Compassionate advice on raising your Children
Dear Sara,
My next door neighbor and I have been friends for about 5 years. Our daughters are the same age and are really close also. My neighbor said some really hurtful things to me and now we are not speaking. She won’t let her daughter speak to my daughter either. My daughter is heartbroken and I would like to patch things up for her sake. How can I make things right again? [Read more...]
Dear Sara,
My 3 and 5 year old daughters are overweight. My husband and I have also gained a lot of weight since we married. I know that I should do something. Should I put them on a diet? [Read more...]
Dear Sara,
I have a full time job which I love but I am really overwhelmed and exhausted. I can’t keep up with the housework, running kids to their activities, laundry etc. My husband works construction and when he works he brings home a good pay check but he isn’t always employed. If I complain, he tells me to stay at home and he refuses to help. My kids are 7, 9, and 11 and they won’t do anything unless I stand there and tell them what to do. On top of all this, my widowed mother wants my attention. She was a stay at home Mom and doesn’t understand my problems. I don’t want to quit my job but nobody understands that I am falling apart. What can I do? [Read more...]
Dear Sara,
About 2 or 3 days a week, my 12 yeaar old daughter Kaitlyn misses the school bus. I don’t want her to miss school, so I end up taking her. This is inconvenient plus I have a gas guzzler car. How can I motivate her to get ready on time and catch her bus? [Read more...]
Dear Sara,
With this economy our family is really struggling. We really can’t afford dental insurance. I have 3 preschoolers and dread taking them to the dentist because I am afraid of a big bill. Anything wrecks our budget. What can I do to save money on dental expenses? [Read more...]
Dear Sara,
My 13 year old daughter came to me complaining of a severe vaginal itch. I took her to my gynocologist for an exam and found out she has a sexually transmitted disease. I was shocked. She is not allowed to date yet. She was crying but told me she went with a boy to his car during half time at a ballgame. Luckily her pregnancy test came back negative. She isn’t allowed to go anywhere without my husband or me for now. How can I protect her from doing something like this again? [Read more...]
Dear Sara,
My daughter wants to go to private school but the truth is, I can’t afford it. She is absolutely resenting the idea of going back to public school. I found this private school that isn’t expensive but I still can’t afford it. Her teachers in public school love her. I need to figure out what’s wrong and how to tell her that this is impossible for me to afford. [Read more...]
Dear Sara,
I have two kids who are just starting their teens. They are bugging me for cell phones. They are using the standard complaint of “everybody has one.” What kinds of things do I need to think about? [Read more...]
Dear Sara,
Together my girlfriend and I are raising our autistic three year old. He has two younger brothers, one is 18 monthsn and the other will be arriving the 15th of this month. He has a tendency to be mean and aggressive towards his younger brother by walking up to him and either pushing or pulling him down to the ground and laughing about it as if it were a game. He also slams the door on his brother’s hands and feet, arms and on occasion, laughing about it. He’s very destructive, tearing up almost everything in the house. At times it’s very overwhelming and it’s as though he’s out of control in a world where to someone else’s pain is a game. What advice could you give us to help maintain our son? [Read more...]
Dear Sara,
I am worried about my two nephews, ages 7 and 10. My sister and her husband live down the street from me. He is an ex-marine and he treats those two boys like they are in boot camp. He has them out early in the morning and makes them run with him, maybe a mile or two. They have a lot of chores to do and can’t play until they are finished. He also insists that they are there for every meal and eat everything on their plate. I think he is too severe with these boys. Should I call Child Protective Services? [Read more...]
