Adult Sons

Q&A: “What Time Is Curfew at Your House?”
Several readers and audience members have asked us something like this: What time is curfew at your house? When do you require your kids to be home? Is it different for teens and twenties? It's not an uncommon question but our answer may be unexpected--because we don't have a formal curfew at our house.  …
When You’re Worried Your Son is Going to Go Too Far
A mom asked, We did the hard press for courtship/dating with a purpose. And it worked - sorta. My son is head over heels for his girlfriend. Sex is coming. It just is. They still say they want to wait. They aren't rebelling by going to her apartment, but he's in a battle between his hormones/desires and…
Finding a Mate: On the Other Hand
A while back, we were in a group of homeschoolers having a spirited discussion over our blog post, It's Just Coffee. Suddenly, Melanie noticed that the woman arguing most strenuously against it was wearing a ring on her left hand. Melanie thought, Oh, maybe she found a mate through a very regulated model of courtship. Maybe that's…
Voting When There’s Not Much Choice
The presidential primary season is bursting into flame today with the "Super Tuesday" primaries in 11 states, followed by 14 more in the next two weeks. With 16 of the original 23 candidates out of the race, you might be looking at your second or third choice already! So what's a Christian citizen to do? …
When Your Boys Gang Up On Each Other
A mom with several boys asked us, “How do you handle the constant ganging-up on each other?” (more…)
Q&A: Why Do My Boys (And My Husband) Like Such Dumb Entertainment?
It's one of those mysteries between the sexes - what makes our choices of entertainment so different? Wives and mothers shake their heads over boys' choices of movies, videos, books, and so on. To their thinking, so much of it is just stupid. And it's not simply childishness - dads and husbands are laughing too. Why is there…
Q&A: How Can I Help My Son Be On Time?
A reader asks, "How can we help our 17 year old care more about being on time? We have tried to explain that it's selfish to make other people wait on him. He has never had a hurry "button."" This is kind of hard. I know this is frustrating - and you're no doubt worried…
Q&A: My 16yo Won’t Grow Up! How Can I Get Him to be Responsible?
A mom asks, "My 16yo is driving me crazy! He won't do his schoolwork. He argues with everything we say. He blames someone else for everything that happens. He's not obeying and he's disrespectful. If we say he can't use the internet, he does anyway and says we don't trust him. He just won't grow…
Q&A: How Are We Supposed to Interact With Our Son’s Girlfriend?
A reader asks, "How and when do you embrace the special girl in your adult son's life? My son is 20 and this is his first "girlfriend". They've been developing this relationship for 4 months and it seems serious. We have her over periodically but don't know when to take that next step." (more…)
Coming of Age Ceremonies
6. Taking The Next Steps
In this series, we've talked about why a formal "coming of age" ceremony can be useful. We discussed ideas about who to invite, who to have as a presenter, and what sort of presentation to have. Last post, we talked about the role of celebration - what sort of entertainment and fellowship you might include.…