So, here’s the scenario. It’s a weeknight, and your child has spent most of the evening on the same school assignment. It’s pretty clear he doesn’t understand the information. To top it off, he’s brought home a note from the teacher warning you about a failing grade.

The question is should you panic?Many parents do. They assume the worst, thinking their child has a behavior problem, difficulty learning, or is just plain lazy.

In truth, school challenges like this aren’t a crisis most of the time.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting August 7, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Some families have a negative opinion about public schools, for many reasons:

Their child’s learning style doesn’t mesh well with their local school’s approach to education.

The school’s values are out of touch with their own.

There’s also this important consideration: Children who go to a traditional school spend more than 14,000 hours in school. That’s more of their waking hours than they will spend anywhere else, including home.

Home schooling has become the fastest growing form of education in America today, in part because so many parents have taken a more active role in their children’s education in the wake of the COVID pandemic.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting July 22, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Both of my boys had colic as infants. On a good night, they might only sleep for a couple of hours at a time. Jean and I tried everything to get them to rest, including placing them on top of our clothes dryer, hoping the movement would calm them. Other nights, I would drive Trent – and two years later, Troy – around the neighborhood at two o’clock in the morning. But every time, as soon as I brought them home and lay them down – boom!

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting May 30, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Kids are full of good questions. But sometimes parents aren’t prepared with good answers.

Like, “Where do babies come from?”

If you’re in that stage of parenting, don’t panic. Questions like these are usually simple curiosity. Your child is realizing that the world is bigger than he is. It’s unlikely that he’s searching for an anatomical explanation. Rather, he’s trying to figure out where he existed prior to mom giving birth to him.

A great way to respond is to turn this question into an opportunity to introduce your child to the God of the Bible, who created and loves him (Psalm 139:14).

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting May 21, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

Do you remember people saying that when you were a child? How old were you when you realized that it wasn’t true? Words can hurt.

That’s a good reminder if you’re part of a family whose members like to joke around with each other. Channeled properly, friendly teasing can be both healthy and bonding. Laughter is contagious. It brings people together by diffusing arguments and smoothing out differences.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting April 29, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Being a parent is the most natural thing in the world in many ways. But there’s a lot to learn as well. At Focus on the Family, we routinely hear from parents who struggle with how and when to discipline their child. If you have questions in that area, keep a few basics in mind.

First, make sure your child understands the rules before you discipline him. If Junior hasn’t been told ahead of time a particular behavior is wrong, cut him some slack.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting April 26, 2024 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura