Raising teenagers can be both exciting and stressful. There’s a lot going on in their lives. They’re learning how to manage their own thoughts, feelings. and identities apart from mom and dad.

Developmentally, that’s a good thing. But in many families, a teenager’s struggle for independence becomes a tug-of-war with parents who take their authority seriously.

Effective communication with a teenager can be challenging, especially if you’re trying to navigate conflict, emotional triggers, disrespect, and even a few slammed doors.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting October 30, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Do you practice “everyday generosity”?

On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Modeling Generosity for Your Children,” father-and-son team Brad and Drew Formsma explain how to use your time, talent, and influence to infuse your children with a spirit of generosity that they’ll carry into their adult years.

They’ll share how to be generous with:

In a “me-focused” culture, our children can develop an other-centered attitude that expresses Christ’s love through simple acts of kindness.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting October 27, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Gen Z is desperate for guidance and inspiration.

Jason Jimenez has been pastoring parents and students for over thirty years. He’s raised four Gen Z kids of his own. He says this current generation of children represents the most difficult parenting challenge in America’s history. The spread of secularism, violent school shootings, racial and political divides, and the influence of social media have radically altered the parenting landscape.

He once led a question-and-answer session with fifty students about the topic of government.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting October 11, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Men are notorious for not expressing their feelings well.

A big reason for that is they were never taught how to do it as boys. No one tells them, “You’re gonna feel anger and grief, and here’s how you handle those emotions.” When boys get upset and shove their sister or backtalk their teacher, their behavior gets scolded, but no one teaches them how to harness their emotion and channel it in positive ways.

I once heard a professional football player say that he struggled to manage his emotions because he was expected to be aggressive in his job each day but then switch it off before he returned home each night.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting October 4, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

At the end of a shopping trip to Walmart, author Karis Kimmel Murray stopped by the shoe aisle with her daughter, Riley, who decided that she’d been sitting patiently in the cart long enough.

Karis allowed Riley to walk beside her, but Riley didn’t just want out of the cart, she wanted out of the store. And Karis stood between her and that goal.

To express her displeasure, Riley walked from one end of the shoe aisle to the other with her arms outstretched, knocking off every box of shoes within reach.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting October 2, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Anger is like fire. Harness it for something good, and you’ll create a better life for yourself. Misuse or lose control of it, and it’ll burn everything to the ground. That’s a good reason for children to understand the difference between bad anger and good anger.

Bad anger doesn’t improve our lives. It makes things worse. It protests even though nothing harmful or significant is happening. It turns our pet peeves into conflict and stirs up trouble for no other reason than to get our way.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting September 29, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The maternal instinct in women is soft and nurturing.

It’s also fierce.

The maternal instinct drives women to sacrifice everything for the sake of their families. I saw that kind of tenacity in my own mother. She took care of five children, worked two jobs, and strived to meet everybody’s needs the best she knew how. We didn’t have much in terms of material wealth, but her love for us was rich, and we were happy.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting September 28, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Today, Peter Mutabazi is an entrepreneur, an international advocate for children, and the founder of Now I Am Known, a corporation that supplies resources that encourage and affirm children.

Peter’s passion for advocacy began in a small village in Uganda on the border of Rwanda. His father was abusive, beat the family, and frequently told Peter that he regretted having him as a son. Peter didn’t even have a name until he was two years old!

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, parenting September 22, 2023 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura