Parenting & Family Issues

Our 10-year-old son is a very sensitive boy. My husband is not an overly sensitive person. He has very little patience for our son’s gentle nature; in fact, he calls him a wimp...

I have recently begun studying more about my Judaism, and one of the things that I would like to try to do is to eat only kosher food. The problem is that my parents really are opposed to this . . .

My son came home from kindergarten with scratches on his neck. When I called the teacher to ask what happened, she explained that he did it to himself . . .

This year, for the first time, we are hosting the family Passover Seder. We were very excited to finally be able to have everyone in our home, until we found out that distant cousins, who we find very offensive, plan on coming . . .

My seven year-old son won't eat. He's as thin as a stick and the only thing that I can get him to eat is spaghetti. I'm worried that he's not receiving enough vitamins and minerals and that he is too picky of an eater. Do you have any ideas?

I have a teenage daughter (age sixteen) who has turned into a totally obnoxious individual! She used to be a sweet girl, but for the past year or two, things have been getting more and more out of hand...

My son is a gifted student who suddenly hates school. He complains constantly and is very stressed out and anxious. He desperately wants to switch schools but I am not sure if that is really something we should consider mid year...

I am a happily married woman, and I have three wonderful kids. On the outside, nothing seems to be wrong; however, inside I am a mess...

My seven-year-old son is very into possessions. He can remember everything that he was ever given, who gave it to him and why he got it. He is constantly going around the house asking me about different objects, if they belong to someone, and if not, if he can have them. Also, he wants to keep total junk...

My husband and I are active community members. We have always valued being the ones that help shape a community, rather than just being one of the followers. And we have worked very hard to instill this philosophy of community activism into our children. However, our eldest daughter doesn't like to get involved with anything...

Every week the same scenario plays out at our family game night. My ten-year-old daughter starts up with her siblings and when we say something she gets very upset. I mean she throws a tantrum and says some variation of us not loving her. Nothing we do seems to work...

I am due to have twins in a little over a month. My mother in law has decided that she will come to stay with us for a month to help me get back on my feet. I am a nervous wreck about her coming...

I have had a difficult relationship with my mother my entire life. While I was never physically abused, I definitely suffered severe emotional abuse. Still today when I am around her I revert to being a hurt child and don't feel I can protect myself. Should I cut off the relationship or somehow pretend to ignore what bothers me?

My in-laws think we should take the kids away over the summer and have offered to pay for it. But we really don't enjoy family vacations with young children. I'd love to use the money to send the kids to camp instead, but my husband is worried that his parents would be insulted if we don't take them up on their offer...

We are, fortunately, quite successful and have always been able to give our children everything they need and want. When they were younger this never seemed to be an issue, but now that they are all tweens and teens, we are having a real problem...

Recently my husband and I have begun to increase our Jewish observance. From learning in our local Chabad house, we have begun trying to keep Shabbat and have started to eat only kosher food. We are hoping to very soon make our entire kitchen kosher as well. Our dilemma though pertains to schooling for our children...

My son recently remarried and his new wife has three children from her previous marriage. Her three children are close in age with my son's three children. In addition to us being a bit overwhelmed and trying to adapt to this new Brady Bunch situation, I am not sure how to really integrate my new grandchildren into our lives...

I am the mother of a beautiful thirteen-year-old girl who always seemed to be quite confident and happy with herself. Recently, however, she has been spending so much time worried about her clothes and how she looks...and now she is trying to go out all the time now wearing makeup...

I am the mother of three young children whom I absolutely adore. However, I feel like I am falling apart running after them. I grew up with a mother who was always stressed out and I don't want to be that to my children. Yet I don't know how to take care of all their needs and keep my home together...

I am incredibly close to my father, and he has always been a tremendous pillar of strength for me. However, I can't really say he has aged gracefully; and while he has always loved to protect and give to me, he doesn't really want any help in return...

My daughter is single, unemployed and just found out she is pregnant. She is 21 years old, a legal adult, and she has decided that she is going to have an abortion...

I am Jewish but was not really raised with any religious observance. Last year my sister went to Israel for a year abroad in college. The person who has returned is someone I don't even recognize. She calls herself a "baal tshuva"...If she is a religious Jew, will she be able to stay close with me?

I have a very strained relationship with my mother and I always have. Perhaps it is that we are so different, or maybe that we are so similar, but we are rarely able to spend time together without us both blowing up. I do love my mother but I have a hard time being around her . . .

I am having a very hard time, as the holidays approach, with teaching my children the beauty of Chanukah and not having them see it as a Jewish x‑mas. I know it has become somewhat of a tradition to give children gifts during Chanukah, but is this really a Jewish custom?

We live in a very affluent area, one that is far above our means and economic level. The problem is that our children go to school with these other children, and expect to have the same clothing, gadgets and lifestyle that all of their friends have...

What do you do when you are in someone else's home where the kids are out of control? We are staying with my sister this summer but her kids are violent, disrespectful and basically, a terrible influence on my children. What can I do?

I live next door to a woman whose children are terribly misbehaved and a horrible influence on my children. Worse yet, the parents don't seem to notice or care. Every time my kids see them they ask to play. How many times can I tell my children "no, not today"?

I was so excited when my teenage daughter told me she wanted to attend a Purim party. Being that she does not seem so interested in Judaism, I thought this was such a positive step, until I saw what she plans on wearing for her costume . . .

My children play beautifully together when I am not around. Yet as soon as I enter the scene, the ‘Who is going to win Mommy’s attention?’ game continues in full-swing. Their constant bickering is driving me crazy and is turning their winter break into a nightmare...

My husband and I are highly educated with doctorate degrees. Our oldest son though is in 1st grade and isn't able to read yet and is falling behind. Not only isn't he the best, he is really the worst...

My husband keeps telling me that Halloween is American tradition and that there is nothing wrong with our six-year-old trick or treating, but something just doesn’t feel right. I think whole holiday is weird and I don’t want my child dressed up as a skeleton and going to strangers' homes? Am I overreacting?

My sixteen-year-old twin brother is out of control and my mother doesn’t seem to be able to deal with it. We had always been very close, but now all he does is play video games...

I am a single mother of a teenage daughter who blames me for everything wrong in her life. I have always done everything I could for her but she doesn’t seem to appreciate any of it and recently left home to live with a friend. I am in so much pain and want her back home but can’t live with a daughter who hates me...

I recently gave birth to our second child and our first son, 2 1/2, is obviously in need of a lot more attention. He has also reached the depths of terrible two's...

My grandson is in a play with his kindergarten class and very much wants me to come. I had been planning on making the trip, but just the other day I found out that my aunt, who is turning ninety, is having a birthday party that day...

I love my two-year-old daughter dearly but find it hard to keep her entertained all day. I would like to send her to a playgroup, but feel guilty...

I am having an incredibly hard time with my preschooler and I am starting to think I have the worst-behaved child in the world. He screamed the whole time in the store and people began staring. What is wrong with my child?

My husband and I feel it is very important that our children have a close relationship with their grandparents. The problem is that my parents are always fighting...

My son recently remarried and his new wife has three children from her previous marriage. Her three children are close in age with my son's three children. In addition to us being a bit overwhelmed and trying to adapt to this new Brady Bunch situation, I am not sure how to really integrate my new grandchildren into our lives...

I am a teacher and just received this note from one of my students. “My parents have recently gotten divorced. I'm afraid of my parents remarrying. I'm afraid of having to accept another person into my life, and into my parents' lives..."

I just received news that my grandmother has very little time left to live. I am planning to fly to spend 10 days with her. I am nervous about being away from my kids, and about introducing the concept of death to their young, innocent lives...

I have three daughters, ages 16, 14, and 11. While I know their grandmother loves them, she seems to favor the eldest...

My daughter and I have always been extremely close. However, now that she is 17 she has been trying to distance herself from me. Why is she pushing me out of her life?

My married son is very distant emotionally from me. He very rarely calls, never e-mails me hardly ever invites me over...

My mother in law is constantly criticizing me and my ability to parent. No matter what I do she makes a comment, and often in front of other people...

My son has started a streak of lying. He tells me he does things and then I find out that he didn't. I want him to understand that lying is unacceptable...

I was widowed two years ago and have been left to bring up my two beautiful daughters alone. One is 9 and one is 7. They are both doing well at school, the problem I have is...

My husband and his mother do not get along at all and she has decided that she will no longer be a part of our lives, including that of the children. She will not even return my 5-year-old's phone calls. What do I tell my kids when they ask where their grandmother is?

My oldest daughter just began first grade and is having a really hard time. She cries all the way to school and when I drop her off. It is heartbreaking. On top of that, my kindergartner has begun to act out on the way to school also...

I love my grandchildren, and for the past few years I have always been around to help with babysitting, but now I feel that I have been signed up as a near constant free-babysitter...

My father has never in my life told me that he loves me and it is so painful to me. A part of me tells me to just accept that he will never say it and another part wants to tell him how I feel. What should I do?

I am a second generation Holocaust survivor with parents who both went through Auschwitz. While my parents both clearly had a relationship with G‑d, they were not observant and were in too much pain to ever discuss what Judaism meant to them...

I'm fourteen-years-old and I am having an issue I hope you can help with. I'm happy most of the time, I like my group of friends, and I'm excited that we're going to be starting high school this fall. The problem is - I can't help being envious of my younger sister...

I am having a problem with my two teenage girls. They are doing reasonably well at school, and they each have a nice set of friends. The problem arises at home.They are both hyper sensitive and vigilant about how much attention/gifts/privileges the other gets. If one of them feels slighted, that's when the explosion happens!

My family and friends won’t accept that I want to wear only skirts. How can I help them understand my choice to dress modestly?

I grew up in a very emotionally cold environment. My parents showed very little love or affection, and they couldn’t tolerate when either I or my siblings showed emotion. The result being that I have a hard time now dealing with my emotions...

My two daughters are just not close at all. They are fourteen and sixteen years old, and spend most of their time together fighting. I have tried everything to get them to be closer . . .