Dear Mr. Dad: Our kids are within the normal weight range for their age and height, but I'm the first to admit their eating habits are awful. I don't want them to end up joining the epidemic of obesity. Should I be concerned? What should we do to be sure they avoid becoming overweight?

A: It's great that you are asking this question now, before a problem develops. Reversing bad habits is always much more difficult than avoiding them in the first place. Childhood obesity is a serious issue that can lead to real health problems, including quite a few that used to be considered adults-only, like diabetes, liver disease, and hypertension.
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Dear Mr. Dad: Our three-year-old son is jealous of his new baby brother. My wife and I did our best to prepare him for the baby’s arrival, and initially, he seemed happy about having a sibling to play with. But now, he seems to be angry with us and aggressive toward the baby, throwing tantrums and shouting that he hates his brother. How do we handle this?

A: First, it’s important to understand that your older son’s outbursts are completely normal. Think about it from his perspective: For three years he was the center of the Universe and had you and Mom all to himself. Then, without even consulting him, you bring in someone who steals all your attention. Worse yet, the instant playmate he was hoping for turns out to be a blobby baby who does nothing but sleep, eat, cry, and poop. And to top it off, with everyone ooohing and aaahing over the new baby, your older boy is feeling unwanted and unloved.
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Dear Mr. Dad: I hear so much about the need for kids to have self-esteem and self-confidence, but I’m not sure how to go about instilling either one in my kids. They’re only four and six, so maybe it’s no big deal yet—but is there anything I can do now to raise confident kids?

A: Absolutely. It’s never too soon—or too late, for that matter—to think about your child’s future. But first, let me take a minute to hopefully eliminate some confusion. Self-confidence and self-esteem are related, but they’re not identical. Self-esteem is somewhat passive and has to do with how we see ourselves—what (or whom) we see when we look in the mirror. Healthy self-esteem is also crucial in developing positive attitudes and actions toward others. You’re much more likely to treat someone else with empathy and respect if you have a positive view of yourself.

Self-confidence is more active, and describes our willingness and ability to interact with the world around us.
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Dear Mr. Dad: My seven-year-old is a happy, well-adjusted, intelligent boy, but he still wets the bed almost every night. How unusual is this? Should we have him tested to see if there’s a medical problem, or is there something we can do to help him overcome this on his own?

A: Sporadic or continuous bedwetting is far more common than most parents realize, even long after daytime toilet training is completed. A quarter of five-year-olds still wet the bed. By age seven, it’s down to 20 percent, and by age ten it’s about five percent. That number keeps dropping into the early teens, and fewer than one percent of middle schoolers are still wetting the bed.
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