Q
My three-year-old has changed her name to Alice from Alice in Wonderland, and will not answer to anything else. This is not just at home, but at preschool and with other family members. She can get very upset and aggressive if you insist she is not Alice.
Q
Our cat died a few months ago and shortly after that, three fish died in quick succession. Lately my five-year-old has been obsessing about our dog, and she keeps insisting he’s not going to die — ever. How can I help her deal with her grief and understand that sometimes pets die?
Q
Because our four-year-old son has become very afraid of shadows, we have to leave a couple of lights on all night — not just a night light. To reassure him, we have said that shadows can’t hurt you, they aren’t ghosts or monsters, and he should try telling the things that scare him to “get out of my house.” Do you have any other suggestions?