parenting Archives - Page 3 of 59

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

Asking the Right Questions of Your Child’s Future Spouse

I proposed to Jean the old-fashioned way. I asked her mom and dad for permission to marry her. Honestly, I think they were shocked with me. They weren’t a Christian family, so they didn’t fully appreciate the rich view of marriage offered in the Bible.

So, when I went to them and said, “I really want to marry your daughter. Would you give us your blessing?” they were slightly befuddled and didn’t quite know how to respond.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, marriage, parenting October 29, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Preparing Teens to Bring Peace to Their Chaotic World

A teenager’s world can be chaotic. The question is, how can parents help their teens not only survive, but thrive, in the face of peer pressure, social media dangers, and challenges to their Christian faith?

One of the greatest examples of a teenager who stood strong was David. Before he became king over Israel, David was a shepherd. Culturally, he was insignificant. He was the youngest member of his family, who wasn’t afforded much respect. His older brothers would have inherited most of his father’s wealth and reputation.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, parenting October 28, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Men: Rising Above Stereotypes

Deep in their hearts, most guys want to be good men. They want to work hard and be faithful husbands and involved dads.

But a lot of guys feel like frauds. We know what to do. (At least, we think we do.) But we don’t always feel capable of doing what we know we ought to do (Romans 7:15).

Some guys feel like a fraud because … well, they are one. They’re hiding something sinful from their wives and Christian brothers, whose love and support they need most.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, father, men, parenting October 24, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Guest Post: But Mom, I Neeeeeeeed Followers! Helping Our Kids Recognize Social Media Dangers

By: Jonathan McKee

Decades ago the question was, “Do you know where your children are?” Today the question is, “Do you know who is following your children?”

Key word: following

Consider the app Instagram for a moment, the No. 1 social media platform used by teens today. Take a peek at anyone’s profile and you’ll see the word “followers” at the top of the screen with a little number above it. That number has become incredibly significant to today’s teenagers.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: parenting, technology October 23, 2019 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura