How do I tell my young children (ages eight, seven, and four) that their grandparents – my husband’s mom and dad – are splitting up as a result of Grandpa’s involvement with another woman? Since these grandparents live out of state, we only see them every three to four months or so. We don’t plan …
Sexuality Q&A
When should my husband and I stop showering with our toddler-age children and changing clothes in front of them? Can you give us some guidelines for modesty in the home?
How do we deal with an unhappy and contrary pubescent boy? Our ten-year-old son has just hit puberty, and it seems to have drastically altered his personality. He went from a generally happy little boy who laughed all the time to a miserable pre-teen who is always fighting with someone – my wife and me, his …
Why are so many teens making bad sexual choices? This worries me because I have teenage kids of my own and I’m anxious to help them avoid serious mistakes in this area. Can you help me get a better handle on teenage attitudes about sex?
Can a one-time viewing of a violent or sexually explicit film or TV show have negative long-term effects on children? I just learned my grade-schooler saw an inappropriate cable movie while spending the day at a friend’s house. What should I do and how can I prevent this happening in the future?
How can we prepare our toddler for the upcoming birth of a new baby? What’s the best way to explain the birthing process so that he can understand it? I’d like to be as honest as possible with him, but I also want to be careful not to give him more information than he needs. …
Can you help me understand the dynamics of father-daughter and mother-son relationships? Does a child’s interaction with the parent of the opposite sex take on a greater significance as he or she enters the teenage years? If so, how?
How can we help our son have a successful prom night? He’s excited about this event, but I’m afraid he may also be a bit naive, both about the cost and the potential moral pitfalls. Any suggestions for some helpful tips and basic ground rules?
How should we respond to pro-gay curriculum in the public schools? The administrators of our child’s elementary school have announced that they will soon be implementing a course of study in “tolerance” and “diversity training” for students in the lower grades. While we expect and have always encouraged our children to respect everyone – including …
How should I help my unwed pregnant daughter?
What’s the best way to confront our teenage daughter with our discovery that she has become sexually involved with her boyfriend? We found an entry in her journal describing a sexual encounter. We can’t allow this behavior to go unaddressed, but we don’t want to create a wedge and close the door to future communication. …
Should I be worried when my preschooler talks about having a boyfriend? I wasn’t too concerned until recently when she and a boy of the same age kept going off into a corner of the yard “to be alone” as they played with other neighborhood kids. What do you think about this?
Is it okay for a boy to be gentle and sensitive? Our two young sons couldn’t be more different. The oldest is a typical boy: loud and in perpetual motion. His 4-year-old brother, however, is so quiet I hardly know he’s around. While our oldest son and his dad spend hours on end rough-housing together, …
Are we right to be worried about our daughter’s decision to move in with her boyfriend? When we found out she that she was living with him, we told her we felt it was immoral. She said our values were “old fashioned” and argued that living together is the best way to test a couple’s …
How can I know if my teen is likely to engage in premarital sex? My spouse and I have tried to raise our kids in the right way, but we’re keenly aware that the culture is working against us. Promiscuity is fashionable nowadays and sexual temptations are everywhere. How can we guard against it? Are …
Should I let my teenage girls wear pants? I was raised in a conservative Christian home where modesty in behavior and clothing were always stressed as matters of the highest importance for young girls. In particular, my mother made sure I understood that women should never wear pants, since “A woman shall not wear anything …
Do you think there’s any danger of my kids becoming victims of sexual exploitation? I’ve never been a big believer in overly tight controls for my teenagers. My feeling has always been that they should have an increasing amount of independence at this stage of their development. I don’t enforce strict curfews or ask a …
How important is same-sex socialization for toddlers? When we put our two-year-old son in daycare, the provider had oversight of eight kids-seven girls and one boy. Since then the other boy’s parents have made different arrangements, leaving our son as the only male child in the facility. As his dad, I’m worried that this situation …
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 …
How can we comfort and support a young girl who has just been through the trauma of rape? We just learned that one of our children was recently the victim of a sexual assault. We are absolutely devastated. How can we help our daughter heal from this traumatic experience? What first steps should we take …
