children Archives

Practical Advice for Parenting Strong-Willed Children

Jean and I have a strong-willed boy. Over the years, we’ve joked that we were raising a lawyer-in-training. He could find a loophole in anything.

Once, Jean hosted a women’s tea and set out chocolates in the living room. She later discovered half the bowl was gone. When she asked him if he’d eaten all the chocolates, our son responded, “No,” without hesitation.

“You didn’t eat the chocolates?”

“Oh, I ate some of them. But you asked if I had eaten all of them.”

If you’ve got a strong-willed child, you’ve probably encountered situations like that.

Topics: Uncategorized Tags: children, parenting November 19, 2020 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Teaching Boys to Respect Women

Consider this: according to The New York Times, 201 powerful men have been exposed for their mistreatment of women in recent years. Titans of the business world, of politics, and of the entertainment industry. Their behavior cost them their reputations and ended their careers. A few of the men wound up in jail. Or dead.

The question our culture must answer is, “Why did those 201 men believe that their power gave them the right to mistreat anybody?” How did these men become so bereft of a moral compass?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: children October 28, 2020 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Developing a Love of Prayer in Your Kids

In our Welcome Center here at the Focus on the Family campus, children have the opportunity to leave their prayer requests with us.

One of my favorites is from a 9-year-old boy who wrote, “Please pray for my brother. He wets the bed. And pray for me. I share the bed with my brother.”

Some prayer requests are much more serious, like the 8-year-old boy who wanted us to ask God to help his dad stop drinking and be healthy again.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: children, prayer October 12, 2020 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Being a Champion to Your Grandkids

I never knew my grandparents, but family friends – Mr. and Mrs. Hope – became surrogate grandparents to me. They led my mother to the Lord and treated her and me and my siblings as part of their family.

Some of my fondest childhood memories are visiting with Grandpa Hope. He would sit in a big recliner in his garden atrium, play checkers with us kids and – like any good grandfather – lose on purpose often enough to build our self-confidence.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: children, family September 11, 2020 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What Your Kids Need Most to Grow Up Well

Every day parents face a new fork in the road of some kind. You want what’s best for your child. But it’s not always clear what is best.

Will your children thrive with more boundaries? Or more freedom?

Is your child old enough for technology? If so, what kind? And how much screen time should they be allowed?

Are their friends a good influence? Are your children a good influence on their friends?

There is no formula for parenting but there are seven traits to guide moms and dads toward:

AdaptabilityRespectIntentionalityLoveGratitudeGraceForgiveness

How can we raise our children with an approach that infuses them with godly maturity and grace for others?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: children, family August 18, 2020 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Helping Your Young Adult Thrive in College

College is supposed to be an exciting season of life. Fun times. Great classes. New friends.

But it can also be a season of stress. Along with stacks of homework, students have questions about the future. Add to that the impact of the pandemic, and today’s college students are facing a lot of uncertainty.

We were able to host a group of interns this summer here at Focus on the Family. They shared some of their concerns with us about what’s ahead for them.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: children, parenting August 10, 2020 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Intelligence: Discovering Your Child’s Unique Gifts

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the upcoming school year seems poised to be stressful for children and parents alike. If you’re already feeling the pressure, I think our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Intelligence: Discovering Your Child’s Unique Gifts” will be a big help to you.

Dr. Kathy Koch is sharing how to identify and understand how your kids best learn. She says that one factor can make the difference between a school year filled with conflict and frustration, and one of peace as you work with your children’s learning styles.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: children August 6, 2020 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Dreaming with Your Child

Shelia Erwin is the mother of filmmaking duo the Erwin Brothers, known for the popular Christian films October Baby, Moms’ Night Out, and I Can Only Imagine. Her sons, Andrew and Jon, were always discovering new interests in junior high school, so Shelia wasn’t surprised when they became passionate about the visual arts.

She couldn’t foresee at the time how her boys’ newest hobby would someday blossom. Still, she and her husband Hank encouraged them however they could.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: children, family July 22, 2020 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Showing Unconditional Love to Your Children

It’s easy to bless a child. It really is.

Not long ago, I asked my son, Troy, if he remembered the day almost ten years ago when I blessed him while we were out hiking on a camping trip. Somewhere along the trail, we stopped, I placed a hand on his shoulder, told him how important he was to me and his mother, and how much we – and God – loved him. Then I prayed over him.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: children, family July 14, 2020 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Kids: You Gotta Love Em

When times are hard, it’s important to enjoy some laughter.

That’s what we have in store with our guest Kenn Kington, our guest on the Focus on the Family Broadcast “Kids: You Gotta Love Em.”

Kenn is a popular comedian and motivational speaker who has quite a knack for finding the humor in everyday moments with his wife and three kids.

I know you’ll enjoy his message. It’s fun. Yet it communicates an important point: Children mimic us!

Topics: Family and Home Tags: children, parenting May 18, 2020 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura