parenting Archives

Talking to Your Kids about 9-11 When They Think It’s Ancient History

This Sunday the nation will commemorate the 15th anniversary of the 9-11 terrorist attacks that took the lives of almost 3,000 people and forever changed our history.

For those of us who watched that day unfold, each anniversary quickly brings to mind the horror and fear we witnessed.

Yet, for many of our children who weren’t even born when 9-11 happened, the day is just event in history.

A news story this week examines how teachers go about teaching today’s generation about an event that feels like “ancient history” to them.

Topics: Current Events Tags: news, parenting September 9, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

How to Pray For Your Boys

Are you at your wit’s end with your boys?

Maybe they’re rambunctious, messy, and loud, and they’re always falling off of their bikes, scrapping with the neighbor kids, or forgetting an instruction you’ve given them a hundred … no, a thousand times.

Solid, helpful parenting ideas can be a big help in these cases, and we have loads of that here at Focus on the Family. But nothing can take the place of one of the most overlooked parts of Christian parenting: prayer.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, parenting September 6, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Would You Sacrifice Your Life for Your Brother or Sister?

A heartbreaking yet beautiful story out of earthquake-ravished central Italy deeply moved me, and I’d like to share it with you.

About 15 hours after last week’s 4.7 magnitude earthquake struck the town of Ascoli Piceno, firefighters were desperately searching for survivors among the ruins. Suddenly, a rescue dog signaled that he smelled something.

Rescuers soon found a doll … and two young sisters caught in a life-saving embrace.

Bishop Giovanni D’Ercole shared the story of Giulia and Giorgia during a funeral Mass for 35 of the 290 people killed in the earthquake.

Topics: Current Events Tags: family, news, parenting August 31, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

When Your Child Struggles with Their Sexual Identity

“Mom, there’s something I have to tell you. I’m gay.”

Ann Mobley’s son, Dan, was 25 when he told her that. She was blindsided. She had never suspected that he was a homosexual and felt woefully unprepared to know how to respond.

What would you do?

The answer to that question can be a dicey subject. There are a lot of very strong opinions out there. The most significant – and increasingly overlooked in our culture – is the biblical viewpoint.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, homosexuality, parenting August 29, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Why “Nice” Parenting Isn’t Nice at All

You may call me crazy for saying this, but hang with me.

I think moms and dads should be mean.

Now, let me clarify right from the start that when I say “mean,” I’m absolutely not saying that parents should be abusive or hurtful in any way.

That said, I think a lot of parents are just too nice. They don’t expect anything from their children or allow them to feel discomfort in any way. There are no chores to do, no bedtimes to worry about, and no difficulties to learn how to overcome.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, parenting August 25, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Do You Agree with This School’s Policy?

If your teenage son or daughter forgot something they needed for school, would you bring it to them?

Well, if your child attends a Catholic High School for Boys in Little Rock, Arkansas, you can forget it.

When the school’s administrators posted a picture of a sign that’s taped to a door in their building, they probably didn’t expect it to go viral – but it did.

Here it is:

It reads, “If you are dropping off your son’s forgotten lunch, books, homework, equipment, etc., please TURN AROUND and exit the building.

Topics: Current Events Tags: discipline, news, parenting August 24, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Trusting God in a Difficult Pregnancy

“We’re not gonna have a baby, we’re gonna have a funeral instead.”

There are few events in life that bring more excitement to a couple than the anticipation of a new baby. The height of that joy is rivaled only by the depth of heartache that comes with a troubled pregnancy.

Josh and Laura had three children under five and were pregnant with their fourth. Each of the first three pregnancies had progressed without complication.

But the fourth…

Call it a mother’s intuition – that mysterious and beautiful bond between a mother and her baby that not only connects them physically, but at a heart level.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, faith, parenting, pro-life August 19, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Helping Your Teen Daughter Develop a Positive Body Image

Do you know the difference between raising a “body-conscious” daughter and a “body-confident” daughter?

Recently, I had the privilege of talking with author and speaker Dannah Gresh on how mothers can help their daughters develop a positive body image.

Most moms of teenage girls know what it’s like to watch their daughter break down into tears in the middle of a department store because none of the jeans fit right. Dannah explains that at the core of every girl’s battle with body image are these questions: “Am I beautiful?” “Am I worthy?” “Am I noticeable?”

The trouble is, it’s easy to focus on outward modesty – the length of shorts, the depth of a neckline, and the thickness of eyeliner.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: broadcast, parenting August 16, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Rick and Lynn Raisman are All of Us

If you’re a fan of women’s gymnastics, chances are you’re familiar with Rick and Lynn Raisman, parents of U.S. gymnast and gold medal winner Aly Raisman.

The Raismans have achieved “viral” status thanks to their all-too-obvious nervousness when Aly performs. They squirm and grimace their way through their daughter’s leaps, somersaults, and dismounts – Aly’s mom sometimes even watches her routines through her hands!

If you haven’t watched the Raismans’ reactions, take a look:

As entertaining as it is to watch, if you’re a parent, you have to admit: the Raismans are simply emoting what all of us feel on the inside as our children grow up and journey towards independence.

Topics: Current Events Tags: news, parenting, pop culture August 15, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura

Are You Equipped to Address Gender-Confusing Messages in Your Child’s School?

Summer just flew by, didn’t it?

Across the country, kids in many school districts have already started the new school year, and plenty of other families are about to start.

I don’t know about your family, but in the Daly home, the back-to-school season is characterized by excitement … and a little bit of anxiety. And I’m not just talking about the boys. Jean and I always feel it, too – what new challenges will our sons experience this year?

Topics: Current Events Tags: homosexuality, parenting, religious liberty August 10, 2016 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura