For decades, sociologists have been telling us how important it is for children to feel loved and cared for. Proof of that concept came in the 1990s after a political revolution in Romania. Over 170,000 abandoned infants, toddlers, and teenagers were housed in a network of government-run institutions known as “child gulags.” The children were provided with food, but very few received loving touch or attention. Most of the children never knew what it was like to love or to be loved.
Children are a Blessing – Not a Burden
The columnist Don Feder recently highlighted a Michigan State University poll that concluded, “1 in 5 adults in the Wolverine State do not want children and therefore are child free.”
Feder pointed out that even using the term “child free” connotates something akin to a disease.
Findings from the Pew Research Center paint an even darker picture when it comes to couples’ desire for children. Over 44% of people between the ages of 18 and 49 who don’t have children said it was “not too or not at all likely” they would ever have children – an increase of 7% since 2018.
Equipping Your Kids to Resist Pornography
The stats on pornography use are alarming. Sixty-seven percent of young males view pornography on a regular basis. Porn use for this generation is no longer the exception – it’s the norm.
Many parents do the bare minimum when it comes to talking to their children about sex. They have “the talk” and encourage their children to pursue abstinence, but otherwise they sit back and hope that their kids stay pure for as long as possible.
If You Only Knew
There were a lot of guys in my high school who didn’t get along with their dads. Every day they’d complain about their fathers being strict and overbearing. And all I could do was think, “If you guys only knew how good you have it.”
At the time, I lived with my older brother Dave. He was a good brother, but he was no father figure. He didn’t set boundaries or establish any rules. And a curfew?
Raising Kids with Healthy Boundaries
When my son Trent was assigned his first science project in fourth grade, Jean and I agreed to let him do the project all on his own. After all, the whole point was for him to learn, right?
Apparently, not every parent shared that view.
At the end of the semester, the school held an open house, so the children could show off their work. It was pretty obvious which parents had been too involved in their child’s schoolwork.
Give Your All
Believe it or not, football and family have a lot in common. Maybe the most important similarity is this: half-hearted effort isn’t good enough. Both require you to give your all.
During my freshman year of high school, I hoped to play quarterback for our football team, but I had a lot of growing up to do. I wasn’t lazy, and I had all the physical abilities, but my broken childhood had led me to believe I wasn’t good enough.
Conquering Debt
When was the last time you imagined yourself wearing a coat of chainmail, wielding a sword and shield, and setting out on a noble steed through dense forest to slay a dragon?
If it’s been awhile, tap into your imagination and reach for your trusty blade. You’ll need both to slay a foe that threatens the well-being of a large percentage of the American population.
It’s called “debt.”
Just like the fire-breathing dragons from folklore, debt wreaks havoc on households, communities, even a nation.
Pass on Good Values
One of the most popular questions we get here at Focus on the Family is, “How do I pass my values on to my children?” Let me answer that question for you by sharing two important ideas.
First and foremost is family. You, mom and dad, are the most important influence in your kids’ lives. They’re watching you. Everything you say and do makes a profound impression on what your children say and do. So, model the values you hope your children will adopt as their own.
Cutting Costs
Do you and your spouse run out of money before you run out of month? The problem may not be how much money you have but how much money has you.
If you’re having a hard time managing your bank account, the best place to start is by examining how you perceive money. The importance money has in your life will control how you use it.
So, first, be careful that your identity isn’t wrapped up in material possessions.
Establishing Healthy Boundaries with Your In-Laws
I heard someone caution young women who are about to wed with this old saying: “Remember, when you marry your Prince, you inherit the king, the queen, and the whole court!”
That warning applies to every prince marrying his princess as well. And let me add – you may also get a “court jester” thrown in as well!
Jokes about the “meddling mother-in-law” and the “grumpy father-in-law” are funny because they’re true often enough that stereotypes develop.
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