Q: My mother recently passed away, and the reality that we're celebrating the Christmas season without her has been more difficult than I could've imagined. How can I get through this?... more

Q: Traditions and good Christmas memories aren't part of my experience. Growing up, Christmas centered around giving and getting gifts. Once the presents were opened and the wrapping picked up, Christ... more

Q: I feel like I'm fighting an uphill battle with my kids when it comes to entitlement, and Christmas only makes things worse. A season I once cherished has become something I look forward to as much ... more

Q: Can you tell me what it means to "honor" a parent who has become increasingly cranky, feisty, disagreeable and demanding as a result of Alzheimer's disease and the aging process? My mom was once a ... more

Q: How can I teach my children good manners? This is something I'm determined to instill in my kids, but it's not easy. How do I teach them to treat people respectfully when the rest of the culture se... more

Q: How can we tell if a baby sitter has acted inappropriately with our kids? We're concerned that our baby sitter may have abused our child.... more

Q: Is the quality of time I spend with my children more important than the quantity?... more

Q: My husband recently ended an affair, and we're working toward reconciliation. While I believe he's truly sorry, the question of getting tested for sexually transmitted infections (STI) and diseases... more

Q: As a divorced single mom, what can I do about my young child's resistance to my efforts to develop relationships with men and to have a social life outside the home? My son simply doesn't like to "... more

Q: My spouse and I are seriously considering adopting a child, but we haven't yet decided whether to make it an "open" or a "closed" arrangement. What would you recommend?... more

Q: I love my son and daughter-in-law, but I'm worried about their 10-month-old daughter's health. The house is piled deep with trash, there's moldy food stuck to the carpet, and dirty diapers are left... more

Q: My husband and I were married this past spring. We had a great summer and especially enjoyed doing things together during the weekend. Then came fall -- and with it college football season. I knew ... more

Q: Do you think it's a good idea for husbands and wives to have regular activities apart from each other with their friends of the same sex? My husband feels a deep need to get together with his guy f... more

Q: Should I share my marital frustrations and problems with my parents and siblings? We're a tight-knit family, and though my marriage isn't in crisis, sometimes I just need to vent.... more

Q: My son has always been very open with me, but now that he's in middle school, I can barely get him to tell me how his day went. How can this worried mom stay connected?... more

Q: My wife and I have been married a little over two years, and we're really struggling with balancing our differences. We want to work as a team, but I think we're each afraid of losing our own ident... more

Q: The pace of life has hit high gear with school now in full swing. With the kids' endless activities and homework requirements, I sometimes wonder if they should have the added burden of doing chore... more

Q: Should we be concerned about our son's abusive behavior? We're constantly on him about hitting his younger siblings, and lately he's also been hurting the dog.... more

Q: How should I respond when my son tells me that my ex-husband has been making some very critical and unkind statements about me?... more

Q: It seems every kid on the block hangs out at our house. We have stricter rules than most parents on our street about where our grade-school children are allowed to go, so all the kids end up here. ... more

Q: How do I talk to my young children about the whole Bruce Jenner situation? These are things I'd prefer that they not be exposed to, but with the story being mentioned or discussed on practically ev... more

Q: My husband is a workaholic -- he spends very little time with our sons and me, but when I approach him, he simply says, "Things will be better soon." Do you have any suggestions?... more

Q: Now that I'm in my mid-20s, how can I help my mom understand I'm not a kid anymore? She seems unwilling or unable to recognize that I'm now an adult. What can I do?... more

Q: Do you think it's wise to have loans among family members -- for example, brother to brother, adult to child, parent to child, etc.?... more

Q: My daughter is entering the tween years, and I'm concerned about her self-image. The other girls in her peer group are so focused on being thin and wearing the right clothes. But my mom always told... more

Q: How can we teach our daughters to be more discerning about relationships with friends? I realize girls are more relational than boys, but sometimes I worry that my two tween girls are over-the-top ... more

Q: What does it take to be a good father? I grew up without a dad. Now I'm married with a baby on the way, and I'm feeling anxious and unprepared. Do you have any advice?... more

Q: Should we terminate our friendship with another couple after the man and I became involved in an emotional affair? It's over now, and our spouses have taken a firm but conciliatory attitude toward ... more