Family Matters

Placing healthy boundaries in your marriage can never be underestimated. Too many marriage relationships have been thwarted by a lack of appropriate boundaries, which has inevitably led to falling into sin. Should a married man spend one on one time helping a women who is experiencing martial problems?

Having a child who is inherently irresponsible can be one of the most frustrating things for a parent. Parenting is a tough enough task as it is, without having to constantly be worrying about a child who can’t seem to take responsibility for his things.

The statistics for reported child abuse in our country are way below the actual numbers, and this is due to various reasons. First a foremost, the fear instilled in the victims if they tell anyone what is going on, and then sadly, the social acceptance of practices like corporal punishment and sexual harassment among other things.

You’ll often hear people throwing the term ‘OCD’ around to describe minor habitual behaviours that they or others have adopted. But what if you are married to someone who exhibits truly obsessive behaviour?

The demands of a high powered job are monstrous, and fighting off the monster for the sake of your family can be one of the most challenging and yet profoundly important things you can do. In our fast paced world, with technology at our fingertips meaning that we are constantly connected, it takes a lot of intentionality to change gear at home when your family needs you.

If you’re a bible believing Christian who is on fire for the Lord and you’re desperate to see others experiencing the fullness of what God has for them, then you are not alone. Your approach to the people around you should be taken seriously and cautiously at the same time. That said, depending on where people are at in their Christian walk, they’re not always going to be up for a heated discussio...

Have you ever wondered if someone you love may have a drinking problem? There are many misnomers around alcoholism, and we want to disclose the signs you should be looking for if you suspect an issue with alcohol.

Marriages are under threat in an even more terrifying way than ever before with the introduction of cybersex and other online portals to sexually explicit material. So many people are falling prey to the lure of sexual encounters online without realizing the serious nature of such practices.

Can you tell us what changes we should expect as our child goes through puberty and enters adolescence – and how we should deal with them? I realize that this is likely to be a challenging time in our son's life. I'm also assuming that my spouse and I will have to bear a large part of the burden of his insecurity and anxiety as he navigates this delicate transition. Do you have some tried-and-true...

It’s sometimes difficult to get a sense of really counting for God when your everyday life tends to feel quite mundane. Christians often question how effective they are being in God’s kingdom, trying desperately to pursue their ‘calling’ and ending up resenting their career.

When a couple decides to get married, there should be no secrets between them that may surface in their marriage and trip them up. So, what happens if you have chosen to stay sexually pure before marriage but your partner is no longer a virgin? We’ll discuss how this can affect the relationship, and how couples can overcome this kind of hurdle.

How can I be sure that my spouse is really repentant for the pain he has caused me? A year ago, I discovered he'd been involved in an emotional affair with another woman for nearly a decade. He also has a history of explosive anger which has often led to verbal abuse. On a number of occasions he has actually thrown things at me. Though he's ended the extramarital relationship, softened his demeano...

Divorce is never an easy road to walk, and when there are kids involved you can expect an even harder slog. Children are profoundly affected by their parents splitting up, and Mom and Dad need to know how best to deal with their kids’ scared and confused behavior.

Depression is a clinical condition that affects the psyche of a person in varying degrees, but it also affects the family members in a considerable way. We’ll take an honest look at ways to minimize the impact of depression.

There is so much to be said for the enormous role that a father plays in his daughter’s life, and especially in her confidence. A father shapes the way a girl sees herself in society, and so he has a great influence on feeding her self-worth.

We are regularly asked by parents, how they should go about dealing with a child who has been a victim of bullying and cyber-bullying. There are a number of articles that give guidelines and advice to those parents on our website at safamily.co.za. But, today we want to speak to the teens themselves who are being faced with cyber-bullying. We’ve heard from many teens that are struggling to live pr...

Children read about the Devil in the bible and hear stories told in Sunday School, and sometimes they begin to have nightmares and uncontrollable fears of this unseen enemy. Parents can do a lot to allay those fears by referencing what God’s word says in the Bible.

Now that I'm past 18, should I still "submit" to my mom and dad? The Bible says that children should "obey" their parents (Ephesians 6:1; Colossians 3:20), but at what point do I become fully independent of their control?

As human beings, we are so fallible, and our hearts and minds can lead us astray very easily if we don’t keep them in check and surrendered to God. As Christians, we have been rescued out of slavery to sin and reconciled to God, but that does not mean that sinful thought never crosses our minds. We still have to make a conscious decision daily to take up our cross and follow Christ. In marriage, w...

When it comes to infidelity in a marriage relationship, there can be no grey area. A spouse should never be asked to turn a blind eye to extramarital relationships, because the very nature of marriage is a sacred bond between man and woman, and this vow should not be undermined.

When a young boy chooses to play with girls’ toys or loves to join in girly fantasy games, is this a warning sign that he may be struggling with gender identification? We’re discussing this in a little more detail

Is sex really that critical to a healthy marriage? Here's why I ask. I'm having a disagreement with my spouse. He tells me that sex is a "sacrament" and "a holy mystery," and that it needs to be central to our relationship. He even uses Ephesians 5:30-32 to support these claims. I don't agree. After all, there's a lot more to marriage than just sex. Besides, the Bible itself (in 1 Corinthians 7:3-...

In every marriage, there are going to be conflicts and frustrations between husband and wife, and sometimes an outside perspective can be just what you need to get back on track. But one needs to be careful about where that counsel comes from because even family members can often be a hindrance if they are overly invested.

When life takes a turn for the worse, and you experience suffering and heartache, it’s very difficult to hear the words, “God works all things for the good”, because things may not look good at all to you. Going through trials and tribulation is never easy, and yet the bible tells us that we will have to endure hardship in this life.

How can I help my small child deal with his overwhelming fear of insects? He's always been a little scared of bugs, but recently he was bitten by something at school during snack time, and now he gets hysterical every time the class is supposed to go outside. What's the solution?