‘Parenting’ Archives
Dealing with a Stepson’s Misbehavior
Dear Probation Officer, My stepson is becoming very disobedient to his mother and me, especially me, and I don’t know what to do. His father left them when he was still in diapers, so he never knew him, but he tells me I’m not really his dad and that I can’t tell him what to do. I married his mother about a year ago. [...]
When Should Teenagers go to Bed During the Summer?
Dear Probation Officer, I would like to know your opinion on bedtime for teenagers. I think 1:00 AM is reasonable during the summer, but they prefer to stay up almost most of the night, watching TV and playing video games. Consequently, they sleep all day and are usually on the "wrong side of the clock." This causes problems with meals [...]
Don’t Tell I Told
When the probation officer returned from lunch, Mrs. R. had left another voice mail message on his telephone. She was always double-dealing regarding her daughter, who was on probation for theft. He had no desire to hear the latest scheme, but he dialed the number anyway. (more...)
The Push-Pull of Teaching Faith
A distraught mother called me one day to ask for advice regarding her teenage daughter. She said the girl was rebelling, mostly over the church they attended, and added, “We can’t get her to come around to our way of thinking, and last week she even ran away for two days.” In trying to explain the family dynamics, she [...]
