This summer my cousin and I both turned 40. No big deal, but as she said, "How did that happen?" Not only did I turn 40 I also realized that we are now the generation in the middle- we are not only raising kids, but managing aging parents. I thought that only happened to our parents?!

As parents we cherish the time that we spend with our children. We also cherish the time that we get to spend with other adults, mainly our spouse.  Date nights may be a rare, but they are a welcomed time to work on the relationship with your spouse. But here is a twist, how about having a date with your child/children.

For
the love of love

I often hear from couples that they just don’t have time to spend with each other. Whether the problem is children screaming, dinner to cook, clothes to wash, the list goes on and on. As parents you know it can be difficult to have alone time with your spouse.

So the question is, where do you find the time to keep the sparks flying in your marriage?

Mothers may find it difficult to take care of the household, work and still have time to nurture their relationship with their spouse.

Q. My 14-year-old daughter is trying to fit in with a group of kids that I feel are a bad influence. We have had a good relationship in the past, but her new friends are already getting into trouble and she is following right with them. How can I get her to stop hanging out with this bad crowd?

A. Teens may give in to peer pressure for many different reasons. Peer pressure can have a positive or a negative influence on kids.

Q. "Last year my son had numerous problems at school with misbehaving. He was put in detention several times for not listening to his teacher. I am worried that this behavior will begin again this year. What can I do?

A. Some students have gone back to school and others will do so within a couple of weeks.

In school, it is inevitable that some children will exhibit behavior problems. These problems might include disruptive talking in the classroom, name-calling or fighting.

Q. "I am having problems getting my husband to help around the house. We have two kids, and I feel like I do all the housework, take care of our kids and work a full-time job. Whenever I try to talk to him, he just ignores me. How can I get him to listen to me and help around the house?"

Q. My wife and I have 3 children. The youngest child is only 3 months old, and my wife is struggling to take care of him. She wants to stay in bed and complains that she is tired and at times she does not want to take care of our kids. I am concerned about our family because she seems to be getting worse. I think she is suffering from depression. How can I help her?

A. It sounds like your wife may be experiencing postpartum depression or what I like to call "after baby blues." It is not uncommon for new moms to feel happy one minute and then sad or irritated the next.

Q. My 17-year-old daughter is hanging out with a boy that me and my
husband do not like or approve of. We have had several bad experiences
with this boy and have told our daughter to stay away from him, but she
refuses.

He is controlling of her and I hear them fighting at
night on the phone. When I try to talk with my daughter about him, it
ends up in an argument.

What can we do to keep her away from this boy?

Q.
My wife and I have been married for three years, and I am having a
problem with our dog, who sleeps in the bed with us. It does not seem
to bother my wife, but the dog is getting in the way of my sleep and
our intimacy. He sleeps in between us, and at times won't allow me to
even get close to my wife. At this point I am desperate for help. What
can I do?