parenting Archives

Being a ‘Yes’ Parent in a World of No’s

The most popular word in the average parent’s vocabulary is “no.”

To be fair, it’s an important word for moms and dads. Used properly, it creates healthy boundaries for children.

But it’s easy to over-do our “no’s.” We can be too protective. Remember Dory, the fish with short-term memory loss from the animated hit movie Finding Nemo? She reminded Marlin, the dad of mis-adventurous Nemo, “You can’t never let anything happen to him. Then nothing would ever happen to him.”

If we build too many fences, we’re not allowing our kids to be kids or to grow.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, family, parenting January 9, 2020 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Homemade Meals for Busy Families

The holidays are over, and you’re probably running at high speed in a lot of directions.

The end of the workday doesn’t mean your work is over. Somebody has to pick up the kids from soccer practice and run to the store for groceries. After that, you still have to get home and make dinner, which can take a couple of hours once you cook, eat, and clean up the mess.

Who’s got time for that?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, family, parenting January 2, 2020 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Raise Strong Believers

If God is good, why does He allow evil to exist?

Maybe your kids have asked you that to see how you answer. Have you ever asked your kids that question to see how they answer?

Or how about these?

Where did the universe come from?Do science and religion contradict each other?Do all religions worship the same God?How do we know God hears and answers prayer?

Natasha Crain didn’t know how to answer such important questions.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, children, parenting December 26, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Trusting God with Your Adult Child

I know of a couple whose daughter disappeared from home in a fit of rebellion on her 18th birthday. Her parents were devastated. For years, they didn’t know if she was alive or dead.

Early on, her mother made a simple decision. Every night – all night – she would turn on the porch light. It was an unspoken message to her daughter: “You’re always welcome home.”

Many nights, tears streamed down that mother’s face as she locked the front door, switched on the light, and prayed for her daughter.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, children, parenting December 23, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Motivating Your Kids to Reflect the Character of God

Teaching character to children and motivating them to embrace change can be a challenge.

Dr. Kathy Koch says strengthening your relationship with your child is key to helping him or her to feel known and understood and to intentionally impart character qualities like resilience, humility, self-respect, respect for others, and self-control.

First, you model those qualities yourself. Then, you guide your children to interact with life in the same way. Communicating as a teacher, a coach, a cheerleader, and a referee, parents can address five core needs of a child:

Security – Who can I trust?Identity – Who am I?Belonging – Who wants me?Purpose – Why am I alive?Competence – What do I do well?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, children, parenting December 9, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Helping Your Daughter Become a Confident Woman

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: broadcast, father, parenting December 5, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Understanding the Two Different Sides of Love

Skyscrapers are amazing feats of engineering. They need to be strong enough to resist the forces that come against them, like gravity and wind. That’s why skyscrapers are built with steel.

They also need to be flexible enough to withstand the forces that come against them … like gravity and wind. That’s why architects design skyscrapers with a certain amount of sway.

Strength and softness. The two sides of a superstructure. Two sides of love as well.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, marriage, parenting, relationships November 22, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Finding Better Ways to Communicate with Your Children

Mom and Dad, are you tugboats or rudders? You can tell by the way you motivate your children.

Tugboat parents get their children going the right direction by pulling them through the water. There’s a lot of nagging, mild threats, and endless warnings against the consequences of bad choices.

Every parent has done that, I think. I know I’ve grabbed the rope and started to pull when one of my boys hasn’t made a good decision.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, children, parenting November 8, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Boone and Me: A Foster Adoption Story

God’s grace and unconditional love are most often on display when the lives of two people intersect.

Such is the story of Cecil and Boone Stokes. Cecil is a successful television and film producer of over 500 shows. He had it all.

Well, there was one unfulfilled dream. At the age of 12 years old, God planted the desire in Cecil’s heart to be a father someday, specifically the father of an adopted son.

Years later, Boone was one of over 400,000 kids in the foster care system.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: adoption, broadcast, parenting November 4, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Guest Post: Nine Hours and 49 Minutes per Day

Today’s Young People Are Clocking in More “Entertainment Media” Then Ever Before

By: Jonathan McKee

“I can’t get my kids to pry their eyes from their screens for more than a minute!”

It’s probably the biggest complaint I hear from moms and dads at my parent workshops each weekend. Kids are soaking in more entertainment media than ever before.

I’m sure you’re not surprised when I tell you a brand‐new report has revealed screen time is up.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: children, parenting, technology November 1, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura