How Can I Affirm My Shy Daughter?
Encourage confidence in your child through your own faith.
My stepson won’t obey house rules
My stepson won't listen to me when I try to enforce house rules – what can I do ...
Ayuda a tus hijos a ser santos
Mi padre siempre nos enseñó que si tomábamos algo prestado, sin importar lo que ...
Point your kids toward heaven
My dad always taught us that if we borrowed something, no matter what it was, we...
How can I keep my child safe without being over-protective?
Worry less, pray more when it comes to letting go of your child at any stage
My kids always whine for things at the grocery store
Planning, treats and patience can help you prevent and manage meltdowns at the grocery store
The rules at my ex-husband’s house are different from mine
Prayer and support can help you negotiate different post-divorce parenting styles
How do I make my teenager do chores?
Ways to motivate your teen to do chores, along with a reminder about doing the little things for the love of God.
How do we make a foster child feel at home?
Setting realistic expectations and being aware of your child's feelings can help you and your foster child feel more comfortable
How can I stop my daughter from bullying someone online?
What to do when your child is the bully online
My kids don’t want to go to their father’s house for Christmas
My kids’ dad and I are divorced. They don’t want to go to their father’s house f...
I hear my mother's language when I talk to my kids
I hear my mother’s voice sometimes when I talk. Is there a better way to talk to...
My daughter is really stressed at her first job
A transition into a new phase of life can be disconcerting.
My daughter says she no longer believes in God
After graduation from college, my daughter told me she no longer believes in God...
I can't talk to my mom because she's distracted by her phone
I know you usually answer questions from parents – but I’m a 14-year-old with a ...
My son is home from college and won't go to mass
My son came home for the summer after his first year at college, and announced t...
Should we try shaming for our disobedient son?
Our son is constantly disobeying us. The last straw was this week when he g...
My daughter, a practicing Catholic, is dating a Muslim man
My adult daughter, who's always been a practicing Catholic, is dating a Muslim m...
My 4-year-old is biting kids at preschool
My 4-year-old has been getting in trouble at preschool for biting some of the ot...
Our college graduate needs to leave the nest
An Irish lullaby that I loved singing to my children includes lyrics that reflec...
Our son says 'No' to college, he wants to be a construction worker
One of my best friends decided to work full- time in an audio library for the mu...
I want my younger son to step out of his brother’s shadow
Our children had diverse interests in high school, but the entire family support...
How can I invite my kids back to mass?
One challenging aspect of parenting is realizing that children grow up and forge...
How Much Screen Time is Too Much?
When I was young, one of my teachers spoke of attending the 1931 White House Con...
Does our daughter really need tutoring for a ‘B’ in math?
In his Prairie Home Companion radio broadcast, Garrison Keillor would invite lis...
Is 9 years old too young for summer camp?
My daughter really wants to go to summer camp, but she's only 9. Is she old enou...
If we're paying for the wedding, shouldn't we get to plan it?
Our daughter is getting married next year, and we offered to pay for the wedding...
Can we have Easter fun without the Easter Bunny?
I love the tradition of the Easter Bunny, but don’t want to take away from the real meaning of Easter.
Our new parish isn't diverse at all
We just moved to a new community, which has been a big change for all of us.
Does my kindergartner really need an iPhone?
My son is in kindergarten and several of his friends are getting iPhones for Chr...
My daughter just started college and her grades are bad
My daughter is in her first semester of college, and her grades have slipped sin...
My daughter thinks I play favorites
I love my children equally, but my daughter thinks I play favorites. How can I a...
My 14-year-old is telling lies
Q: I have caught my 14-year-old daughter in several lies lately, sometimes about...
Does summer vacation have to be so structured?
Q: It’s summer and my kids are out of school. I remember the lazy days of summer...
My son has been using prescription drugs and painkillers
Q: I just found out that my 15-year-old son, who’s always been a great student a...
Does prom have to be a 24-hour party?
Q: Around here, prom seems to have turned into a 24-hour-plus party. My daughter...
My son’s friend is left home alone constantly
Q: My son’s close friend is in a household where the parents are rarely home. He...
My kids’ wardrobes are driving me crazy
Q: My kids are driving me crazy with their wardrobes. My son wants to wear baggy...
I’m afraid my daughter has an eating disorder
Q: I think my daughter is binge eating and purging. I’ve found empty packages of...
My kids’ stepfather yells at them too much
Q: My ex-wife married a man who is a much tougher disciplinarian than I am. He i...
Should I let my neighbor’s runaway daughter stay with us?
A: My mother’s warm heart led her to open our home twice in this way when I was ...
Grandma is a recovering alcoholic and wants to baby-sit
Recovery: A long and winding road. An article by Kat MGowan, “The New Quitter” (...
Do I have to baby-sit my younger brothers and sisters every weekend?
I am 17 and the oldest of five children. My parents treat me as their built-in b...
Should I allow my child to go to this sleepover?
Parental monitoring: In order to make decisions about sleepovers, parents need i...
I want to find the child I gave up for adoption
Q: I gave up my daughter for adoption shortly after I gave birth. Now that she i...
Does my 4-year-old have to give up her security blanket?
Q: My husband thinks our daughter is too old for her security “blankie” and want...
My husband is setting a bad example. How do I get him to buckle up?
Q: My husband won’t wear a seat belt. The kids are now questioning why they need...
I don’t want my kids to watch horror movies when visiting my parents!
Q. Despite my objections, my parents let our young kids watch horror films when ...
I feel cheap when my sister overspends
My sister spends too much on Christmas gifts for my kids – way more than I can a...
Do grandparents have visitation rights?
Our son and daughter-in-law recently got divorced. Our son has no visitation rig...
Parents and Sports when the cheering goes overboard!
My son told me that he would rather I didn’t attend his baseball games because I...
Argument or agreement? Teens and household chores
I am returning to the work force. I have two teens – ages 15 and 13. What is rea...
Is it time for the talk?
Q. My child recently turned 10 years old. Is that too young to have the talk?
...
To be confirmed? Who makes the decision?
Q. My son has decided he doesn’t want to be confirmed. Is there something I can ...
Who should walk my daughter down the aisle at her wedding?
Q. My daughter does not have a close relationship with my ex-husband, and now th...
Should we attend a wedding if our children aren't invited?
Q. We were invited to a friend’s wedding and were told on the invitation that ou...
Shouldn’t my kids dress up for Mass?
Q. My kids fight me about getting dressed up for Mass – I think the girls should...
My daughter likes the baby sitter more than she likes me!
Q. My daughter seems to like the day-care provider better than she does me. As a...
I don’t know how to be a good godparent
Q. We were asked to be godparents by some friends who are expecting a baby. We a...
Do I have to change my cooking to vegetarian because my kids are vegetarian?
Q. Our kids have decided to become vegetarians, which we think is ridiculous. Sh...
Helping your first-time voter make wise choices
Q: My son is about to vote for the first time. How can I help him make wise choi...
She’s 15, he’s 18 – should they date?
Q: Our 15-year-old daughter is interested in an 18-year-old who also likes her. ...
We have a special needs child and I stay home to take care of him.
Q. We have a special needs child and I stay home to take care of him. I love him...
Should our daughter compete in beauty pageants?
Sexualization of girls. One of the concerns about beauty pageants is the focus o...
I am a widower How do I tell my children I am in a new relationship?
Not a new mother. Clarify that your new wife is not a replacement for their mom....
I want my children to love their father even if I don’t
A. Once, when I was a lunchtime helper at my daughter’s grade school, her classm...
My mother is interfering with my baby-sitting rules
Wait for a private moment to talk. It may be that your mother was on automatic p...
What defines immodest clothing for teens?
Clothing is an expression of identity.
The choices that we make in terms of ...
This bullying has to stop. What do we do?
Get school administrators and teachers on board. A tattle-tale is someone who go...
The disaster zone my teen calls home
Generate simple room makeover ideas! Why not focus on ways to help her plan some...
Survivor's guilt after a fatal accident
• Share a meal. What did you do together before the accident? If you went out to...
Am I a bad parent if I don't go to every one of my son's soccer games?
Families are systems
When children are young, parental work and social activi...
Is a gift for good behavior Reward or bribery?
What is the difference between bribery and a reward?
In some ways, it’s all ...
I lost a child, and Mothers’ Day is hard. Can’t they avoid talking about it at church?
If you can, stand for your blessing.
You will always be a mother. When you pr...
How can I get my parents to discipline my children my way?
Your family issues mirror global concerns.
Most European countries have banne...
We are having a baby, but all of our friends’ kids are grown
What time is it on your social clock? We hear so much about our biological clock...
How can I find my birth mother without hurting my real mom?
Reasons behind apprehension. As children reach the end of the teen years and ent...
TV or not TV? That is the question
No TV is an extreme choice. Parents want to make choices to keep their children ...
Sibling jealousy: What is a parent to do?
Get down to the specifics. Talk to your younger daughter one-on-one during a neu...
How do I get my toddler to stay in bed?
Look at other parts of the day. It sounds counter-intuitive, but to see why your...
Are high-pressure sports good for my child?
I think sports are a wonderful team-builder. But I’ve noticed that some of the p...
My grandchildren are annoying!
Keep boredom at bay!
An R. I. Fitzhenry quote gives a clue on how to change t...
I can’t get my 3-year-old to use the potty
Mature in every way but one?
A mature preschooler is able to communicate his ...
My kid is on drugs! What do I do now?
Call on your own support system. A first reaction might include the desire to st...
I can’t stand my son-in-law – three tips to make it work
The die is cast. As parents, we picture rosy scenarios for our children’s future...
My grandchildren have terrible manners!
The essence of etiquette is to make other people comfortable. Even as adults, we...
How do I help my children understand chronic illness and death?
First, network with parents of other chronically ill children in your community....
We had a baby, but lost our friends! What do we do?
Blue Heaven was released in 1927, but great artists like Frank Sinatra and Fats ...
Big changes are coming
Q: How do I prepare my daughter for a new baby brother?
A: Your daughter will...
Protecting your child - driver’s tips
A: If she will be driving to school, have her leave home early so that she is pa...
Too little play? Not enough? How do I make sure my child is getting it right?
Try to match your suggestions to her interests.
The novelty of an old-fashio...
What is the right age to talk to your children about sex?
I was appalled to find out that my sister had already talked to her 9-year-old d...
I hate my son’s lip ring! How can I get him to take it out?
• Your son honored your wishes until he was out of your home. Perhaps he will ag...
“I do it myself!” Can you reason with a pre-schooler?
It is certainly true that the logic of a pre-schooler doesn’t match our logic. I...
Our son is gay - what do we do?
Bortner men tended to die in their 40s of heart attacks, and so Ray was ready to...
“The valley of death"
Rows of Boys Scouts sitting in high-school bleachers call up images of award cer...
Hey baby, come a little closer
Each generation questions the taste of those that follow, whether it be in hairs...
Not a child anymore
A decade ago, a national poll investigated the attitudes of 13- to 17-year-olds....
How do I raise my child to be a good Catholic?
A few years ago, a PBS show, Mixed Blessings, followed the closing of Sacred Hea...
I do it myself!
During the collection at Mass young children come down the aisles to drop off th...
Boomerang baby!
My daughter, Kaiti, attended a college that was an “intimate distance” from our ...
Preserve your family history
In the 1930s, teens would turn the radio dial to NBC and make up steps when Let=...
¿Deberíamos tratar de avergonzar a nuestro hijo desobediente?
P: Nuestro hijo nos desobedece constantemente. El colmo fue esta semana cuando l...
Mi hija dice que ya no cree en Dios
P: Después de graduarse de la universidad, mi hija me dijo que ya no cree en Dio...
No puedo hablar con mi mamá porque está distraída con su teléfono
Sé que generalmente respondes las preguntas de los padres, pero tengo 14 años y ...
Mi hijo está en casa por las vacaciones de la universidad y no quiere ir a misa
P: Mi hijo llegó a casa durante el verano después de su primer año en la univers...
Mi hija adolescente podría estar usando Snapchat para sextear
P: Sospecho que mi hija de 16 años podría estar usando Snapchat para sextear, pe...