#99: Your Questions: Co-Parenting, Bad Dreams, Teaching Kids to Pray, and More

In this episode, we take your questions and talk about them. This week's questions include the following topics: * What educational apps we would recommend * How to handle a co-parenting situation where you have no control with what's happening in the other home * How to help our kids with bad dreams and night terrors * How to further talk to your kids about Santa, Easter bunny, Tooth Fairy, etc. * Managing a child who craves being social more than we have the energy forThe Questions:  * I am a first grade teacher in public school. I often get asked about educational apps that I would recommend. Knowing what you know about screen time, what is your opinion about using a tablet for educational purposes? * I'm a stepmom of three children who live with their mom 70% of the time. My husband and I do plan to fight for more custody this year. My question relates to how to co-parent with someone who is working from a different worldview. Their mom is more focused on herself and her life than the kids. She frequently leaves them home by themselves (ages 13, 10, and 8) until midnight or later while she is out at the bar. She has had a live-in boyfriend and other boyfriends that are a part of their daily life (most of these men also have kids who come around). They do not have consistency or security with their mom. We have had the kids in counseling for almost a year and even the counselor said it's a struggle when we can only be consistent with them when we have them 30% of the time. On top of that, I'm the stepparent so I have little influence/say over any interactions with their mom. I have a great deal of frustrations/concerns/questions surrounding this topic and i am trying to keep this brief. --Jamie * I listened to your podcast regarding the holiday season. I loved it. My husband and I LOVE that you say "Santa is pretend and we pretend in this house." I know you had said that you just make that blanket statement and move on. We are struggling when our 4 year old daughter wants to know more and more about Santa. Last night when we were talking to her at bed time she was asking questions like, "Does Santa sleep in a bed?", "Where does Santa eat?", "How does Santa get everywhere?" So, even though she didn't say, "Is Santa real?", we did say, "He sleeps in a pretend bed. He eats pretend food."...etc. Do you have other suggestions? To be honest, she doesn't like the idea of Santa. She doesn't like that he goes into people's houses and she's scared of him when she sees him at a mall or anything. So last year Santa "delivered on our porch"...but even with that she woke up a few times that night and nights leading up to it and said, "Are you sure he's not going to come in our house?" Also, do you tell your kids to NOT tell other kids about him being pretend? --Amber * What is your advice for providing opportunities for a child who enjoys/thrives on being social, around people way more than I have energy for? My husband and are social people--he even more than me and we feel like we provide plenty of social opportunities, yet it never seems to be enough from her perspective. She loves serving/helping so we have involved her in some (though limited) of those activities. When as parents do you draw the line? * How to handle bad dreams and night terrors in young kids? How much is a spiritual battle vs normal growing up? This is something my daughter is going through right now. It was really hard the first few times. Any advice? --BekahShow Notes: