Q
Our six-year-old has a strong aversion to religion, to the point where he gets upset when people pray or say grace in front of him. He says it’s because he doesn’t understand why someone would talk to someone they can’t see. While my husband and I aren’t particularly religious, my mother-in-law insists on buying him religious books, which he refuses to read. Will he be missing out on something crucial to his development if he doesn’t learn about religion?
Q
Sprinkles, my six-year-old’s imaginary friend, has been with us for more than four years. About six months ago, my son realized Sprinkles had left him and he was distraught. Eventually he got over it, but today he whispered in my ear that Sprinkles is back. At what age do imaginary friends leave a child and should I do anything about this?
Q
Our three-year-old son thinks he’s a dog. He barks, howls, eats off the floor and likes to wear a dog leash on his pants to make a tail. He’ll eat dog food and dog treats, if he can get them. We always ask him to stop and even put him in time out, but it doesn’t seem to make a difference.
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.