parenting Archives

Discovering Your Identity as a Stay-at-Home Mom

Stay-at-home moms are a big topic here at Focus on the Family. I have great respect for them. They work hard from sunup to sundown, and they often don’t get acknowledged for who they are or what they do every day.

If you’re a stay-at-home mom who feels isolated, alone, or overwhelmed, I encourage you to listen to our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Discovering Your New Identity as a Stay-at-Home Mom.” Our guest is Jen Babakhan, who talked with me about God’s calling for mothers and why your role in the family is so important.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting September 23, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Importance of Fathering Well

I have strong feelings about the importance of dads being in the home. That’s partly because of my experiences. I’ve seen the impact of fatherlessness up close and personal. My stepdad abandoned me and my siblings within hours of my mother’s funeral. A few years later, my biological father died of alcoholism, and I spent time in foster care.

My views are reinforced by the data. Every scientific measurement of child well-being around the globe consistently reveals that fatherlessness is profoundly harmful to children and society.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: parenting September 10, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Kendrick Brother’s New Film “Show Me the Father” Highlights the Fundamental Importance of our Heavenly Father

Do you have a father story?

For good or bad, our dads cast a long shadow across our lives.

Readers of this blog likely know that my biological dad, stepdad and foster dad all let me down – and all by the time I turned 13.

While the majority of people may not have suffered from that degree of disappointment, sadly, my challenges coming from a broken home are no longer that unusual.

According to the most recent data, a quarter of children – or 17.4 million – live in a home without a dad.

A new documentary by the Kendrick Brothers (“War Room” & “Courageous”) aims to shine a bright light on the connection between our earthly, imperfect dads and our Heavenly Father, who can ultimately meet our every need.

It’s called, “Show Me the Father” and it opens this Friday, September 10th.

I was privileged to participate in the project, and have been praying that my story, warts and all, might minister to those who will be watching.

Stephen and Alex Kendrick see the film as a calling – not simply another creative project.

According to Stephen, “God said, ‘You need to make this documentary about fatherhood.’ So we moved forward by faith, and we were able to connect with some of the coolest, most emotional stories about fatherhood.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: parenting September 8, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Learning to Say No

If your schedule looks anything like mine, then you are busy! Our world is fast paced. We’re booked solid with work, family, and obligations to our church and community. Keeping up takes constant effort and makes finding margin difficult.

A positive first step is recognizing that moments of rest are just as crucial to a healthy life as productivity. Even God the Father took time to rest (Genesis 2:2). So did Jesus (Matthew 14:23).

Topics: Family and Home Tags: parenting September 3, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Leaving a Legacy of Faith for Your Children

Author Lee Strobel believes that family is the answer for today’s children to become “the greatest generation that has ever lived for Jesus Christ.”

He has strong evidence to back up that claim. Researchers at the University of California at Santa Barbara conducted a landmark multigenerational study concluding that parents are fundamental in passing down religious beliefs to their children.

In addition, the study affirmed that having a close bond with one’s father is the single biggest influence in a child’s life.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, kids, parenting August 20, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Effective Habits to Embrace in Parenting

What kind of tools are in your parenting toolbox?

In a regular toolbox, like the one in your garage, you’ll find hammers, screwdrivers, and different sized wrenches – tools with very particular uses for specific problems around the house. There’s an old saying: if the only tool you have is a hammer, everything will look like a nail after a while.

There isn’t one tool to rule them all.

It’s the same with parenting. Some moms and dads only have one tool in their parenting toolbox that they use in every situation – like anger, overly strict rules, or permissiveness.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting July 19, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

GUEST POST: How to Raise an Anti-Woke Daughter

By: Michelle Easton

How can you be sure your daughter remains a conservative woman of faith once she leaves your home? Given toxic social media, radical indoctrination in schools, and a popular culture that promotes non-traditional values, parents can’t assume she’ll stay conservative because she went to church. The best parenting mimics the way our heavenly Father loves his children, so our default parental setting should be to return to the immutable and transcendent Judeo-Christian truths that shaped America’s founding.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: parenting July 6, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What Fathers Need to Possess in Order to Man Up in an Increasingly Feminized World

In our current era of woke politics and a blurring and morphing of the differences between males and females, are we losing sight of distinctly manly qualities? We believe we are, and these are very different than mere male characteristics.

Being male is a function of distinct body parts and DNA. Being a man is wholly a question of character—about what a man chooses to do and how he does it. It’s incumbent on fathers of sons to exhibit and teach their boys what it takes to grow up and assume their unique role in society.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: father, parenting June 23, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Are Your Children Your Mission Field?

Are you a mom wanting to do something big for God, but you don’t have the energy or the time?

Maybe God has already given you your greater purpose.

Author and mom Shontell Brewer recalls feeling guilty every time her pastor talked about making a difference through mission work. She was the mother of five children and struggled with feeling like she couldn’t get to the real work of missions until she completed the childrearing phase of her life.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: mothers, parenting June 23, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Understanding Your Teen’s Behavior

“What were you thinking?”

If you’re a parent of teenagers, you’ve probably asked that question a few times. I know I have. More than once, Jean and I have looked at each other and asked about one of our boys: “What is going on in that brain of his?”

According to Dr. Jeramy and Jerusha Clark, our guests on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Understanding Your Teen’s Behavior,” there’s an avalanche of change happening inside a teenager’s body.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: parenting, Teens May 17, 2021 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura