Daly Focus Blog
Maddie and her 13-year-old son, Justin, heard Jim Daly while in the car together. They heard me say that junior high kids want their parents to listen to them. Right there in the parking lot, Justin said, “He’s right, Mom. I’d love it if you’d just listen to me sometimes.”
Good listening is a skill. Teenagers don’t open up very often, so when they do, take advantage. When my son, Trent, was younger, he got chatty at night.
Children aren’t equipped with the emotional resources they need to keep their world steady. In fact, according to research:
Nearly one in three adolescents meets the criteria for an anxiety disorder by age 18.
One in six children (ages six to 17) are diagnosed with a mental illness.
The number of teenagers who experience depression has increased by 59% over the past 10 years.
My guest on Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, author Eliza Huie, says recent studies are revealing that bullying, social media, exposure to traumatizing news and images and the effects of living through the global pandemic of 2020 are having a severe emotional impact on children’s mental health.
Entitlement is a lie. It deceives us into believing that we deserve reward without effort. The trouble is, we’re not given a good life. We earn it through commitment, dedication and sacrifice.
That profound truth was beautifully captured in the movie Saving Private Ryan. Tom Hanks’ character, Captain John Miller, leads a group of men on an extraordinary mission behind enemy lines: find Private James Ryan, whose three brothers have died in combat. The men succeed in their mission but at a steep cost.
Some people are “quietly” broken. They’ll put a smile on their face and tell you, “I’m fine,” but they feel lonely, depressed and inadequate.
For many, that brokenness began with a trauma that caused them to doubt their worth. Others felt wounded by a parent who wasn’t physically or emotionally available. For these reasons and many others, children become adults who chase the approval of others.
What they need – what we all need – is “The Blessing,” a concept introduced on Focus on the Family decades ago by Dr.
The stress of daily life takes a toll on even the happiest couples – which is why marriage and family counselor Dr. Randy Schroeder says seeking marital happiness is unrealistic. A better approach is to pursue consistent marital satisfaction. How? Good habits.
Dr. Schroeder offers four “daily essentials” for creating good habits in your marriage:
“Goodbye, I love you.” Whoever leaves the house first should initiate this.
“Goodnight, I love you.” Whoever goes to bed first should initiate this.
My two boys are grown and live on their own, but fatherhood is probably still a few years off, which means grandparenting for Jean and me is also a few years off. We’re looking forward to it.
In the meantime, I’m thinking about the kind of grandfather I hope to be and how God might want to use me as a loving and positive influence in my grandkids’ lives. I have some questions. And I bet you do, too.
When you’re driving and approach an intersection, a traffic light communicates how to proceed:
A green light means move forward.
A yellow light means slow down and prepare to stop or move forward with caution.
A red light means stop immediately.
Author and marriage and family pastor, Scott Kedersha, advises dating couples to approach marriage the same way. Through the wisdom of friends, family, or a pastor or counselor, you can discern whether it’s safe to move forward, whether you ought to slow down and reconsider aspects of your relationship, or whether you ought to stop altogether instead of proceeding into an unhealthy marriage.
The 106th NFL season kicks off on Thursday night with the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Dallas Cowboys.
In the pecking order of life’s pressing personal and professional priorities, football likely ranks low, though television ratings can sometimes suggest otherwise. Last season, tens of millions of people watched professional football each week. Millions more watched college games.
I think I know why.
With all kinds of concerns swirling about, from wars and rumors of wars to political upheaval and social evils running everywhere, football is a welcome reprieve from the madness and mayhem of everyday life.
Author John Maxwell says, “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” He means that we have two choices in life: embrace change and discover new potential, or avoid change and risk stagnation.
An example of the latter is the film company Kodak, once synonymous with photography. For nearly 100 years, the Eastman Kodak Company was the largest film and camera manufacturer in the world. It dominated the industry so completely that memorable snapshots were once referred to as “Kodak moments.”
But change is inevitable.
What strategies are most effective for raising kids with good character?
We get that question a lot here at Focus on the Family. Our answer is that there is no one size fits all, but one thing is required: intentionality. Setting our families on “auto pilot” and hoping everything turns out okay is not a fruitful parenting approach.
Every Christian parent wants happy and healthy kids who love the Lord and who have a good relationship with their mom and dad.
Jim Daly is a husband, father and President of Focus on the Family and host of its National Radio Hall of Fame broadcast. His blog, Daly Focus, is full of timely commentary and wisdom designed to help you navigate and understand today’s culture. His latest book is Marriage Done Right.
