Q: Can you help us decide on a strategy for giving our child the best possible education? Our daughter is ready to start school, and we want to get her moving in the right direction.

Jim: No one can tell you exactly how you should proceed, and I don't believe that any one option will provide the optimal environment for every child. It's possible your daughter may thrive in the public school system. On the other hand, she may do her best learning in a private school setting or a homeschool program. For some children, the best plan involves a mix-and-match approach with varying amounts of time in different educational settings. For these reasons, I'd suggest you carefully investigate and evaluate all types of schooling: public, private, charter and homeschooling.

In each case, there are positive and negative considerations to be weighed. For instance, although homeschooling has a great deal in its favor, including security, stability and flexibility, the load of responsibility usually falls to the mother. A warm and nurturing environment is often found in private schools, but one may not be close by or the cost may be an obstacle. Similarly, charter schools aren't available in every community, and when they are, their particular curricular emphases are not always suited to everyone's educational tastes or needs. Finally, although many public schools have maintained excellent standards, they vary considerably in the quality of education and environment they provide.

In the end, I'd encourage you to base your decision on several considerations, including the abilities and temperament of your child, the quality of the schools in your area and the degree to which they will respect and support your family's values and worldview, the stability of your home, your financial situation, and ultimately what works best for your child and your entire family.

Q: While searching for a movie review, your pluggedin.com website came up third on Google's list options. I checked it out and noticed that you also review music, TV & video games. These days there are a lot of websites that review entertainment. Why should I use yours?

Bob Waliszewski, Director, Plugged In: You're quite right in your assessment of the entertainment-review landscape. The proliferation of the Internet has made it possible for just about anyone who's purchased a movie ticket, listened to a song, watched a TV program or played a video game to blog, tweet or post their thoughts and opinions on the Web.

Not to minimize the contributions of other film critics, but almost all of them review motion pictures from an entertainment point of view. Following a long established pattern introduced by a London newspaper 102 years ago, the opinions of these critics are focused almost solely on and limited to the acting, dialogue, plot and special effects of a particular film.

Plugged In, however, takes a very different approach. While not discounting the importance of a film's art value, we review entertainment from a "messaging" point of view. What concepts and values are being conveyed in the film? Does the film uplift, encourage or inspire? Does the movie glamorize behaviors and/or attitudes that run contrary to a Judeo-Christian worldview?

While there are a few other review sites that evaluate media with "family friendliness" in mind, I believe PluggedIn.com is the only one that reviews not just movies, but TV programs, video games and top-charting music. Plus, we're donor-supported, meaning there's no membership fee to access any of our reviews, articles or blogs. Our goal is simply to serve families by helping them navigate the often murky world of today's entertainment.

Jim Daly is a husband and father, an author, and president of Focus on the Family and host of the Focus on the Family radio program. Catch up with him at www.jimdalyblog.com or at www.facebook.com/DalyFocus.

Focus on the Family counselors are available Monday through Friday between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. Mountain time at 855-771-HELP (4357). Focus on the Family's website is at www.focusonthefamily.com.

Q: I recently discovered my preschooler playing "doctor" with a neighborhood friend. I've always thought this kind of thing was innocent and normal in very young kids, but when I found my own child involved, I felt uncomfortable and didn't know what to say. Should I be concerned?

Jim: According to our counselors, if you're modeling healthy attitudes toward sexuality at home, there's probably no reason to be overly concerned. Because sexuality is a central part of life, it's only natural for children to want to know about it. This is why it's important to take the initiative to teach your kids about sex in your own way and on your own terms -- otherwise, they're probably going to learn about it somewhere else, and there's no guarantee the information they pick up will be accurate or healthy.

That said, while curiosity is normal and should be expected, sexual touch is a more serious matter. Complications can occur when the game of "doctor" involves this kind of touching, and for this reason, it should not be condoned or ignored. If this behavior was a part of the play you observed, you should talk with the parents of the other child and see what can be done to prevent it from happening again. Be careful not to shame your child, and remember that punishment isn't appropriate in this situation. Again, the best solution is simply to stay current with good sex education in the home and enforce healthy personal boundaries.

If you still have questions or concerns about the significance of this incident, our counselors would be happy to speak with you. You can reach them at 855-771-HELP (4357). The consultation and the call are both free of charge, and are one of the many ways Focus on the Family is here to serve you and your family.

Q: I've been dating a woman for over 2 years. I love her and want a serious relationship. She says she loves me too, but that she wants the freedom to see other guys. At times, I'm so frustrated that I just want to move on. What should I do?

Dr. Greg Smalley, Vice President, Family Ministries: I can appreciate your struggle. While the emotions you're wrestling with don't make it easy, your decision really hinges on what you ultimately want. If you're at a place where you desire and are eager to be married, you may need to start looking elsewhere. Contrary to prevailing romantic thought and what you're probably feeling, there's no such thing as "the one" when it comes to a life mate. If, on the other hand, you're sold on this girl and are willing to be patient, you can see if her heart eventually turns.

Either way, you might consider adjusting your current pattern of interacting with her. Any message on your part that suggests you're just hanging around waiting for her to see the light is counterproductive. A man who projects a humble sense of confidence, self-respect and independence is attractive and interesting to a lady, whereas a guy who acts like his life is meaningless without her is a major turnoff.

So what does this mean for you? For starters, pursue activities that grow your mind and character, such as reading books and serving others. Look for other quality women whose company you enjoy and spend time with them. What develops may surprise you. You'd also be well-served to not be so available to the current object of your affection. There's a real chance that, subconsciously, she's taken your fondness for granted, and a noticeable shift in your behavior just may cause her to come your way.

Jim Daly is a husband and father, an author, and president of Focus on the Family and host of the Focus on the Family radio program. Catch up with him at www.jimdalyblog.com or at www.facebook.com/DalyFocus.

Focus on the Family counselors are available Monday through Friday between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. Mountain time at 855-771-HELP (4357). Focus on the Family's website is at www.focusonthefamily.com.

Q: Should I ask my husband to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases? He recently ended an affair, and we're working toward reconciliation. It's a touchy process and I don't want to do anything that might suggest a lack of trust or that I haven't forgiven him.

Jim: I'd strongly suggest that you both get tested immediately. The health risks and ramifications are too serious not to. But I sense you don't need to be convinced of this. Your bigger concern is that any suggestion of mistrust or lack of forgiveness may derail the reconciliation process.

While I can understand your hesitancy, medical testing has nothing to do with trust. It's just a straightforward way of ascertaining some very critical facts. There's also a sense in which trust is a moot point at this stage in the game. Your husband has already proven himself untrustworthy. But if he's truly interested in changing, he should admit this and face the consequences head-on. His willingness to do so is the only way he can expect to rebuild his relationship with you.

Finally, it's important to understand that forgiveness and trust are two different things. You can forgive your husband for his past waywardness, but this doesn't mean that you should give him carte blanche for the future or necessarily take his word for it when he insists he'll never stray again.

Through his actions he's forfeited a degree of freedom and respectability. Real healing and reconciliation between the two of you can't occur unless he's ready to be held accountable. Trust can be restored only if accountability is maintained over a long period of time.

If you haven't already, I'd suggest you locate a good counselor who can guide you through the reconciliation process. Don't hesitate to call our Focus counselors for a referral at 855-771-HELP (4357).

Q: We just learned our teenage daughter is five weeks pregnant. She and the father are only 17, and we're trying to get them to think seriously about how they're going to care for and support a child. We've assured our daughter that our love for her has not wavered and that we're thankful they've chosen life for the baby. But we're frustrated that neither of them is open to adoption. Do you have any advice?

Dr. Greg Smalley, Vice President, Family Ministries: Although it won't be easy, I'd encourage you to take a low-key approach and not pressure them to make a decision right now. If you do, they may react by proudly and publicly proclaiming that they're determined to become parents. At that point, it will be much harder for them to reverse course and consider adoption later on. You also should refrain from making any commitments of financial or practical support.

After the dust has settled, encourage your daughter to contact your local pregnancy resource center. These centers -- which can be found by visiting the Option Line website (optionline.org), or by looking up "Abortion Alternatives" in the Yellow Pages -- provide practical help and emotional support to those experiencing a crisis pregnancy. According to some experts, many teen couples say early on that they aren't interested in the adoption alternative. But as time passes and they begin to consider what it really means to care for a baby, reality starts to set in. At that point, many teens are willing to take a second look.

In the end, it's important that you honor their final decision. Though the hopes and dreams you had for you and your daughter look much different today, this news doesn't mean your futures will be worse. As only He can, God often surprises us with joy from unexpected places.

Jim Daly is a husband and father, an author, and president of Focus on the Family and host of the Focus on the Family radio program. Catch up with him at www.jimdalyblog.com or at www.facebook.com/DalyFocus.

Focus on the Family counselors are available Monday through Friday between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. Mountain time at 855-771-HELP (4357). Focus on the Family's website is at www.focusonthefamily.com.