Parenting Q&A
Parenting Advice from Tim and Darcy Kimmel

This is one of the most popular sections on Family Matters site. The questions below were asked by parents like you. If you have a question and would like to get some parenting advise please Contact Us by email. Not all questions will be posted on this page but there is a good chance that it will. We respect your privacy and anonymity and will not use your name if your question gets posted.

Couples Q&A

How do I decide what type of schooling is best for my children i.e.: public, private, religious etc?

I can't get my children to do their chores. I always end up doing them myself. What am I doing wrong?

My daughter could start kindergarten now but she could also wait another year. How old should she be before she starts kindergarten?

My kids are starting school and my husband wants me to go back to work so we can have more income. I'd prefer to be home and not miss their childhood. What should I do?

My kids won't stay in bed after I put them down. It takes me a long time to get them to sleep, what should I do?

It's a battle every night when it comes to putting my kids to bed. I'm at the end of my rope, what can I do?

Everyone in my household is on different schedules. We wake up tired, even after a full night's sleep. How can we stop this crazy pace?

I like to spoil my grandkids. Do I need to be careful about how I do this?

My grandchildren's parents are getting divorced. What can I do to help them?

My husband spanks our kids when they act up. He expects me to do the same when he's gone. I don't know if this is the best method. What should I do?

We want to create an atmosphere within our home that brings out the best in our kids. How can we accomplish this?

What are three questions I need to prepare my kids to answer before I send them out into the world so they achieve success?

What qualities do I need to impart to my children to help them become great individuals?

What is the biggest mistake parents make when raising their kids?

We can afford to spoil our kids and give them what they want. In fact, they have a lot of friends whose parents do this. But I'm concerned this might send the wrong message to them. What do you think?

I'm concerned about how much TV my family watches. How do we strike a balance between TV and quiet time, especially since our kids are in school?

My husband and I think it's okay to drink alcohol, if done in moderation. But, we don't want it to adversely affect our kids. Is this okay?

Where should my husband and me draw the line with our kids when it comes to secular music and movies in our home?

Our kids are in public school but every Christmas and Easter the school seems to enforce that Christianity is irrelevant. How should we handle this?

Do kids raised in a Christian home rebel less or about the same as kids raised in a non-Christian environment?

How do I teach my kids the difference between following the rules of faith and having a passion for serving God?

My young kids are already really focused on money and status. How do I get them to focus on character and goodness?

What are some ways to parent strong-willed children? (video)

I've got the kind of kid that starts a million things and doesn't finish any of them. What's that going to look like when he grows up?

My grandchildren live with me. How can I create boundaries in my home and still preserve my relationship with them?

My husband and I work very hard to provide for our family but this oftentimes leaves us very tired when we get home. It's tough to give our children the attention they need. What can we do? (video)

At what point should I start letting my kids make their own decisions and living with the consequences? (video)

From a material standpoint, our children live a very comfortable lifestyle but they act like they are miserable. Did we miss something major in our parenting plan? (video)

We have 3 children but are afraid of raising them in today's culture. We want to move to the country and do home-schooling but our parents think we're overreacting. Are we? (video)

How do I raise my kids to be selfless? (video)

I think my wife praises our kids too much. I believe praise should be used sparingly. Who is right? (video)

There's a lot of tension in our home and our kids don't like living under our roof. My husband and I don't know what we're doing wrong. Any suggestions? (video)

We raised our kids in church and sent them to a Christian school. Now that they're teenagers they want nothing to do with Christianity. What should we do? (video)

Our son's teacher is certain he has a learning disability. She wants our doctor to put him on medication and she doesn't have much patience with him. What should we do? (video)

What's the right age to teach your kids the gospel? (video)

 

 

My wife thinks it's a bad idea to take our children to a developing country for a short missions trip. I think it's good for them to see how others live. Who's right? (video)

 

My son wants to pierce his ears and bleach his hair. I'd rather he would not. But I don't know whether this is a battle worth fighting. What do you think?

Now that the holiday season is here, how do we keep our kids from getting the greedies and keep the focus on Christ?

In light of the violent attacks by students against fellow students on our high school campuses, what do you think are the vital components to raising kids who don't snap and self-destruct?

It seems like every weekend, one or more of our kids wants to spend the night at a friends house (or have them stay at ours). They have great friends from great families, but it just seems to be every weekend, without exception, our family is either smaller or bigger. Do you know what I'm referring to?

My teenaged son has a job. He works just about every moment he's not going to school or doing homework. I'm not sure where the balancing line is in this whole area of kids working. What do you think?

My six-year-old daughter said a really bad word the other day. Neither my husband, nor I, use this kind of language. How do we get our daughter to understand that this isn't good? (video)

How old should my child be when I give him the sex talk?

My 7yr old little boy, was offered to pray for salvation by me (his mom) the other day, and he said, "I'm not sure if I believe or not yet mom"... I have really been disturbed! Should I be?

I want to know how to let my 10 year old son know that he needs to help his dad around the house and not play with his friends. This is real important to his dad. I also want to not worry about him when he is with friends. Please help.

My child’s friends at school are all seeing a movie that I’m not sure I want my child to see. They are always talking about it at school and my child is feeling left out and disconnected from his friends. What can I do?

My kids get up 3 to 4 times after I’ve put them to bed. It’s driving me nuts. It takes me an hour and a half to get them to sleep. What should I do?

When my husband and I try to get our kids to do chores we seem to just frustrate them. How can we help them take on more responsibility around the house? (video)

When should I allow my daughter to date? (video)

My husband doesn't show our children much affection. I'm worried this is affecting our children's attitude toward him. How much affection do our children need from their father? (video)

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