Family Matters

Teen suicide statistics have risen substantially over the last number of decades. When a teen commits suicide he leaves a wake of grieving friends and family. How can a parent be there for the grieving child, and what conversations should take place over that time?

Recovering from a traumatic experience is not a simple thing to do, it takes time and intentionality.

In the economic climate we find ourselves in, in this country, the lack of job opportunities has certainly restricted the value and significance of a university degree. There are countless people who have hard-earned qualifications but can’t find well-paying jobs in their field. Do these current circumstances negate the need or importance of achieving a university or college degree?

It's not every day that you see Dad doing the school run, after school activities, homework, and preparing dinner, but in some cases, this is the role Dads are finding themselves in.

In modern society, it has become increasingly common for both moms and dads to work outside of the home, and it’s overwhelmingly evident that busyness has become the norm for so many families. The words: ‘Oh, we’ve just been so busy!’ are almost everybody’s mantra. And with parents adopting this kind of lifestyle it’s often the Grandparents that get assigned the duties of fetching and carrying and taking care of the children. This arrangement can be extremely helpful for the family, but not when the Grandparents feel as though they’re being taken advantage of, or are enabling an over-busy lifestyle.

The subject of discipline is a hot topic among most parents, and it’s an area where parents can feel overwhelmed and underqualified. What a lot of Moms and Dads don’t realize is that effective discipline takes effort and follow-through, and when there’s inconsistency, children end up feeling unsure of their boundaries.

A relationship that ends because of unfaithfulness is always a serious blow, but when there are children involved it makes the situation so much more difficult and devastating.

As a Christ-follower, where should our greatest allegiance lie? Of course, we know that Christ should be our first love, but Christians in ministry often grapple with the order of priority after that. Is the commitment to family more important than commitment to the church or the other way round?

Pursuing a serious relationship with someone who you feel is a potential marriage partner is always a big decision. This is because marriage is a lifetime commitment that doesn’t only involve you and your spouse but your respective families too.

Self-harm is a major problem among teens and it needs to be taken very seriously. No matter how severe the cut wounds are, there needs to be greater awareness of the underlying circumstances.