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Question With all of the changes, interruptions and instability our son and daughter have experienced over the past several months, they’ve struggled a lot more with uncharacteristic outbursts of anger that sound a lot like the temper tantrums when they were young. Other parents in our home group have noticed similar problems. Any suggestions? Answer Whenever you are faced with someone who is expressing anger the healthiest first response is to STOP or pause, LOOK & LISTEN,

Question We have two young boys who are 19 months apart and they both struggle with anger. We’re doing a better job at managing our anger but need some help in teaching our boys how to deal with their anger. Any suggestions? Answer The critical first step is that we as parents understand the emotion of anger and are learning how to make that God-given emotion work for us rather than against us.  Based on the foundation of we as parents modeling healthy anger, here are seven

Question We’ve tried everything we can think of to help our son with his anger and nothing seems to help. The more we try to help the more he resists and the more frustrated we get. Any suggestions? Answer Of all the God-given emotions anger is the most difficult to deal with. Parents struggle more with their own anger than with any other emotion. They also report having more difficulty dealing with their children’s anger. Anger is a God-given emotion and can be expressed

Question I grew up in a home where my mother yelled and screamed about everything. I swore I'd never do that to my kids, but sometimes in the chaos of life with a 7-year-old son (who’s recently picked up a sarcastic streak) and a 5-year-old daughter (who likes to play loudly), I just lose it. This is not who I want to be. Any ideas for getting it under control? Answer We can’t count the number of parents who swore (figuratively speaking) that they’d parent differently than t

Question I am a single mother due to a marriage filled with domestic violence. I am raising three children, ages 6, 5, and 3, on my own. I am working two jobs and going to college full-time also. Sometimes I feel guilty because I am so short tempered with my kids. I am only 26 years old and feel so overwhelmed and inadequate for the situation in which I have been placed. My oldest son has ADHD and I am not sure how to discipline him because nothing seems to work. Answer

Question My son is extremely strong willed. He throws temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way. I've read all the books and try to be consistent in discipline. What else can I do? Answer You’ve rushed into Wal-Mart to pick up a few things and pass the Sponge Bob Bubble Bath. Your little guy reaches out to grab it and you move his hand away and say no. The power struggle has begun. In a matter of seconds your sons’ emotions can roar like a runaway train through frustration

Question I grew up in a home where my mother yelled and screamed about everything. I swore I'd never do that to my kids, but sometimes in the chaos of life with a 7-year-old son (who’s recently picked up a sarcastic streak) and a 5-year-old daughter (who likes to play loudly), I just lose it. This is not who I want to be. Any ideas for getting it under control? Answer We can’t count the number of parents who swore (figuratively speaking) that they’d parent differently than th

Question My strong-willed 6-year-old is wearing me down. She has an opinion about everything and it is almost always the opposite of what I ask of her. I give her options about unimportant things, such as what she will wear to school, but I put my foot down when she refuses to wear her coat on a cold day. Nevertheless, she persists and we end up in a terrible battle of wills. How can I make her obey without breaking her spirit? Answer You’ve got to love the strong-willed, opi

Question I am in an interracial marriage, and we have just been blessed with a baby. My problem is my wife’s family was trying to separate us, and now they won’t acknowledge our baby. What can I do? Answer Good marriages don’t just happen. The first few years of any marriage are challenging. Interracial marriages pose a unique set of challenges and you are facing one of the biggest ones. It’s very painful to be rejected by family members, especially when you are trying to lov

Question My son is extremely strong willed. He throws temper tantrums when he doesn't get his way. I've read all the books and try to be consistent in discipline. What else can I do? Answer You’ve rushed into Wal-Mart to pick up a few things and pass the Sponge Bob Bubble Bath. Your little guy reaches out to grab it and you move his hand away and say no. The power struggle has begun. In a matter of seconds your sons’ emotions can roar like a runaway train through frustr

Question My wife’s addiction to clutter is cheating us out of deeper intimacy in our relationship because I'm always angry and as a result detached. I'm overwhelmed by the mess! What can I do? Answer It sounds as if you’re blaming your anger on your wife. The reality is that you’re being cheated out of deeper intimacy because of your unwillingness to take responsibility for your own emotions; instead you blame your wife. If you’re spending a lot of time thinking about leaving

Question I am a single mother due to a marriage filled with domestic violence. I am raising three children, ages 6, 5, and 3, on my own. I am working two jobs and going to college full-time, also. Sometimes I feel guilty because I am so short tempered with my kids. I am only 26 years old and feel so overwhelmed and inadequate for the situation in which I have been placed. My oldest son has ADHD and I am not sure how to discipline him because nothing seems to work. Answer You

Question One year ago I was divorced and while it affected all three of the kids my 12-year-old daughter has been on an emotional roller coaster.  She is a wonderful student, gets great grades, her teachers love her and she has several friends that call her frequently.  It is only at home that she is defiant, argumentative, and rebellious.  She is angry most of the time.  I love her and want to help her, but I find myself getting angry in response to her anger and think that

Question My husband and I haven't done the greatest job in being consistent in how we discipline our 4-year-old son. Now that we have another child (22 months old), I can see that we've created a problem. Is it too late to start over with our son — and do you have any tips for how we can do it better this time? Answer The good news is that it isn’t too late to “start over” with your son. The bad news is that he probably isn’t going to like it so it will be important for you