family Archives

Learn the Fundamentals of Parenting

Vince Lombardi was the legendary football coach of the Green Bay Packers. Throughout the 1960s, his teams dominated the National Football League. But their astounding success was not the result of new and innovative ways to play the game. It was quite the opposite.

In fact, one notorious example demonstrates how adamant Coach Lombardi was that his players master the fundamentals. At the beginning of training camp the year after one of the team’s most successful seasons, Lombardi gathered his men for a pep talk.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, family, news, parenting February 19, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

God Meets Imperfect Families in Their Messiness

Maybe you know this feeling a little too well.

You see other families from the outside, and they look exactly like what you envision a good Christian home to be. Their children don’t squabble, and they obey their parents with almost gleeful enthusiasm. Life seems perfect.

But your reality seems a lot different. You break up two or three spats between the kids before you even leave for church. And once you get there, you paint a smile on your face and answer everybody’s, “How’re you doing?” with a robotic, “I’m great.”

But deep inside you know things aren’t great.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: broadcast, faith, family February 17, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

It’s Good to (Literally) LOL

Who doesn’t enjoy a good laugh? I think we all do. As legendary comedian Bob Hope once said, laughter is an “instant vacation.”

My family can attest to that. We love to laugh together. It bonds us together and enables joy, love, and grace to flourish in our home.

Simply put, laughter helps make our house a pleasant place to be. The more we laugh the more we enjoy one another’s company, and that strengthens our relationships.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: broadcast, entertainment, family February 9, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Super Bowl Ads Promise to Break Dim-Witted Dad Stereotype

After a few years of Super Bowl commercials featuring Dad as the butt of too many jokes, it seems like this year may be in for a refreshing change. There are two pre-released game day ads that show fathers in a positive light.

First up is Dove Men + Care’s 60-second spot, “#RealStrength,” which shows children of various ages calling their dads and ends with the tagline “Care Makes a Man Stronger.” It’s so well-made it’s likely many viewers will be left with tears in their eyes.

Topics: Current Events Tags: entertainment, family, parenting, pop culture January 28, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Should Parents Reason with Young Children?

I think almost every parent can relate to this scenario:

You give your 6-year-old a clear instruction to follow. But instead of doing what he’s told, he looks at you and, with a straight face asks, “Why?”

Believe it or not, how you respond to that question as a parent is more crucial than you might think.

There was a time in our society when a “Why do I have to?” from a child would get an immediate “Because I said so” from the parent.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: broadcast, family, parenting January 26, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Four Stories Before the Weekend

From the serious to the light-hearted, here are some recent news articles on topics that impact faith and family that might be of interest to you.

– Obama’s Middle-Class Blind Spot, via The Wall Street Journal: The president’s proposed tax credit for families doesn’t extend to families with a stay-at-home parent.
President Obama is missing an opportunity to help all struggling families…

– Pope: Catholics need not breed ‘like rabbits’: USA Today reports on the controversial statement.

Topics: Current Events Tags: family, news, pro-life January 23, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

4 Tips for Parenting an Adult Child Who Has Made Poor Choices

Unfortunately, even good parents might one day see their adult children make poor choices. Here at Focus we’ve spoken with many heartbroken moms and dads who are grappling to understand and respond well to their grown kids’ decisions.

Here are four tips from our counselors on how parents can help their child get back on track.

1. Ease your guilt.
Every parent makes mistakes. However, as an adult, your son or daughter is now old enough to make their own choices and to take responsibility for them.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting January 20, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Parenting the Strong-Willed Child as a Team

Let’s be honest: Parenting isn’t for the weak – especially when you’re raising a strong-willed child.

It’s not fun when a pint-sized little one defiantly refuses to obey or when a 14-year-old talks back. Our natural instincts want to kick in. It’s all too easy to respond in anger.

My wife, Jean, and I know this well. We have two teenage boys, and one of them is a strong-willed child. It’s interesting to look back over the years and see how he’s impacted Jean and me in different ways.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, family, kids, parenting January 15, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Is Your Family’s Schedule Overwhelmed?

I’ve got a riddle for you. “You can spend it, but you can’t keep it. And once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back.” Do you know what it is? Here’s a clue:

Let’s say you win a contest. The grand prize is $86,400 wired into your bank account each day at midnight. The money is yours to spend however you want. There’s just one catch. At the end of the day, every penny you don’t spend disappears from your account.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, parenting January 13, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What We Can Learn from President George H.W. and Barbara Bush’s Marriage

Former President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, recently celebrated 70 years of marriage, making them the longest-married presidential couple in U.S. history. Their marriage isn’t just long-lasting – by all accounts, it’s a happy union characterized by both love and friendship.

Of her marriage, Mrs. Bush has said:

“I think we grew together. I think that when you have a child die and you survive, and you’ve been through a war and you survive, and you build a business and you survive, you either grow apart or together.

Topics: Current Events Tags: family, marriage January 12, 2015 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura