Daly Focus Blog
In my latest book, “The Good Dad,” I spent a lot of time and pages on the importance of dads simply “being there” for their kids.
“Our kids aren’t asking for perfection,” I wrote. “They’re asking for our presence – to show up for the job each and every day. They’re asking us to be there for them, to guide them, to hug them.”
When we’re there with them, accompanying them in the trenches of everyday life, we’re able to serve as a guiding influence over our children.
They call them “fur babies,” and many couples in the U.S. are opting for them. One headline aptly described it this way: “Americans are having dogs instead of babies.”
The United States isn’t unique in this trend. We’ve seen for a while now how birth rates worldwide are plummeting and the number of pets are increasing. Japan, a country where sales of adult diapers outnumber those of baby diapers, has a population of more than 22 million pampered pets versus only 16.6 million children under 15.
While we’re still a few weeks from the official start of summer on June 21, the Daly Family already has a summer kind of mind.
My wife Jean snapped this picture of the boys and me after we had enjoyed some time boogie boarding in Corona del Mar, California and were at the Shake Shack to watch the sunset.
We make it a point to spend some family time just having fun every summer – after all, laughing and playing together is a great way to make some treasured memories.
It’s an unsettling trend that’s quickly gaining speed: toddlers are increasingly being prescribed drugs for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
A recent article from the Today Show cites the number of U.S. 2- and 3-year-olds receiving the medication at 10,000.
Are these drugs necessary?
Let’s be honest: toddlers can be a rowdy bunch. It’s not easy to parent during these years and keep up with the constant running, screaming, climbing, and curiosity that’s characteristic of this age.
But when you think about it, toddlers are active because it’s their “job” to play.
Video games are in the news more and more – and usually, it’s not for good reasons.
Gaming is sometimes blamed in the growing trend where young men are finding it increasingly difficult to achieve major life milestones like moving out of their parents’ house, going to college, getting married and starting a family. Some of these men are stuck in a prolonged adolescence; one stat says 18-to- 34-year-old men spend more time playing video games than 12-to- 17-year-old boys.
Today’s children are growing up faster than ever. Thanks to TV, overtly sexual songs on the radio and the Internet, most kids have likely seen, heard and experienced more than their counterparts from previous generations.
And sadly – one trend we’re seeing is that sexually aggressive “tween” girls are now propositioning younger boys, offering them sexual favors.
One unbelievable example
In our two-part broadcast starting today, “Helping Sons Guard Their Purity,” our guest, FamilyLife President Dennis Rainey, shares a story about a boy who had notes in his jeans pocket from a girl who wanted to sit by him at lunch.
Since the self-titled debut of Casting Crowns‘ first album was released in 2003, the band has enjoyed great popularity among Christian audiences – but not for reasons you’d might expect.
Instead of light-hearted songs that only scratch the surface of our faith, Casting Crowns specializes in delivering hard-hitting hits meant to challenge listeners – and the larger Christian community – in our walks. The band regularly explores themes of holiness, relationships, witness and vulnerability in a way that encourages self-reflection.
Success.
How to define it?
To many Americans, success means challenging yourself to reach your full potential. It can mean financial stability and the ability to provide for a family.
To many in the world, it means reaching a certain level of self-fulfillment. And while there are various ways the above goals can be reached, the fact is that a college diploma remains an important common denominator of the American definition of success in many cases.
The video Emily Letts recently made of her abortion was understandably met with shock, horror, sadness and disbelief. In it, the 25-year-old abortion counselor shares her story of facing an unexpected pregnancy, and includes footage of her undergoing the procedure during her first trimester.
It is a sobering and painful video to watch.
How should those of us who value human life respond?
Every abortion involves three people
The reality is abortion profoundly impacts at least three individuals: the child whose life is being terminated, the birthfather and the woman who must live with the reality of this decision.
Many of us celebrated Mother’s Day yesterday. Social media platforms were filled with smiling pictures as some of us remembered our moms who have since passed away. Other snapshots were of today’s young moms, surrounded by babies and toddlers and all the hope and promise they bring. Mothers of grown children as well as grandmothers and birthmothers were also celebrated.
The folks at FoxNews.com gave me the privilege of sharing a piece I wrote reflecting on Mother’s Day on their site.
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.
