Family Matters

What should we expect with a pregnancy in later life? My wife is in her early forties and we just learned that she is expecting a child. We're happy but stunned (to say the least). We already have three children (all in their teens now), so we're familiar with the territory in a general sense. But is there anything special we need to know about pregnancy after forty?

This is a 60-second daily feature looking at most critical issues facing the family today. In these features, focus on the Family offers practical advice on variety of subjects of interest for the whole family. Subjects include: marital, medical, emotional, parental and many more.

With everything it takes to work at the office and run a household, how can I find quality time to spend with my children? It seems like there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to be done. Do you have any suggestions?

How should my husband relate to his female boss? Occasionally, she needs to discuss a business matter with him that requires privacy and so she will schedule a lunch appointment with him alone. I'm uncomfortable with this, but he sees no alternative since this kind of practice is common and expected in his line of work. In fact, to raise this as a concern would make things difficult for him professionally. What are your thoughts and what should he do?

This is a 60-second daily feature looking at most critical issues facing the family today. In these features, focus on the Family offers practical advice on variety of subjects of interest for the whole family. Subjects include: marital, medical, emotional, parental and many more.

Does a pattern of persistent depression indicate that my adolescent son may be in danger of taking his own life? I've been hearing a great deal about the rising problem of teenage suicide, and I'm wondering whether my son might be at risk. What exactly is the connection between depression and suicide? Where can I go to get my son the help he needs?

What can we do to encourage our school-age son to get away from the television and computer screen and spend more time playing outdoors? We're getting worried about his health and fitness, and we'd like to know how we can motivate him to become more active. So far all of our "nagging" hasn't helped a bit. Can you suggest a more effective strategy?

How does a man stay sexually interested in his wife after years and years of marriage? Jesus said that anyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28), but this strikes me as being terribly unrealistic. In my experience, sexual attraction has always been closely tied to anonymity. A good-looking stranger excites my imagination precisely because I don't know her. My wife, on the other hand, is as familiar as an old pair of slippers. This seems only natural, but it really bothers me as a Christian who wants to stay faithful to his wife. Can you help?

Should we put off having kids and starting a family until we’re more mature and established? My wife and I are in our late twenties. She’s finishing her studies and I’m working to get my new business off the ground. We’re extremely busy, and to be honest, I’m not sure I’m ready to be a father at this point. Do you have any thoughts on starting a family later in life?

Can you provide me with some general principles and guidelines for responding to behavioral problems in a school-age child? What are some effective methods for disciplining kids at this stage of development?