kids Archives

“Focus Findings” is Where Research Meets Common Sense

We’ve probably all been there – we’re scanning a news article online or watching a story on a magazine news show and we see something that just stops us cold. It’s a declaration presented in fact, and even backed up by “research” that you know is at odds with what Scripture teaches.

“Christian marriages end in divorce at the same rates as all other marriages, so what does it matter if you don’t marry a believer?”
“Marriage is an outdated institution that demeans women.”
“Everyone knows kids do just as well when they’re raised by same-sex parents as by their biological parents.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, family, kids, pop culture October 3, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Meet Focus on the Family’s V.I.P. Guest

Here at Focus, we’ve been privileged to welcome many influential people for visits. Some are well-known Christian leaders and others are from the entertainment and sports worlds. We’ve hosted politicians and even public figures who passionately disagree with some of what we believe. Whoever it has been, we’ve been delighted to meet and host them on our campus.

As memorable as these opportunities are, however, they just don’t compare to the critically ill young boys and girls who have visited through the years thanks to the work of organizations like the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Topics: Focus Events Tags: family, kids, parenting, staff September 27, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Fetal Pain Opens Eyes to Preborn Humanity

Recently, a colleague shared an encouraging article with me from Utah’s Deseret News. Titled, “Small survivors: How the disputed science of fetal pain is reshaping abortion law,” the piece does an excellent job of highlighting the humanity of preborn babies.

The article tells the story of twin toddlers, Caleb and Julian, who had been born at 26 weeks and 5 days gestation. Their birth age is noticeably earlier than the 28 weeks milestone the Supreme Court had originally set as the point of “viability” back in 1972.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: kids, parenting, pro-life September 26, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

A Unique Way to Encourage Your Children

If you listened to today’s broadcast on the importance of parents encouraging their kids, you may have heard me mention that I keep journals for my boys, Trent and Troy. Since it’s a bit of a passing comment within the broadcast, I want to expand on that remark here in my blog and share with you what my journaling looks like and what motivated me to start.

As you may know, my own father wasn’t around for much of my childhood.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, kids, parenting September 23, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

6 Ways to Know Your Adult Child is Maturing Well

We receive hundreds of thousands of inquiries every year from people seeking relationship and family advice – and among the top topics are moms and dads asking about their adult children.

Our counselors have helped many parents concerned about their millennial-age kids: Should they take a year off from their studies? Why do they seem like they lack direction? Should they take on more responsibility? Why aren’t they looking to settle down?

It can be a challenging road to walk.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: family, husband, kids, parenting, wife September 19, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

The Hookup Culture Also Hurts Our Boys

When we discuss the growing trends of young people engaging in the “hookup culture” – casual sex and sexual acts outside of marriage – we often speak of the damage it does to girls. There’s good reason for that, obviously – young women often feel great pressure to go along with certain behaviors and later pay a high price for it in terms of sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy and emotional wounds.

But what about the young men?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: husband, kids September 10, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

What to Do if You Know a Millennial Apathetic Towards Faith

There’s a lot of discussion online lately about young people and the Church – their role in it, why they are (or aren’t) leaving the faith and what Church and ministry leaders should do about it.

You may have seen the articles – CNN’s “Belief Blog” ran a guest post titled “Why millennials are leaving the church.” The Washington Post’s “On Faith” blog featured rebuttals, including “The new religious fundamentalists? Millennial Christians.”

First, some perspective.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: church, kids September 9, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Make Someone Smile this Weekend

I wanted to share with you a heartwarming news story this Friday in hopes that it would inspire you to think creatively in how you can bless others.

Just reading the article’s headline, “Superhero Window Washers Assemble at Children’s Hospital” is enough to make you smile. A hospital staffer at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital, where the event took place, described the reactions of the young patients to the sight of Superman, Spiderman, Batman and Captain America outside their hospital rooms’ windows: “It was incredible… There were screams of joy and amazement.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: kids September 6, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Answer the Tough Questions Kids Have About Christianity

A recent study found that children ask about 300 questions a day. Often they’re easy ones. But as our children grow and mature, the questions often get tougher.

And then there are times when the questions our kids ask have eternal significance.

“Are there other ways to get to heaven?”

“How can Jesus be God?”

“If God loves us, why are some people going to bed hungry tonight?”

Have you ever had your child ask one of those questions?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: faith, kids, parenting August 23, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

School’s Back in Session, and Values are Put to the Test

It’s back-to-school time. Kids are filling their backpacks with their new supplies. Parents are taking pictures of smiling children before waving goodbye. Teachers are welcoming their new students. It’s time for these youngsters to learn reading, ’riting and … sexually explicit lessons? The promotion of same-sex relationships and gender confusion? Negative portrayals of some religious beliefs?

Sound a bit too alarmist?

Sadly, that’s what is going to be the case for students in too many classrooms across the nation.

Topics: Current Events Tags: homosexuality, kids, news, parenting, pop culture August 21, 2013 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura