parenting Archives

Disciplining Your Kids with Love and Limits

Parents often discipline in terms of behavior modification:

“No backtalk.”
“Say please and thank you.”
“Stop picking on your brother” (with two boys, Jean and I have said that one a lot over the years).
“Put away your backpack.”

Outward behavior is an important part of raising children of character. But it’s only one side of the coin. The other is developing their inner motivation.

The root word of discipline is “disciple.” As disciples of Christ, we follow His teachings outwardly because our hearts are being transformed from within.

Topics: Current Events Tags: broadcast, discipline, kids, parenting January 12, 2018 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Teaching Your Children to Handle Money Well

Do you teach your children to clean their rooms?

How about to do their homework, to brush their teeth, or to match their clothes?

How about to give money, save money, and to spend it properly?

If you said no to that last one, it might be because you see your child’s allowance as simply an economic transfer instead of as a chance to develop their character.

Our guest for the next couple of programs is the money guru himself, radio host and bestselling author, Dave Ramsey.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, finances, kids, parenting January 8, 2018 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Focus on the Family Best Seller List

Week Ending January 2, 2018

Openness Unhindered (by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield)
Cherish (by Gary Thomas)
The Kindness Challenge (by Shaunti Feldhahn)
Exploring the Joy of Christmas (by Phil Robertson)
Hope Rising (by Kim Meeder)
7 Women (by Eric Metaxas)
7 Men (by Eric Metaxas)
Forgive, Let Go, and Live (by Deborah Smith Pegues)
Honey, We Need to Talk (by David E. Clarke)
The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert (by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield)
Your Teenager Is Not Crazy (by Dr.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, family, marriage, parenting January 5, 2018 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Helping Your Child Navigate the Tech Landscape

I’ll never forget the day I got my driver’s license. It was all I could talk about for an entire year before. It was a time-honored tradition back then: do whatever necessary to get your license by the time you’re fifteen, no later than sixteen. That little plastic ID got me and my friends out of the house and enabled us to hang out with each other whenever and wherever we wanted. My driver’s license was key to my social world.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, family, kids, parenting, technology January 4, 2018 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

So You Want to Do Devotions with Your Little One

Chuck Colson once said to me, “By age 10, your children’s moral compass is pretty well set.”

His wisdom confirmed what Jean and I already believed from our earliest days of parenting: we only had a few short years to impart biblical wisdom and a love for Jesus to our two boys. It’s a task that we’ve taken seriously ever since. But we also discovered early that “serious” doesn’t have to mean “dull” or “boring.”

Thankfully, there’s no magical “one way” for moms and dads to pass their faith on to their children.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, family, parenting January 2, 2018 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Inside Scoop on What’s Going on Inside Your Teen’s Brain

“What were you thinking?”

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

Well, according to Dr. Jeramy and Jerusha Clark, our guests on today’s and tomorrow’s broadcasts, there’s an avalanche of change going on.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, family, kids, parenting December 11, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Simple Tools for Raising Great Kids

What can you do tonight to deepen your relationship with your children and empower them to develop strong character?

Simply this: in a genuine way that fits you and your child, make an effort to connect. It doesn’t have to be expensive, complicated, or excessively time-consuming. Even the simplest gesture of love, affection, and physical touch can strengthen the relationship between a parent and a child.

That advice comes from clinical child psychologist, Dr. Todd Cartmell, my guest on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Raising Kids of Character.” He’ll be providing equally helpful answers to questions that many parents ask:

How do I get my children to listen to me?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, family, parenting November 13, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Steer (Not Pull) Your Kids in the Right Direction

Mom and Dad, are you a tug boat or a rudder?

You can tell by the way you motivate your children. Tug boat parents pull their children through the water to get them going the right direction. Rudder parents steer them in the way they should go.

We’re all tug boats from time to time. I know I’ve grabbed the rope and started to pull when one of my boys hasn’t made a good decision. That urge to force them in the right direction usually plays upon my concern for their health and well-being.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, parenting October 10, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Guiding Your Young Adult to a Vibrant Faith

A young man named Billy Riley was in a philosophy program at a small liberal arts college in western Pennsylvania. His Human Origins class offered some of the greatest challenges a Christian student could ever face. Not only was he confronted with opposing worldviews, but his professor was biased in his teaching approach.

Billy was mature enough in his faith that he befriended the professor. They had great conversations and vigorous debate after each class. They eventually put together a school symposium on the existence of God.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, parenting October 2, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Meet an Elementary School Girl Who Shared Jesus with Her Classmates

On Wednesday I shared with you two things that you could do to deepen your family’s faith: watching the movie “MULLY,” and participating in “Bring Your Bible to School Day.”

Today I want to share with you a video of a Pennsylvania family for whom #BringYourBible became a part of living out their faith every day – even in the midst of life’s trials. It’s a beautiful video that will leave you with a smile on your face – and even a tear in your eye.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: parenting, religious liberty September 29, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura