Daly Focus Blog
“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.
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.
When it comes to instilling character in children, the most important characteristic we can model is resilience – overcoming struggles and difficulties.
As the apostle Paul writes, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Cor. 4:8-9).
Resilience is a mindset. It’s a process of adapting in the face of significant stress. With resilience, challenges become opportunities to learn and mature.
What’s your relationship with clutter Does it bring your comfort? Or fill you with anxiety?
We’re all a little different. Some of us don’t mind a little clutter, or see a good reason to pick up somebody’s else socks. Some of us feel a tidy home offers peace. We’re more calm if we’re not navigating scattered piles of things and activities.
Regardless of where you fall on the tidiness spectrum, there are ways to organize that increase the efficiency of your home, so you can maximize the time you devote to family and other priorities.
Author Kari Kampakis says teen girls have it tough. Every day is a renewed battle against anxiety, toxic friendships, cyberbullying and pressures associated with social media.
Which is why teen girls need strong women in their lives to protect, encourage, and guide them – to support them in confronting adversity, so they learn to handle life with confidence on their own.
That’s why Kara encourages mothers to be strong parents instead of “buddy parents.” Though your daughter won’t often show it, she cares deeply about your opinions.
A father’s love is imprinted on the heart of a son.
As a father of two boys, that sentiment stops me in my tracks. I didn’t have a good role model for fatherhood growing up. My dad died an alcoholic, and my stepdad walked out on my siblings and me the day of my mother’s funeral. After that, I went into foster care for almost two years.
Maybe your dad didn’t leave a positive imprint on your heart, either.
Sometimes what you say and what other people hear can be two very different things.
Maybe you can relate to a young mother from Ohio who wanted her family to be a beacon of hope during the COVID lockdown. She handed chalk to her two boys – ages six and eight – and asked them to write messages on the driveway. She wanted delivery drivers and passersby to be greeted with encouragement and good cheer. Later, when she checked on her kids’ progress, she discovered boys had covered the driveway and sidewalks with messages like, “Stay away!” “Do not enter!” and “Get lost!”
Misunderstandings like that happen a lot in marriage, too.
Many moms and dads parent out of fear because the challenges their children face seem much greater than previous generations. They feel unsure about guiding their teen through the pressures of social media, depression, anxiety and addiction. They feel even less confident about helping their teen develop a sincere faith.
Jodie Berndt is a Bible teacher and speaker whose latest book is called Praying the Scriptures for Your Teens. She’s with us on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Praying for Your Teens Heart and Future” to share how to strengthen your teenager’s character for the inevitable crises to come by creating habits of prayer.
Helping children navigate the ever-changing world of technology and social media can be overwhelming. Nevertheless, it’s an important part of today’s parenting agenda. Entertainment consumption shapes who we are, how we think and what we believe. That’s especially true of impressionable children.
On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Becoming a Screen Savvy Family,” we’re looking at what God’s word says about teaching children discernment in entertainment choices.
In studio with me are two members of our Plugged In staff.
I’ve always believed that a child’s first teachers are mom and dad. Most parents understand their role during their child’s preschool years. But once their child begins elementary school, many parents defer a lot of educational responsibilities to teachers and administrators. In short, they step back and let the professionals take over.
Tragically, that’s a dangerous thing to do these days. There is growing dissonance between parents and once-trusted public school systems. Traditional teaching curriculum have been replaced by alarming agendas of liberal politics, social justice, gender confusion and even sexual exploitation.
Jim Daly is a husband, father and President of Focus on the Family and host of its National Radio Hall of Fame broadcast. His blog, Daly Focus, is full of timely commentary and wisdom designed to help you navigate and understand today’s culture. His latest book is Marriage Done Right.
