfaith Marriage
Q. My husband and I come from different faiths, and until recently it wasn’t a problem. But now we have a baby, and we each want to pass down certain elements of our faiths. We get in heated discussions. How can we work out our differences? A. It’s not uncommon for a...
My Daughter Can’t Stop Acting Selfish
Q. Our 10-year-old daughter gets angry when she doesn’t get her way or what she wants. She doesn’t want to share with others. She resists doing chores and homework. She is jealous when her 6-year-old sister gets attention. Why does she behave this way? What can we do...
When a “Bestie” Drops Your Child
Q. My middle school daughter was dropped by her best friend. They were “besties” since third grade, then suddenly my daughter was excluded from her friend’s plans, and her friend won’t answer my daughter’s texts. I want to call her mother to see what we can do, but...
How to Help Your Child Through a Loss
Q. My father is in hospice care and isn’t expected to live much longer. It’s been emotionally hard on me, but I also have two children, ages 5 and 8. What suggestions do you have for helping them get through this loss? A. You’re going through a difficult time. You’re...
My Teen Is Not Eager to Drive
Q. Our son recently celebrated his 16th birthday, and we gave him our old family car. We thought he’d be excited to take his driver’s license test, but instead he’s dragging his feet. He seems happy having everyone else in the family give him rides, which isn’t always...
A Mother-in-Law Becomes a Grandma
Q. My daughter-in-law and son are expecting their first child. I’ve raised five children so I try to help them with advice, but they don’t seem to want to listen. For example, I looked at the ingredients in the pre-natal vitamins my daughter-in-law chose, and they...
Our Kids Need More Exercise
Q. Our kids seldom go outside to play. I think they need more exercise, but my husband seems very anxious when they are outside. He worries that they’re going to run into the street or something bad will happen to them. (They are 3, 7 and 13, by the way.) Do you have...
She’s a Slob, I’m a Neatnik and It’s Making Us All Crazy!
Q. Yesterday, I came home to a messy house, which is typical. There were dirty dishes all over the kitchen, toys everywhere and piles of undone laundry. I lost my self-control and yelled at my wife and kids. When we married, I didn’t realize my wife would be so messy....
Do We Have to Choose Between Tiger Parenting and Free-Range Parenting?
Q. My wife and I differ on how our children—ages 9, 11 and 14—will spend their summer. I am all for plenty of free time playing, but my wife wants to schedule their days with activities like learning a new language, music lessons, team sports, theater lessons and...
