I am the only son and my mum, a divorcee, moved in with me after I got married. My wife and mum do not get along and it’s been nearly 20 years already. My 80-year-old mother does not want to live by herself as she is ageing…
Family
My in-laws want my kids to pray at the altar
My husband and I have been married for 10 years and have two children. His parents are staunch believers of another religion and once wanted to perform certain rituals for our kids.
Lost my friend to her child
Ever since my friend had a child, her whole world has evolved around his needs and schedule. Her son is now eight, and it is still the same.
Our son has a male partner
My adult son has a male partner. Earlier this year, it was revealed to us that they have been together for 12 years and have bought an apartment overseas. He knows that as Christian parents we would not accept this type of relationship.
My 5-year-old son says he wants to be a girl
My 5-year-old son is in childcare. In the evenings and on weekends, my husband and I spend time with my son. This year, he told us he likes the colour pink, princesses, unicorns, glittery things, nail polish and dresses.
Can’t come to terms with the trauma my daughter experienced
My daughter went through a traumatic experience a few years ago because a friend abused her trust. She did not share about the incident with me or my wife. We realised something was wrong one day when we saw that she had cut marks on her wrist. When we confronted her, she broke down and shared about what had happened. We were shocked and did not know what to do. It has been a few months and I still feel angry and helpless. I want justice for my daughter, but she does not want to pursue the matter although she agreed to see a counsellor. I am struggling to come to terms with what happened. I pray for protection for my family, but why didn’t God protect her? Why didn’t she tell us then so that we could have done something about it? ~ Shocked Father
I want to be a SAHM but my husband wants me to work
I am a working mother with two young children, both under the age of five. I rely on a helper and my mother-in-law to watch my children while I’m at work. I have always wanted to be a stay-at-home-mum. However, my husband feels that it is better for me to work so that we can have two incomes, though I would rather make the financial sacrifices to be at home. He grew up with a working mother and thinks that all women should work unless there is no help at home. I am frustrated because he does not understand my desire to watch my young children grow up and thinks I should be thankful to have help. I also do not agree with the way my mother-in-law manages my helper and children. As a result, I end up arguing with my husband. How do I get him to see my point of view? ~ wannabeSAHM
Teenage son talks back to his teachers
My nearly-adult teenage son does well in school both academically and in CCAs. However, he gets into trouble every year for talking back to his teachers. Some teachers absolutely adore him; they are the ones who see his heart. But teachers that are “not nice” will bear the brunt of his talkback because he has no respect for either their poor teaching skills or their difficult personalities. He is often the one at fault, but I don’t know how to get him to rein in his tongue. ~ Fed-up Mama
My daughter has gender dysphoria and wants a sex change surgery
My 17-year-old child has gender dysphoria. As my husband and I are Christians, we have tried our best to share with her about what the Bible says about sexuality and at the same time show her love and acceptance. She has pleaded with us to allow her to go for a sex change surgery and because we refused, she has become distraught and engages in self-harm. Our relationship with her has become very strained. We brought her to see a counsellor but the sessions end up as heated arguments because she will not accept our views and feels that we are imposing our Christian beliefs on her. As parents, we are at our wits’ end. It pains us to see her struggle mentally and emotionally. We also struggle with guilt and wonder how things have turned out this way. ~ Help
Do I bring my daughter to visit a friend whose adult child has a live-in partner of the same sex in their home?
A friend has a daughter who is lesbian and has a live-in partner … in my friend’s home. My friend is Christian but her daughter is not. My question is not about my friend’s or her daughter’s choices, but mine, as a parent. Should we bring along my primary-school aged daughter to visit her during Christmas and Chinese New Year, as we used to do? Part of me does not want to expose my daughter to a non-Christian model of family, but yet, to shield her from it seems futile. ~ Awkward
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