Mailbag Fun

I love hearing from constituents like you. Today, I thought I’d invite you to read three playful letters that brightened my day. This first gem is from a mother whose son was in kindergarten where he was just learning to read. Here’s what happened:

“I remember picking-up my son from school one day. I had been reading one of Dr. Dobson’s books at the time and had it on the car seat next to me. My precocious youngster carefully sounded out the title. He said: ‘The Strong, WILD Child.’ Then he turned to me and enthusiastically asked: ‘Mom, is that book about me, and is it good?’ I laughed and told him it was very good and yes, it was about boys like him. I can say this much: that book sure helps in raising him!”

The second letter is from the mother of two young boys. Having a pair of young sons myself, this one caught my eye. I completely understand the challenge she describes raising a couple of high-octane little guys. She writes:

“I recently started reading Dr. Dobson’s book, Bringing Up Boys. Even as I write this note, my sons are walking back and forth on the couch. I calmly asked them to stop walking on the sofa. When I looked up again, they were still at it. When I asked why they hadn’t listened, I was informed that they did, infact, listen–they weren’t walkingthey were running! I guess I need to be more specific. I sometimes shake my head and marvel at my boys’ antics. I can only imagine what they’ll come up with as they get older. Thanks for the great book! As you can see, my husband and I will likely have plenty of opportunities to put these principles into practice.”

While we’re dipping into the mailbag, you gotta love this next one:

“One day, I was driving my two boys (at the time, five and three) to church when I heard them talking in the back seat. My five-year-old said to his younger brother, “Let’s play ‘Dr. Dobson says.’ They then discussed different scenarios and talked about what they might do in various situations. With each set of circumstances, they would finish with, ‘But Dr. Dobson says . . .’ and then state what they thought Dr. Dobson would say. I could hardly believe my ears! Little did I know that my sons had actually been listening to and understanding the Focus on the Family radio broadcast. Obviously, Dr. Dobson has influenced my marriage and my family even more than I imagined!”

Sure sounds like these boys have stumbled onto a great game idea. I’ll have to pass it on to our in-house creative team. Who knows? Maybe it’ll become the next big trivia game. Stranger things have happened, right? As always, we’d love to hear from you. If you have a story to tell, a need for parenting advice, resources to help your marriage thrive, or perhaps a grief to share, please get in touch.

Call us at 1-800-AFAMILY, use our online form, or feel free to drop us a line at Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, CO 80995. We’re here for you!

Merry Christmas!