Questions

15 Year Old Wrong Friends

Posted on 11/4/2015

What is the best strategy for parents to guide their teenager to choose quality people as friends? My 15 year old has become friends with several older teenagers who are not a good influence for...

Underage Drinking by College Daughter

Posted on 10/17/2015

Dear Parent Guru, It's been a year since I have written! I dug up my favorite book Power of the Praying Parent by Stormie O'Martin and praying has calmed me having a daughter in her 2nd year...

Teen Sexuality, Revisited

Posted on 10/13/2015

This question is a follow up to a previous question titled "Teen Sexuality." Our daughter seems to be going downhill concerning this issue. Things seemed okay for a couple weeks, but we've had...

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!!...

Teen Electronic Use

Posted on 10/6/2015

We have a 14.5 year old daughter who is a sophomore in high school. We just moved to a new town. We are living in a small condo (1,000sf), two bedrooms, open kitchen, dining room, sitting area. ...

Teen Sexuality

Posted on 9/18/2015

Our fourteen year old daughter recently let us know that she has been having sexual attraction toward a female teacher. She specifically mentioned her heart leaps when she is around the teacher...

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, Hang in There!

Posted on 9/3/2015

Okay. I am really trying to follow through with your advice, so I am making sure I am understanding my part. My fear is I do not want to contribute to her being irresponsible. I will let you...

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...

Sexual aggression - Part 3

Posted on 8/4/2015

You are correct on busy, Carri. My husband is big on keeping them all busy, which explains the plethora of interesting buildings we have on our property. It is amazing what eleven adopted...

7th Grader Uncirumsized

Posted on 8/4/2015

My stepson who is going into 7th grade has never been circumsized. I have been raising him since he was 3 (his bio mother is deceased). Should i bring up the subject to ward off any potential...

15 year old Kicked Out of Garden

Posted on 8/4/2015

My 15 year old son is a habitual liar and refuses to follow our family rules. He repeatedly will go to sports practice and then go to a friends house without asking or calling. He did send me a...

14 year old sexual aggression

Posted on 8/3/2015

Back again on my fourteen year old son in three days. Once again, another child (also turning fourteen in a few days, emotionally disturbed and mentally challenged) is alleging (and though she...

Sexual Aggression - Part 2

Posted on 8/3/2015

Thanks, Carri, for several good suggestions. We are not aware of any adoptive support group in our area. We got most of our eleven adoptions out of Texas. The counselors we have dealt with are...

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,...

15 yo Disrespect--Should Parent Apologize?

Posted on 7/23/2015

My husband and stepdaughter (15) had an argument. She lives with us full time but violated a rule, was called out on it and she escalated with (what she thought) were hurtful statements. One of...

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...

"I Hate Camp!"

Posted on 7/10/2015

My 13 year old son has been informing me that he will not attend a camp I signed him up to attend this coming week. This camp has wonderful reviews, he is rooming with one of his close friends...

House Rules for Adult Children?

Posted on 6/29/2015

Our 20-year old son is returning home from College for his summer break. We know that you advise that we respect that he is an adult and therefore not put the same restrictions on him that we did...

13 year old curfews

Posted on 6/28/2015

Curfew questions: I haven’t implemented the curfew rule and I want to make sure I get it all down before I present it to her, (she's 13 1/2) so here are a few examples I think might pop up: ...

13 yr old irresponsible

Posted on 6/28/2015

My 13 year old son is near sighted and has glasses and contacts to correct this. He needs to be reminded on a regular basis to wear his glasses/contacts as he prefers to go without either. My...

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...

The Talk

Posted on 5/20/2015

Our daughter is just turning 9. What is the best age to "have the talk" about sex? I'm thinking she's probably farther along in her understanding than we think. Also any tips on the best...

18 year old Home for the Summer

Posted on 5/15/2015

This is a follow-up to a question regarding my 18 year old daughter. She has finished her first year of college. It has been a good year for her, but she still seems to be very distant in her...

12 yo Make-Up, Revisited

Posted on 5/12/2015

To Dinah - Replying to your response: my daughter is 12!! While 14 and 16 are fine ages to enhance their faces, a 12 year old who is immature and encouraged by biomom to look sexy isn't the...

12 yo Make Up

Posted on 5/4/2015

Our 12 yr. old daughter (soon to be 13) wants to wear make up. She has bad acne and, although I have showed her how to clean her face and bought the treatments and creams, she is lazy about doing...

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...

13 yo birds and bees discussion

Posted on 4/8/2015

Good day, My 13 year old, turning 14 in August, he will be a High schooler. After months of suspension now has his phone back which I have to beg him for to return nightly to me ... almost as if...

Teasing in the Teen Years

Posted on 3/15/2015

My son, 13, attends a small private school. He has been there since 5 th grade. It was hard for him to become a PART of the class in 5th grade as most of the kids had been together for years. But,...

13 yo Inappropriate Cell Phone Use

Posted on 3/10/2015

I’m not sure how to handle this situation; any advice will be greatly appreciated. Here it goes: Back in Oct my daughter turned 13 and her father bought her a phone. I wasn’t thrilled, but I...

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...

13 yo Cell Phone Use--To Tell or Not to Tell?

Posted on 3/2/2015

My 13 year old son was given a phone. We have placed parental controls which has blocked all internet access, gives us alerts when he attempts to search. We control the amount of time he uses it...

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,...

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...

18 Year Old Emancipation

Posted on 1/18/2015

Our daughter moved to a different city at 18 to be a member of a ballet company. This venture was completely at our expense. After a year she decided she wanted to go to school full time, but...

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...

16 yo Dating

Posted on 1/7/2015

16 year old daughter -always been AWESOME student, a little disrespectful to mom, but otherwise almost perfect daughter....up to now. Became interested in 15 year old boy at school. We had a...

Catering to 15 year old's swim team demands

Posted on 1/5/2015

My daughter is almost 15, prefers to swim with a team that is a 40 min. drive one way. Another choice is 10 mins. away but she states "I don't like anyone on that team". The closer team has many...

14 year old makes inappropriate physical advances

Posted on 1/2/2015

Our 14 year old son put his hands up the shirt of our 10 year old niece to squeeze her chest. (They were at a family celebration in a room full of active kids.) We grounded him for one month...

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