Dear Family Coach: I'm a Christian, and I believe homosexuality is a sin. My daughter is friends with a girl who is being raised by two mothers. They seem like perfectly nice people, but I do not approve of their lifestyle and do not want their choices to rub off on my child. Is it OK for me to not let her see her friend, or at least keep her from visiting her house? — Principles Mom

Dear Mom: You may be a Christian, but I don't think you are upholding those values as much as I believe you could be. I don't agree with you about homosexuality, but you are entitled to your beliefs and values. You may teach your children as you see fit. However, I don't think you are practicing tolerance and acceptance. Imagine if the family with two mothers told their kid she shouldn't play with your child because you are the sinner. How would you feel? Imagine how your child would feel. I'm guessing pretty crappy.

Homosexuality doesn't rub off. It's not a disease, and it isn't contagious. However, hate is contagious. Stop it from spreading in your house by teaching your children that there are many kinds of families. You can even explain that your religion does not accept homosexuality. But make sure your children know that no matter what walk of life someone comes from, they always deserve respect, care and friendship.

You said these appear to be nice people. Get to know them more. I guarantee you will find out they are just like you and your partner, struggling with parenting, bills, mortgages, making lunches and finding time for each other.

Dear Family Coach: Our 8-year-old cries when confronted about anything. She's very sensitive and dramatic. We sometimes avoid admonishing her because she will get hysterical. How can I reprimand her without causing a total meltdown? — Crier's Parents

Dear Parents: Your child may be very sensitive, and it may hurt her fragile ego to get reprimanded. But avoiding admonishing doesn't teach her how to tolerate those painful feelings. It also doesn't teach her to avoid the troublesome behavior in the first place. Lastly, some of her dramatic behavior might be to precisely avoid consequences for her actions. She tugs at your heartstrings or makes a scene so you might look the other way or minimize the consequence. Don't let her get away with all of that.

Instead of avoiding those meltdowns, help your daughter to see that making a mistake doesn't mean she is a horrible person. Show her you still love her. Give her space to show her feelings. But hold her accountable for her actions.

There is also a difference between feeling sad that she is in trouble and being overly dramatic. If her behavior crosses the line from upset to histrionic, allow her to cry it out a bit. Don't try to calm her down or provide extra attention for her behavior. When she calms down, discuss the issue with her. She may get hysterical again. Give her time to cool down once more, and follow through with the discussion. If she continues to cry so that you can't get a word in, then just tell her the consequence of her actions and walk away. She will likely try to engage you about the issue later. She'll try to talk you out of her punishment. Don't fall for any of that. When she realizes her dramatics have become less effective, she will stop the behavior.

Dr. Catherine Pearlman, the founder of The Family Coach, LLC, advises parents on all matters of child rearing. To write to Dr. Pearlman, send her an email at questions@thefamilycoach.com. To find out more about Dr. Catherine Pearlman and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.