Questions

Tween won't do chores!

Posted on 10/14/2015

Our 11-year-old son is resists everything we tell him to do. Example: he has to walk the dogs in the morning, and hates to do it. He feels that his sister, who is 7-years-old, has much less...

Teens...

Posted on 10/9/2015

17 yr old update Since my last communication our 17 yr old has lived in her room. Comes out to eat when we are not in the house. If I knock on her door I am answered with an aggravated what!!...

Appreciative Father

Posted on 9/8/2015

Thank you Sarah for taking a few minutes to answer my question. You asked what riles me up about her texting and am I trying to curtail her interaction with boys or texting. The short answer is...

17 year old Serial Texter

Posted on 9/7/2015

My daughter is 17. We gave her an iPhone when she was 14. The 1st Month she had it, she texted a few guys 16,000 times in a month. My mouth hit the floor in amazement and disgust. What I...

16 yo Lagging Behind Twin

Posted on 9/4/2015

Hello! Here's a toughy for me. We have twin boys, age 16. One has passed the temporary driving test and the other is having a much more difficult time. (He has a learning disability.) What can...

17 yo Independence, Part 3

Posted on 8/31/2015

I am a little confused. What is the difference between an ipod and a cellphone? They are both ways of communicating with friends and other people. She isn't doing any of the responsibilities we...

17 yo Independence, Revisited

Posted on 8/27/2015

We called her bluff of having friends that would take her in. We were okay with her going to a friends house if the parents would be responsible for her. She is back after a week and a day. The...

Birth Control for 16 year old

Posted on 8/19/2015

16 year old daughter living in a broken home with mother. She is sexually active. Father is concerned about her getting pregnant and is making arrangements for her to get birth control Rx. ...

17 year old independence

Posted on 8/6/2015

We have a 17 year old daughter who lies, sneaks behind our back to purchase ipads. Highly manipulative. For the past 2 years has told me not to tell her what to do. Wants to be treated like an...

Four year old with a Bad Attitude

Posted on 8/4/2015

HI there, Thank you for your quick reply on my previous question about my 4 year old. I have re-started the ticket system targeting refusal to do what mummy/daddy tells her. Previously, I had...

17 year old time management

Posted on 7/30/2015

Our 17-year-old has to leave for the airport at 6:30 in the morning. After a day full of social activities, to which she wanted to add even more, we let her know she needed to come home and get...

Teen Cellphone Use Out of Control

Posted on 7/28/2015

Despite being among the last parents to give our teens phones, their usage with those, as well as chatting with friends via the computer has gotten out of hand. Unfortunately, the school now...

Teenager Disrespectful

Posted on 7/28/2015

Our teenager texts to ask if she can borrow the SUV to help get more youth group members to a mission night event. I call the youth minister to get more details. While I'm on the phone with him,...

16 yo Parents Sticking to It

Posted on 7/20/2015

I will be a STRONG parent to my teenager. Thank you Sarah for the "tough love" that you are continually reinforcing me to implement for my snotty teenage boy. It seems the world of parents I see...

16 Year Old Rehabilitation Going Slow

Posted on 7/17/2015

Hi John, I am getting tougher on my 16 year old with brat behavior. Love this boy but he is a handful. He has great grades and is a great musician ...but at home, he can be a tantrum...

17 Year Old First Love

Posted on 6/3/2015

Our son, who has just turned 17 years of age, is currently in his first relationship. Of course by no means perfect, he has always been a respectful and compassionate person, who is the outwardly...

16 yr old New Driver

Posted on 6/2/2015

What is your take on installing a device in a car to monitor a 16-year-old's driving? He is a good kid; good grades, well-mannered, respectful, etc. There's GPS as part of the device, and it also...

16 year old lying, stealing

Posted on 5/16/2015

My 16 year old (adopted at age 9) has been dealing with lying and deception involving taking things from within our home which do not belong to her (candy, lotions, makeup). This started at age...

10 year old refuses to do homework

Posted on 5/6/2015

My 10 year old has always struggle in school in regards to reaching grade level. He has always did his homework and does the best he can I class. The last 5 months it seems as though he has just...

Snappish Teen

Posted on 4/19/2015

What should we do about a snappish teen? What used to be a rare occurrence is now more common than not. We'll ask a normal question and she will bark back an answer like she can't be bothered with...

Teen has no empathy

Posted on 4/12/2015

Our teen is quick to criticize other's reactions instead of just taking care of the matter at hand. Here is a prime example: she accidentally knocks an item off the shelf. I let out a gasp with...

Rebellious Teen

Posted on 4/10/2015

I am a single mother of a 17 year old daughter. For the past year, our relationship has slowly deteriorated. She doesn't respect any rules, comes home whenever she wants, skips school whenever...

17 year old Drinking

Posted on 3/9/2015

My husband and I are seeking advice concerning our 17 year old son (my step son). My husband and his mom are divorced and my step son goes back and forth staying with us and his mother. However,...

Teens and Grandma

Posted on 3/2/2015

If possible, please do not post this question for public display: My 84-year-old mom wants to take my high school junior on a cruise as a graduation gift next year. Our daughter appreciates the...

Teaching a Teen Empathy, Part 2

Posted on 2/14/2015

Love the idea about having our teen volunteer consistently at a local nursing home or other area of interest to engender empathy that may help her bring that quality to the family as well. I had...

Surly Teen

Posted on 2/9/2015

How should we address general surliness with a teen? She is probably ticked because her electronics are being kept downstairs and she seems stressed over the upcoming prom and who is asking whom,...

17 yr old SAT prep

Posted on 2/4/2015

We have a high school junior who needs to be doing some daily preparation for an upcoming SAT. Recommended time from an SAT course she took was 30 minutes per day. How do we motivate her to do...

Teaching a Teen Empathy

Posted on 2/4/2015

How do we teach a teenager to be more empathetic and what do we do when her lack of empathy is hurtful to others? The teen in question is much more logical and is not only uncomfortable with much...

Mom is Embarrassing

Posted on 2/1/2015

How should I handle this situation: I am out shopping with my 17-year-old daughter. I ask, while trying on a very ordinary pair of sunglasses, "How do these look?" She hisses at me to stop at once...

16 YO Drug Use Update

Posted on 1/30/2015

Dinah: thank you very much for your advice and I will keep you posted. Unfortunately I just now saw this and thought to check this tonight after having a conversation with my ex-wife about some...

Info on Dealing with Teenagers

Posted on 1/9/2015

I have 14 and 16 year old daughters. I have just experience my first ( of I am sure many to come) big teenage "bad decision". I immediately revoked privileges to show that bad decisions result...

18 Year Old Psychological Problems

Posted on 1/4/2015

Our 18 year old daughter has been seeing a psychologist who is credentialed as a Christian therapist for almost 6 years. Our concern initially was depressive symptoms we observed after we moved...

16 year old lying and exaggerations

Posted on 12/31/2014

Our 16-year-old, active in school and church, has a habit of lying or extremely exaggerating her accomplishments. She'll tell an engaging story from school but later we find out it didn't happen...

16 YO Drug Use

Posted on 12/23/2014

Recently I called the police on my son. I called the police for two reasons: 1) my son ordered some drug paraphernalia via mail that I found, opened and confiscated; 2) because my son got very...

16 year old moods

Posted on 12/23/2014

My husband and I do not know what to do with our 16-year-old son who is girl crazy. He is moody and depressed if he does not have someone who likes him. Whenever someone does, he conforms to their...

Parent Loving an Unrepentant Teen, update

Posted on 12/22/2014

Thank you Sarah for your counsel on my last question ("Parent loving An Unrepentant Teen"), it was/is helpful.

Loving An Unrepentant Teen

Posted on 12/12/2014

Hi there! I have a theological question that applies to raising kids that I would like your advice on: In adult to adult relationships I believe as followers of Christ we need to initiate...

Follow up to 16 year old Brat

Posted on 12/5/2014

Follow up to 16 year old brat Thank you! I just want to clarify a few things to make sure we are on the same page. 1. We have said no many times. No to an expensive elite music group, no to...

18 yo Shutting Parents Out

Posted on 12/4/2014

We need help deciding our response to our 18 year old daughter. She is a freshman currently attending a Bible College and seemly doing quite well. She has a lot of good qualities that make us...

16 year old Brat

Posted on 12/3/2014

I also have a 16 year old Brat I have a 16 year old who does good at school and is an amazing musician with awards. BUT he has determined that he is "entitled" to everything music. We support...

16 yo cutting and perhaps suicidal

Posted on 12/3/2014

I am looking for your recommendation of a good therapist/psychologist for my 16 year old daughter who has been cutting and has tried to take her life twice in the past year & 1/2. Her parents...

16 yo Dating

Posted on 11/30/2014

Dear Dr. Rosemond, Your wife forwarded an e-mail to you last year & I thank you again for your quick reply. You helped me last year advising me to shut down a toxic friendship that my daughter...

16 year old Not Following Right Path

Posted on 11/29/2014

Our only 16-1/2 year old daughter likes the same sex. My husband & i who are devout catholic do not agree with this lifestyle and have told her so but she continues to do so and also associates...

16 yo girl seeing a therapist

Posted on 11/29/2014

Our 16 year old daughter has tried to take her life twice. She does not talk to us regarding any problems and never has. She has always felt as though she does not want to bother or worry us and...

Extended Family Undermining Parents

Posted on 11/21/2014

(See past responses) As you know our 18y old daughter ran off & living with controlling boyfriend-it’s been a struggle causing so much hurt & pain in the family. She has been extremely...

13 and 18 yo tickets, revisited, from john boy

Posted on 11/13/2014

Re:13 yo and 8 yo Ticket System, Revisited Dinah, I don't think my problem is micromanagement. The reason that I have 30 target behaviors that I have dealt with my kids over the years is...

Helpful Advice

Posted on 11/13/2014

Thank you for your counsel Carri on my last question. I appreciate it and it is helpful. I will keep you all updated on how things go. Pray for me!

Teenage Defiance

Posted on 11/11/2014

OK, it seems things have come "full circle" again with my 15/16 year old. I had another significant problem/conflict with him about his smart phone and he refused to put it away for the night...

16 yo Car

Posted on 11/3/2014

My 16 1/2 year-old just totaled the hand-me-down car she has had for exactly one month. Thankfully, everyone is all right; she just misjudged her clearance on a turn. She works in the family...

16 year old defies parents

Posted on 10/31/2014

Okay. So I wrote in on 10/26/2014 (see 16 Year old Partier..), took the advice I was given, and Monday after school, laid out the 6 month plan to my son. He left the house, on foot, with his...

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