The desire to be popular, pretty, or admired by other people starts early for girls.

Beauty and body image are now common concerns for girls as young as 10 years old. By age 17, 78% report feeling unhappy with their bodies.

My wife and I didn’t have the privilege of raising daughters, but Jean can attest to struggling with feeling comfortable in her own skin as a teen girl.

Truth be told, Eve was the first and only female to experience God’s love and acceptance while living in an environment free of competition with or comparison to anyone else.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: parenting April 17, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

A father told psychologist Michael Anderson, “You wouldn’t believe what my daughter has become. Ninety days ago, she was an A-student. She was in the church youth group and did anything we told her to do. Now she’s smoking and drinking, shoplifting, and does anything her friends tell her to do.”

Michael responded, “The only thing that has changed is who your daughter is listening to.”

In working with the family, Michael knew that the father had never encouraged his daughter to think for herself, only to follow instructions.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: parenting April 13, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

It’s not easy for a single mother to raise a son. It’s even more difficult when that son has autism.

Emily Colson can attest to both. Her husband walked out when their son Max was just 18-months old, saying he couldn’t handle the stress.

And there was a lot of stress.

Max’s autism was so severe that, for a time, Emily couldn’t leave home with him – not to the grocery store, not to friends’ houses, not to church.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: parenting April 3, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

If a loved one is dying, what should you tell your children?

My mom died of cancer when I was nine years old. For reasons I still don’t fully understand, my stepdad and my older siblings never told me how sick she was. All I knew was that she spent most of the day asleep in her room, and I was rarely allowed to see her. Then, one day my 19-year-old brother Mike said, “I’ve got bad news.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: parenting March 29, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Instilling virtue in our children can be pretty serious business. After all, the adult world is a competitive place, and we want kids to be prepared.

Unfortunately, the desire to raise our children can lead to harsh standards that smother them. At report card time, a nearly straight-A student may be asked why they didn’t get that one grade a little higher. Or a teenager who displays the slightest sign of irresponsibility may get a 15-minute lecture.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: parenting March 13, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Single moms face unique challenges when it comes to raising boys. A single mom is always interacting with her son because she’s the only parent, but that doesn’t mean she’s connecting with him in the way she wants or in the way he needs. Unlike a mother and a daughter, who both relate to the female experience, the gap between a mother and her son widens as he grows older.

How can a single mom step more deeply into her son’s world?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: parenting February 20, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

I saw a video that powerfully illustrates the incredible influence that fathers have in the lives of their daughters. It captured a dad in his living room, watching a basketball game. He jumped and yelled in support of his favorite team.

Right beside him, his three-year-old daughter copied his every move. She jumped when he jumped. She clapped when he clapped. She even copied his expressions of excitement.

Then the mood changed. The dad started shouting at the television.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: parenting February 16, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Kirsten Watson’s husband, Benjamin, played for six NFL teams and won a super Bowl in 2005. Much of the time over those 15 years, she found herself on her own in a new city with no support and the responsibility for handling a household of seven children, including twins. At one point, her stress was so severe that she suffered from migraines and was told that her pain would continue unless she made some changes.

Maybe you can relate to the pressure Kirsten felt.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: parenting February 8, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

In Colorado, we’re locked in the throes of winter. Cold. Snow. Ice.

I can’t wait for the return of summer because summer means camping for my family. We love getting outdoors. We love parking our fifth wheel in some remote location where the sounds of nature aren’t drowned out by cars and busyness.

When there’s a lake nearby, the first thing my boys do is grab rocks to throw into the water. The bigger the better.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: parenting January 30, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura