Ask Dr. Joannie Questions

Question: We are very close to our daughter-in-law’s parents who live near us. Our oldest grandson will be 6 soon, and we have only been to one birthday party. We would love to go to another party and would even stay in a hotel. However, we usually end up going a month ahead to celebrate […]

Question: Since our 7-year-old granddaughter was about 3 or 4, she sometimes refuses to come to the dinner table and her parents just say “Ignore her…she’s having a bad day.” Also, this little one has on occasion, often without any apparent reason, screamed. Again, the parental response is to ignore her, not discipline her. What

Question: My husband and I are raising our 3 grandchildren after the passing of their father, our son, in 2016. Their mother signed them over to us in 2022, and we’ve had them for 5 years now. They are amazing kids, excelling despite their history of being shuttled around in their early years. How do

Question: At public school, my 11-year-old Christian grandson was asked, during recess, if he thought being gay is right or wrong. He said he didn’t know as he was taken by surprise (but he does know). He later asked his mom what he should have said in response. How should believing kids or adults be

Question: My 4-year-old granddaughter is being raised by her single dad, our son-in-law. Our daughter, the mom, disappeared almost four years ago. None of us have had any contact with our daughter, and we don’t know where she is. My husband and I watch her 3 days/week and her other grandma cares for her 2

Question: One of my daughters has never been married but has a now 30-year-old daughter from an unplanned pregnancy. That granddaughter is now pregnant out of wedlock. She plans to keep the child even though she is not financially secure. I’m the only Christian in the family. How do I show Christ’s love but communicate

Question: While our children and their families were visiting us during the holidays, we witnessed first-hand how disrespectful and misbehaved our grandchildren were towards their parents and the chaos their misbehavior caused. It was VERY distressing! Could you give us suggestions on how we might address this with our children and their spouses? Response: I

Question: Our daughter and her young son have been abandoned by the boy’s father. How can we help our grandson cope with this? Response: This is such a sad situation and potentially harmful for your grandson. However, the fact that he has his mother, you, and your husband in his life can help prevent serious

Question: Our son and daughter-in-law have not allowed us to be alone with our grandchildren. How should we respond? Response: This must be really frustrating for you and your wife. I encourage you, however, not to make assumptions about their motives. While I don’t know your son and daughter-in-law and what might be the reason

Question: My grandchild has sleep issues compounded by her disability and the birth of a new brother. What can I suggest to help the parents? Response: At one point in my career, I did developmental assessments on children 0-3 years of age who were suspected of having one or more disabilities. Many of them had