James Dobson

Dear Dr. Dobson: I just found out that I'm pregnant. My doctor warned me not to drink anything with alcohol in it until the child is born. I'm used to having a few beers after work, and I like a cocktail several times a week.

Dear Dr. Dobson: We hear so much about mothers being depressed and unable to accept the empty nest when children leave home. In our family, however, it was Dad who took it hard. He went into a tailspin for more than a month. Is this unusual?

Dear Dr. Dobson: Everyone talks about how rebellious teens are today. I don't believe my parents went through this kind of anxiety when my sisters and I were young. We were all relatively happy and none of us rebelled.

Dear Dr. Dobson: What has been your greatest challenge as a father? What did you learn from it?

Dear Dr. Dobson: Why is early supervision and discipline of a son by his father so important?

Dear Dr. Dobson: My wife works hard to teach my sons to respect me as their father, and that makes my job with them easier. Even when she is upset with me, she never lets the children know about it. Don't you think that is generous of her?

Dear Dr. Dobson: As a father, what should I be trying to accomplish with my son in these teen years?

Dear Dr. Dobson: My baby is only a year old and she is a joy to my husband and me. But your description of toddlerhood is kind of scary. It's just around the corner. Are the "terrible twos" really so terrible?

Dear Dr. Dobson: Last week you gave recommendations how I could change my relationship with my unhappy husband, Joe. How is Joe likely to respond to the new me?

Dear Dr. Dobson: My husband died three years ago, leaving me to raise my son and daughter alone. For the past year I have been dating a wonderful man who has three children of his own. We have recently begun to talk about marriage, which really excites me.

Dear Dr. Dobson: Help! I'm a mother of two sons, and I feel as if I've been thrust into a strange new world. Are boys always so rough? Sometimes the noise level in our house is more than I can take! Is this normal?

Dear Dr. Dobson: Our family physician wants to examine my 13-year-old son without my being in the room. That's OK with me, but I expect him to tell me what my boy says and what his medical condition is. That's where we disagree. He says he must keep their conversation confidential.

Dear Dr. Dobson: Whether it be on dramatic shows or the evening news, the TV seems to showcase death more than ever before. What do you think it will do to us to continue watching extreme violence night after night?

Dear Dr. Dobson: It's no secret that hyperactive children are difficult to handle at times. How is such a child to be managed?

Dear Dr. Dobson: What advice would you give parents who recognize a tendency within themselves to abuse their children? Maybe they're afraid they'll get carried away when spanking a disobedient child. Do you think they should avoid corporal punishment as a form of discipline?

Dear Dr. Dobson: Do you feel there is a kind of "blindness" that can occur when a victim of an affair denies the truth? I seemed to experience this when my husband was fooling around with my best friend. The affair went on for two years before I could acknowledge it.

Dear Dr. Dobson: At age 21, I became pregnant and had a baby girl. The father and I never married. My daughter is almost 3 years old now, and I know she will soon be asking questions about her daddy. How should I explain this situation to her and when should that explanation be given?

Dear Dr. Dobson: I have a friend who is a frequent victim of spousal abuse. How would she go about dealing with her husband's problem?