Family Matters

Opposite sex friendship in marriage

Is it wrong for a married person to have a friend of the opposite sex? While my spouse was away on a week-long missions trip, I enlisted a male friend from work to come over and help me care for our eighteen-month-old daughter. In the process, we ended up watching…

12 Mar 2023 6PM 4 min

Child with a problem of stealing

How can we stop our four-year-old from stealing? It seems like everywhere we go – church, stores, museums, friends' houses – he walks out with something that doesn't belong to him. I have a feeling that he's just being irresponsible-that he puts things in his pocket and then forgets about…

9 Mar 2023 5PM 4 min

Obesity in children’s

Do you have any ideas for helping a pre-teen child who is seriously overweight? He loves food and gets extremely disappointed when we turn down his requests for snacks and treats. He also becomes depressed after several days of healthy eating. How can we reverse this trend?

8 Mar 2023 5PM 4 min

Making time for his and her friends in Marriage

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 friends a couple of times each month, but I'd rather spend most…

7 Mar 2023 5PM 4 min

Husband Concerned About Wife’s Depression During Pregnancy

Is there anything I can do to help my expectant wife deal with the severe mood swings she's been experiencing? She's about three-quarters of the way through her pregnancy, and lately she's been terribly depressed. It's beginning to take a real toll on our relationship. I've heard a lot about…

6 Mar 2023 5PM 4 min

Grown child has made poor decisions

What can we do to encourage our adult son to grow up? He's made some very poor choices in terms of lifestyle, jobs, living arrangements, and friends. After raising him in the Christian faith, we're deeply disappointed. At the same time we can't help feeling guilty and wondering where we…

5 Mar 2023 5PM 4 min

Encouragement for parent of strong-willed child

Have you ever heard the parent say that the job of parenting is the walk in the park, probably not, because even those who are parenting a compliant, easy-going child can find it challenging at times? And so when we hear from a Mom whose at the end of her…

2 Mar 2023 5PM 4 min

Divorced with Child, Wants to Reconcile

Should I consider remarrying my ex-spouse for the sake of our child? We are both Christians, but we recently got divorced. Over the past few weeks I've become increasingly concerned about the impact of this family breakup upon our preschooler. What do you think I should do?

1 Mar 2023 5PM 4 min

Cell phone guidelines for kids

Should children be allowed to have smart phones or mobile devices? Our oldest has started driving and all of our kids are constantly on the move. My spouse thinks they need phones in order to stay better connected with us. Do you think this is a good idea?

28 Feb 2023 5PM 4 min

Boarding school for missionary children

There are so many different views and ideas on what is best for our children when it comes to education. Some families who have been serving God as missionaries have to make difficult decisions based on where they’ve been sent on a mission.

27 Feb 2023 5PM 4 min

Dealing with the fallout of teen sexting

The advent of sexting is a real and serious issue among teens who get involved and then find themselves exposed in horrific and demoralizing ways. Parents cannot necessarily prevent this practice, but certainly need to be aware of the dangers and take a firm stance in the event of discovering…

26 Feb 2023 5PM 4 min

Understanding teen sexting

The world that our teens find themselves in these days is, in fact, quite scary, thanks to the digital age that we live in. If you are not completely clued up on how to keep your teen safe from online predators or even seemingly harmless online connections.

23 Feb 2023 5PM 4 min

Narcissism personality patterns and concerns

Have you ever heard of somebody being referred to as a Narcissist? This word is often used to describe someone who has elevated self-importance and who comes across as incredibly selfish. It’s not easy to be married to someone exhibiting these traits, however, the term narcissist is sometimes misused.

22 Feb 2023 5PM 4 min

How can a woman be made in the image of a male God?

There is a lot of controversy around gender and equality these days, and Christians are having to hold firm to their beliefs in the Bible in order to withstand the onslaught from the media and liberal activists. But the Bible speaks of women being made in the image of God,…

21 Feb 2023 5PM 4 min

How to avoid spoiling your child

For parents to avoid spoiling their children, there needs to be a conscious effort towards teaching what matters most and showing them how to serve others. Far too many youngsters are growing up entitled and with unhealthy self-righteousness. And it’s easy to try and shift the blame, but if we’re…

20 Feb 2023 5PM 4 min

Maximizing enjoyment of family meals

Family meals around the dinner table have an enormously beneficial and lasting effect. If families can understand the value of slowing down for long enough to gather around the table and share conversations with one another, it would go a long way to nurturing a sense of belonging and connectedness…

19 Feb 2023 5PM 4 min

Developing healthy self-esteem in children

As parents, we want to give our kids the best jumping-off point we can. If we nurture a healthy self-image in our children, we will have pretty much achieved our goal, because the rest will follow.

16 Feb 2023 5PM 4 min

Child seems to sleep too much

Have you experienced the battle of waking your child up in the morning to go to school? Sometimes even an early riser will procrastinate getting out of bed with various delay tactics. The good news is: You’re not alone.

15 Feb 2023 5PM 4 min

Shy and introverted adolescent

When should a parent be concerned about a child’s introverted behaviour? On the next Family Matters we’ll be discussing the possibilities of deeper issues related to a child isolating him or herself.

14 Feb 2023 5PM 4 min

Father to be anxious about cost and responsibility

Becoming a parent for the first time might cause you to feel a little anxious, or maybe even scared to the bone. But the unknown of your next adventure with your offspring shouldn’t have to cause you sleepless nights, wracking your brain as to how you’re going to manage the…

13 Feb 2023 5PM 4 min