How do I prepare my nine-year-old daughter for puberty?

Question: I have a young 9-year-old girl and I’m trying to learn more about how to handle her upcoming puberty. It’s going to be hard for her to learn how to handle her young sexual desires. I have no idea what it’s like for girls. I’ll have to lean on my wife quite a bit.…

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My seven-year-old complains every time he has to do something

Question: I am once again in need of advice from those of you that have been at this longer than I.  I am having a problem with my 7-year-old son.  He is completing his chores and his schoolwork, but I am troubled by his attitude.  I feel like I have to push him through his…

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My child is constantly angry

Question: My 6 (almost 7) year old daughter is constantly angry. Anytime we tell her, “no,” or she doesn’t get her way, she gets this “angry face” and stomps around and pouts, or runs to her room to have a fit. I don’t give in to her when she behaves this way, so I figured…

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How do you handle an overactive child without drugs?

Question: I am a tired mother with a very overactive 6-year-old, and though I do not want to rely on drugs to calm him, I’m forced to consider it, if this is indeed a problem that might be out of his hands and ours.  It is a situation which I must deal with personally, and…

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My daughter lies but eventually tells the truth under pressure

Question: If a child lies about something but eventually tells the truth under pressure, should she be punished for not telling the truth in the first place, or will that just encourage her to persist in the lie the next time?  It seems to me we should be teaching them that the right thing to…

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My child has become fearful of our new house

Question: I love your web site! Please advise: I have a 5-year-old son who has two older sisters. They have all been watching the Disney Channel’s Halloween specials. I just found out how scary they are, at least to a 5-year-old! To top things off, we just moved from 800 sq ft to a 3,000…

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How do I stop my 8-year-old from wetting his bed?

Question: How do I stop my 8-year-old from wetting his bed? Answer: In most cases you will not be able to stop the problem; you will only be able to minimize the number of events. For reasons still not fully understood, some children — mostly boys — holding urine overnight. Speculations range from difficulty in…

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My 8-year-old says he wants to drown himself. What do I do?

Question: I have an 8-year-old with behavioral issues. Several times he has said he wants to drown himself. What do I do? Answer: Assuming that the statements are not hyperbole, such as indicating embarrassment by saying “I wish I were dead,” then you have a problem on your hand that cannot be ignored. It is…

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How should I handle a child that badgers me all the time?

Question: How should I handle a child that badgers me all the time? I found an article and wanted to know what you think. The article said, When a child resorts to badgering, the goal is to wear the parent down in order to change the no answer to a yes answer. It’s amazing how…

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Did I do the right thing by spanking my child for pushing me?

Question: I have a question. My youngest son is 4 years old. Yesterday he pushed me and said some bad words. I was upset and I asked him to apologize, but he didn’t. Today his misbehavior returned. He did the same thing. I took him to his room, but he yelled, so I decided to spank him. Did…

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Eli and Being Soft on Sin

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I.         There are many things to admire about the man Eli             A.        He judged Israel for 40 years; during which time he was God’s spokesman.             B.        We find no record of any outward evil or sin in his life.             C.        When Eli learns that Samuel will take his place, Eli does not rebel, grow bitter,…

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Notes on Parenting

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Psalm 37:25-26 Psalm 103:13 Psalm 112:1-2 Psalm 127:1 Proverbs 1:8 Proverbs 6:20 Proverbs 10:1 Proverbs 11:16 Proverbs 11:29 Proverbs 12:1 Proverbs 13:1 Proverbs 17:1 Proverbs 17:21 Proverbs 17:25 Proverbs 19:20 Proverbs 20:11 Proverbs 22:6 Proverbs 23:24-25 Proverbs 24:3-4 Proverbs 25:28 Proverbs 29:15 Isaiah 28:9-10 Isaiah 54:13 Mark 3:25 Ephesians 6:1 Ephesians 6:4 Colossians…

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Notes on Disciplining Children

Purpose Change in behavior Proverbs 6:23 “For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; reproofs of instruction are the way of life” Proverbs 10:1 “A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is the grief of his mother.” Proverbs 17:21 “He who begets a scoffer does so to his…

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Notes on Discipline of Children, Spanking

Deuteronomy 8:5 “You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so the LORD your God chastens you.” [Note: “chastens” means to chastise literally with blows or figuratively with words] Deuteronomy 21:18 “If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or…

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Welcome to Church … Kids Not Invited

by Mike Thomas I was so distracted once at a church service (away from here), by an overwhelming amount of noise from the audience, that I had a hard time concentrating on the lesson. I tried focusing my attention on the speaker, but the person behind me and a few others across the aisle were…

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I Saw a Child

by Leo Rogol (1969) What I saw was not what one reads about children in storybooks and poems:  It was not the beauty of childish innocence; the simple trusting faith in something big, wide, and wonderful; a child roaming the fields with his beloved dog, searching out the marvelous mysteries and wonders of nature. Though…

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When Children Go Wrong

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I.         The raising of a child is a fearful responsibility.             A.        God entrusts you with the care of a precious soul wrapped up in a tiny body.             B.        All souls belong to God – Ezekiel 18:4             C.        Each child is a precious gift                         1.         Jacob understood this – Genesis 33:5                         2.         The Psalmist so stated – Psalm…

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Faithful Fathers (Hamilton)

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Deuteronomy 8:1-10   I.         It is not arbitrarily that God is referred to as our Father and we His children             A.        After the wandering in the wilderness, God told them they endured hardship because He was treating as a father would treat his children.             B.        We can learn from God what is expected…

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Disciplining Children (1)

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I.         The world in its wisdom comes up with many theories about how children ought to be raised.             A.        In the 1960s a psychologist named Benjamin Spock became famous with a book proposing that children should not be spanked                         1.         He argued that other, non-physical methods were just as effective                         2.         Spanking would damage a…

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That Piece of Clay

by Forrest D. Moyer A little child has often been likened to a piece of clay that can be molded into whatever type of pottery that the potter (parent) has in mind. A little child is so pliable, so willing to be molded and so trusting. This can either be a fantastic opportunity or a…

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Should I Beat My Child?

Donald P. Ames Guardian of Truth XXXI: 3, pp. 75, 87 February 5, 1987 Before you answer the above question, may I, first of all, ask if you really understood it? Webster defines “beat” all the way from “spank” to “flogging.” The Bible also uses it in a similar fashion. And, unfortunately, many people apply it…

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Raising Children

by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I.       This generation is full of unusual ideas about how to raise children           A.      Many are leftovers of failed experiments that continue to hang around.                     1.       Don’t spank children                               a.       It is a form of child abuse or could lead to it.                               b.       It is unnatural to restrict children                     2.       Ignore children – you have your own…

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