Daly Focus Blog
“I’m pregnant.”
Would you know what to do if your teenage daughter made that announcement? It’s not a pleasant situation to think about. But it’s the moment of truth for you as a parent. How you react sets the tone of your relationship with your child moving forward.
When you first hear the news, you’ll feel like the floor has dropped out from beneath your family. It’s a scary, uncertain time for you and for your daughter.
Kids experience big feelings inside little bodies, which means they can easily feel overwhelmed and confused. They don’t understand their feelings, so they don’t have the language to talk about them. And if they can’t talk about them, then they can’t ask for or receive help.
The problem for parents is that helping children identify their emotions and find words to express them is like trying to explain the color blue.
How can you help your children manage their feelings in healthy ways?
Although your family Thanksgiving and Christmas get-togethers may look different this year, you still may be worried about spending time with that one family member who is sure to make the holiday season … interesting. Whenever they’re near, there’s friction.
What can you do to manage that relationship better and find peace in the midst of chaos?
We’re having a conversation with Dr. Mike Bechtle, author of the book People Can’t Drive You Crazy If You Don’t Give Them the Keys, on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Living in Peace with People Who Drive You Crazy.”
Dr.
What’s the difference between a poorly dressed man on a tricycle and a well-dressed man on a bicycle?
Attire.
Get it?
Okay, so I’m not much of a comedian. Which is why you’ll enjoy our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Bringing Laughter to Everyday Life” with a real comedian, Tim Hawkins.
Tim finds humor in everyday circumstances. Like the video below, about a time when fixing breakfast for his children didn’t go so well.
Since Christmas will probably look different for your family this year, why not start some new traditions?
We’re talking about ideas for approaching the holiday season with grace, fun, and a deeper focus on God and your family on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Embracing Grace, Fun, and Family This Holiday Season.” Listen on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or on our free phone app.
A crisis can tear a family apart.
Evan and Elisa Morgan learned how to forge a strong partnership by going through the fires of crisis – one of which involved their teenage daughter.
Evan was the CFO of Denver Seminary. Elisa was the president of Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS). Their daughter was an honor roll student, a state-ranked swimmer, and an active member of her youth group. She even participated in a mission trip to serve HIV/AIDS orphans in Kenya.
I once had lunch with author David Horowitz, a secular Jew who had written a book detailing cultural and political movements against Christianity. He asked me, “Jim, don’t you realize you’re in an alley fight, and the other side has switchblades?”
I nodded my understanding, then responded, “David, the problem is that the weapons of warfare our Lord has given us are joy, love, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, and faithfulness.”
That discourse raises an intriguing question for every Christian: How are believers to fight the good fight with the character of Christ when the other side doesn’t fight fair?
Odds are, you or someone you know has stepchildren. According to a recent statistic, 40 percent of families in the United States are blended.
That is a lot of people who are trying to build something new out of the ashes of their former lives. Divorce. Death. Blended families come together for many reasons, but they each face a number of challenges.
On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Cultivating Love in Blended Families,” authors Dr.
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.
Have you heard of the popular MTV programs “Teen Mom” and “16 and Pregnant”? I’ve only caught a random segment or two, and only to keep a pulse on the culture and the messages it communicates to our children.
You have to dig to find redeeming value to such “entertainment.” If you’re not familiar with these shows, they’re so-called “reality” TV programs that follow the lives of young girls between the ages of 13 and 16 who are pregnant, having babies, and involved in intimate relationships.
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.
