kids Archives

This is Not Why Jesus Died

The New York Times ran an interesting opinion piece this weekend: “Raising a Moral Child.” It was a good piece filled with interesting advice. The principles the author gleaned from various studies easily translated into practical action items parentscould implement in their homes:

Praise the character behind the action.
Teach children to feel guilt, not shame, when they misbehave.
Model good behavior.

And yet, something felt… incomplete. Not with the article itself, mind you – but for us as believers.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: discipline, faith, kids, parenting April 16, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

WATCH: Help Your Family Thrive for 3 Generations

Toss a pebble into a lake, and the resulting ripple impacts the entire body. In the same way, you have the ability to positively influence your family by taking small steps that create big impact.

I know I’ve seen this principle in my own life.

My childhood story is not a pretty one. It involves divorce, death, and a lot of dysfunction.

I was only 5 when my father, who was an alcoholic, abandoned the family.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: events, faith, kids, marriage, parenting April 10, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Day of Dialogue Helps Students Express Their Biblical Views

About 90 percent of today’s school-age children attend public schools – and they’re discussing a lot more than reading, writing and arithmetic in their classes.

Conversations on controversial topics like homosexuality, transgenderism and same-sex marriage now form a surprising part of a teen’s school life. Part of it can’t be avoided – these topics dominate the national conversation as courts hear case after case devoted to homosexual rights and same-sex marriage.

However, it’s also becoming apparent that an increasing number of schools are actively promoting views that are contrary to biblical teaching.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: events, faith, homosexuality, kids, religious liberty April 2, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

“Dear Future Mom” Video Affirms Value of People with Down Syndrome

You have to see this new video. It’s a message from 15 people with Down syndrome to a pregnant mom who just received a prenatal diagnosis that the son she carries may have the condition.

In it, these young men and women assure the mom that her son can be happy… that he will be able to do many things… that he will be able to hug her and love her.

It’s a message that, unfortunately, many of these moms and dads reeling from this prenatal diagnosis don’t hear.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: kids, parenting, pro-life March 21, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

VIDEO: A Father’s Sacrifice

It’s one of the most well-known and well-loved Bible verses, the Gospel boiled down to a few words.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son… ” (John 3:16).

At the core of our faith we see a Father’s sacrifice, and we see the second person of the Trinity giving His life for us.

The video I’m sharing with you today echoes these themes. In it, the Vander Woude family shares the deeply moving story of how its patriarch, Thomas S.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: kids, parenting, pro-life March 19, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Avoid This Leading Cause of Divorce

Mary Hunt was cheating on her husband. Her tryst, though, wasn’t with another man – but it had the power to destroy the marriage just the same.

The secret Mary hid from her husband was about her financial infidelity – to the tune of $100,000 in credit card debt.

Money problems are one of the leading causes of divorce in our nation. Granted, most couples don’t carry a credit burden as deep as Mary and her husband’s.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: divorce, finances, kids, marriage March 17, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

My New Book at Half Price

I spent part of this past weekend recording the audio version of my new book, The Good Dad: Becoming the Father You Were Meant to Be. It’s always fun to see a project come to fruition and this latest book is no exception.

The book will be officially released in late April. However, the publisher has informed us there’s a special running between now and April 21 on ePub pre-orders. Normally priced 9.99, the ePub price is currently $4.99 (available for Kindle, Nook and other eBook devices).

Topics: Family and Home Tags: kids, parenting March 13, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Is Yelling the New Spanking for Parents? 5 Tips for Screaming-Prone Moms and Dads

Parenting children at any stage can be a real challenge. From the toddler who throws a lay-flat-on-the-floor-and-cry tantrum to the school-age brother and sister who won’t stop fighting, parents regularly navigate a wide array of situations that require dealing with unacceptable behavior.

The Today Show recently ran an interesting post exploring a growing trend among parents to manage these discipline issues through screaming rather than spanking. Maybe this tendency is due to a growing reluctance among some moms and dads to use spanking as a tool of discipline.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: discipline, kids, parenting March 12, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Father Who Wished His Son Had Never Been Born

Peter Lanza is still reeling at his son’s death.

That’s understandable because Peter’s son was Adam Lanza, the young man who killed his own mother plus 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School before taking his own life in December 2012.

In a series of interviews with The New Yorker’s Andrew Solomon, Peter breaks his silence and opens up about his son.

Yet there’s only one line in the 7,600-word article that’s making headlines: “Peter declared that he wished Adam had never been born.”

Wow.

Topics: Current Events Tags: kids, news, parenting March 11, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Did You See What This 8-Year-Old Boy Did?

If you were 8 years old and found a $20 bill in a parking lot of Cracker Barrel, what would you do with it?

Many people have asked themselves that after they watched a video featuring Myles Eckert, a young boy whose soldier dad was killed in Iraq just five weeks after Myles was born.

The influence of a father – even one who has been gone so long – runs deep, and it prompted Myles to do something beautiful on that chilly February morning: He decided to take that $20 bill and “pay it forward.”

Watch the moving piece below:

Myles inspired a blogger at Dad Matters, too.

Topics: Current Events Tags: kids, news, parenting March 7, 2014 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura