parenting Archives

Do You Let Your Children Play Video Games?

When it comes to video games, Jean and I have a pretty simple and straightforward rule:

No guns, no blood, no bad language and, obviously, nothing that’s sexually suggestive.

So I know what some of you are probably thinking:

It’s still possible to purchase and play Pong?

Our boys actually play a very limited amount of games on Wii, usually sports-themed and always very innocuous in nature.

But we know parents who feel strongly that any type of video game is just a bad idea and a poor use of a child’s time.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, kids, parenting, pop culture, technology May 16, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Would You Take Your Son to a Brothel?

The late Norman Vincent Peale, senior pastor of New York City’s Marble Collegiate Church for over 50 years, grew up in Ohio, a preacher’s kid. His father, Clifford Peale, was a tremendously compassionate man. If there was a need within his congregation, he was determined to meet it.

Norman remembers the phone ringing in their parsonage one cold winter’s night. His mother answered, and passed the phone to his father. The woman on the other end of the line explained that she didn’t know any other preachers, but had one night slipped into Dr.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, kids, parenting May 15, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

This is What Moms Really Want for Mother’s Day

According to the National Retail Federation, nearly $19 billion will be spent on moms this coming weekend. From flowers to cards to candy, a lot of people will dig deep into their wallets to try and express their love and appreciation for their mothers.

But according to a recent survey, it would appear that what many moms really want is something that money can’t buy:

They just want to go to church with the whole family.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: husband, kids, parenting, wife May 11, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Mother’s Day, Every Day

GUEST VOICE:

Finally being a mom on Mother’s Day was completely thrilling. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get there, and was deeply grateful for the grace and good doctors that saw me through tragedies on the way to that distinction.

Let the brunching begin!

But in the years to come I would try to create the ultimate Mom’s Day with fairly high expectations. Would it be a road trip with the kids? A day alone with a book?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: husband, parenting, wife May 10, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Billboard Wisdom

A colleague’s son snapped a picture of this billboard the other day. He sent it to his father, along with the following three-word message:

“Love you, Dad.”

“I wonder what was on his heart,” his father wrote.

I think I have an idea. The teenager is growing up and doesn’t just see life from his own perspective anymore.

That’s a sign of maturity. That’s a sign that the boy is becoming a man.

How does this billboard strike you?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: kids, parenting April 30, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Most Important Thing a Father Can Do

The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.

– Reverend Theodore M. Hesburgh

Topics: Family and Home Tags: husband, marriage, parenting, wife April 27, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Why the Term “Working Mother” is Redundant

According to political consultant Hilary Rosen, Ann Romney, “has actually never worked a day in her life.”

This morning, Mrs Romney responded:

“She should have come to my house when those five boys were causing so much trouble. It wasn’t so easy.”

At the center of this issue is an ongoing point of tension for many families in America:

Are stay-at-home moms working mothers?

If you ask me, the simple answer to that question is a resounding “Yes!”

To try and draw a distinction between mothers who work outside the home and those who work full-time within it only diminishes the value of all mothers in general.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: marriage, parenting April 12, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Three Things Bubba Watson and Tim Tebow Have in Common

Rarely do Easter and the world of sports mix so smoothly, but yesterday they did.

In Augusta, Georgia, thirty-three-year-old Bubba Watson won the Masters golf championship, coming from behind and claiming the green jacket on the 2nd hole of a sudden-death playoff round.

Bubba Watson is a Christian and a very exuberant one at that. In describing himself on Twitter, he notes that he’s a “Christian, Husband, Daddy” – in that order. He leads a Bible study during the PGA tour and regularly tweets verses of Scripture.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, parenting, pop culture April 9, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Dave Barry: Dining with Babies Causes Stressful Ambience

Does the columnist Dave Barry make you laugh?

Here are a few select excerpts from a column titled, “Dining with Babies Causes Stressful Ambience.”

Can you relate?

If you’re a new parent, there will come a time when either you or your spouse will say these words: ‘Let’s take the baby to a restaurant!’… It’s like saying: ‘Let’s take a moose to the opera!’”

It’s best to pay your bill as you enter the restaurant, adding a little extra (say, $800) to compensate for the fact that after you’re finished, your table may have to be burned.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: humor, kids, parenting March 30, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What Do You Think About The Hunger Games?

The family and I are on spring break this week, but I’m curious for your feedback surrounding Suzanne Collins’ bestseller-turned-Hollywood-thriller The Hunger Games.

Have you gone to see it?

Would you permit your son or daughter to watch if they wanted to?

Why – or why not?

Given the young age of our boys, we haven’t paid attention to the book or the movie. Their minds are focused on much tamer fare, including Legos and other books and games.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: entertainment, kids, parenting, pop culture March 28, 2012 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura