Q. Our daughter married a man with money and a big salary. Our grandchildren are growing up accustomed to having everything they want and more. They get expensive things they don’t ask for. My wife buys them expensive gifts, and they don’t even thank her. I don’t buy...

Q. It seems like my kids are always whining: they badger me incessantly until I give in to whatever they want. I try redirection and even saying “No,” but it doesn’t stop. Why do my kids whine and how can I get them to stop? A. Kids probably start to whine...

Q. My wife and I are in the habit of criticizing each other in front of our children. She calls me stupid and I call her crazy. Sometimes I tell her in a negative way that she is just like her mother. She questions everything I do, insinuating I’m not doing something...

Q. Our daughter Kristin (age 12) socializes almost totally through social media. In addition to avoiding talking with peers, I’m told she doesn’t raise her hand in class. When called on she looks down, mumbles and can’t be understood. Her teachers try to get her to...

Q. My husband and I took our two little girls, ages 8 and 6, to a house party at the home of friends. There were other parents there with children about the ages of our children, and while the adults were downstairs visiting, the children went upstairs to play. When...

Q. I’m a stay-at-home mom finding it hard to deal with what people have called the “terrible twos.” Our 2-year-old son is so challenging, saying “no” all day long and throwing lots of temper tantrums. He gets into everything and I can’t take my eyes off him for a...

Q. My good friend Beth has a 10-year-old son Jason, and we spend a good bit of time together. Recently my son Zach, who is also 10, told me he no longer wants to hang out with Jason, and when asked why, responded, “Because I don’t like the way he acts.” While I want...

Q. My friend Eleanor likes to post photos of her family on Facebook. Recently she posted one to my timeline that I decided to “hide” because I didn’t think it’s appropriate, but Eleanor thinks it’s “cute.” The photo was of Eleanor’s 14-year-old daughter in a very...

Q. Our 14-year-old daughter Bella’s first and only boyfriend Justin broke up with her and is now with another girl in her class. We were told that the new girlfriend can go out on dates with a boy alone until midnight. Bella is very upset about not having Justin as...

Q. Our “middle child” Katie is 10 years old. We seem to be working harder with her than with her sisters as Katie’s never content; it seems she’s always looking for something else to buy or to be entertained by someone else. Katie’s inability to be happy in the moment...

Q. I have primary custody of my two children, but the kids spend school holidays and most of the summer with my ex-husband. They have a good relationship with their dad and I never say anything negative about him. I do worry about him using racial slurs and speaking...

Q. We have two daughters, ages 6 and 11; there are two girls on our street who are the same ages as our kids, but the older child doesn’t often play with my older daughter. How common is it for children to exclude a playmate? What can I do to make this better? A....