Daly Focus Blog
As a father of two young men, the topic of how young people and faith coalesce is close to my heart because Jean and I are living it right now. We have diligently tried to raise our sons to be men after God’s heart. Some days we feel like we’ve hit a home run. Other days, we fear we’re striking out.
Maybe you feel the same way. Christian parents are competing with a lot in the culture when it comes to believing in God and living for him.
Does this formula remind you of your parenting style?
You probably recognize that from a math class somewhere in your past. It guarantees that every time you add A and B together, you get C. So, 3 + 2 always equals 5. Every time. It’s simple. It’s reliable.
It’s predictable.
Which is why formulas are the go-to parenting method for so many moms and dads. And many don’t even realize they’re doing it.
Here’s the test.
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.
To raise happy, healthy children, remember this: Rules alone won’t work.
Rules only control a child’s outer behavior. To develop a child’s inner character, you have to go deeper. Until children develop an inner motivation to do the right thing, they’ll keep sticking their toe over the line.
Like a friend of mine’s five-year-old daughter. They were playing together in the front yard. “Stay in the grass,” he told her. “Don’t step onto the sidewalk or the driveway.” The little girl looked her dad right in the eye, playfully danced to the edge of the grass … and stuck her big toe across the forbidden line.
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!
I suspect few parents see the Bible as a parenting manual,
but its pages are nevertheless brimming with good and practical counsel – made
even more incredible given the book’s age.
From warning fathers to not exasperate their children
(Ephesians 6:4) to encouraging discipline in the inevitable event of unruly
children (Hebrews 12:11, Proverbs 29:17), the Scriptures have answers to the
challenges that moms and dads are facing.
Sometimes, though, the advice shows up in seemingly unlikely
places.
Home improvement is more popular than ever.
Well, for a lot of you, anyway. I have to be honest. Home renovation scares the daylights out of me. To say I don’t have an aptitude for it is an understatement.
A few years ago, Jean and I had a contractor come to our home to assess some water damage. Water got inside one of our window wells after the cover peeled away. The guy looked things over and said, “This is a simple fix.
The Bible encourages us to manage our emotions.
Proverbs 15:18 says, “A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.”
Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God.”
Identifying and managing emotions can be challenging for adults. How much more difficult is it for children?
Kids experience big feelings inside little bodies and can easily be overwhelmed and confused by their feelings.
Remember the days when your boys climbed jungle gyms and went up and down slides? That’s where they cultivated friendships and learned to navigate their world.
Now they’re teenagers, and the playground is social media. That’s where they connect, form relationships, and shape their identity, much of it around how well they feel they measure up – or not – with “influencers.”
Their online presence could also be summarized by “more accessibility, less accountability.” Back in the day, things like pornography and dangerous worldviews were “around,” but they weren’t finding their way into a child’s life through every Wi-Fi signal in the house.
In today’s world of smartphones and YouTube, it can feel impossible to keep pace with what our children are watching. Focus on the Family’s Plugged In website exists to help you and your children make informed media decisions.
If you have never visited the Plugged In website, I hope you will check it out.
If you are already familiar with Plugged In, you may have noticed that the website has a new look.
The new site is designed to make it easier to view the latest content and explore different categories.
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.
