I’m not sure who first used the term “helicopter parents,” but it is an apt description of an entire generation of parents who have been intimately, and often intricately, involved in the development of their children. These are the parents who closely hover, and then swoop into their children’s lives to prevent any and all harm or failure....

“At first you think it’s so cool to go off to college, get away from your parents and just be with your peers. But after awhile, you want some interaction with adults….” These were the honest comments of a student living in our daughter’s co-ed dorm, and my husband and I felt privileged to interact with this dorm for two years. It...

My 19-year-old daughter has been hospitalized because she has tried to commit suicide. This has not only created a moment of crisis with in our immediate family but a very big puzzling question. Why would a person who professes to believe in Christ would attempt to commit suicide? What should I say to her? How can I tell her that Christ is bigger...

When looking at the generation called Millennials, children born between 1981 and 2000, over 50s are likely to see a sociological Grand Canyon. These kids appear unruly, lazy and occasionally violent. Who wants to hike over to their side of the valley? Strapping yourself to a donkey clip-clopping down the side of a sheer cliff may hold greater interest. But...

Often, a child will take advantage of you in any way he can to get to do what he wants. Just when you think you've told him what is expected of him, he comes back with statements like: "I didn't understand what you were saying. I thought you meant…" "I forgot." "I didn't hear you." "You didn't say that." The solid ground you thought...

Question: My husband and I have developed a serious conflict over how to handle his 19-year-old son (my stepson). The son recently left college and moved back home, and he now seems determined to live his own life. He doesn't work. He doesn't show respect to me and in fact is often hostile. Yet he expects me to provide his meals and clean his clothes....

Counselling teens can be tricky business. The call is invariably from an exasperated parent who no longer can tolerate the behaviour of their son or daughter. The teen is presented as out of control. There may be concerns of drugs or alcohol; school performance; and/or the influence of the peer group. The teen may be described as depressed, anxious,...