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Parenting

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Building Houses, Building Families

Young readers helped realize God’s plan for Rwandan orphans.

rainbow, fence, home, city

Becoming a Mission-Minded Family

Missional living, with God at the center, creates fulfilled families.

Does Parenting Make a Difference?

At some point, most parent wonders if they’re making a difference in their kids’ lives.

Raising Resilient Kids

How to teach kids to bounce back after they face adversity or hardship.

David Robinson: Parenting in the Fourth Quarter

NBA legend David Robinson talks about preparing to launch his three sons.

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Creating a Safe Family Where Your Children Can Thrive (Part 2 of 2)

Child psychology professor Joshua Straub and his wife, Christi, offer parents helpful insights from his book, Safe House: How Emotional Safety is the Key to Raising Kids Who Live, Love and Lead Well. (Part 2 of 2)

Focus on the Family Broadcast logo

Creating a Safe Family Where Your Children Can Thrive (Part 1 of 2)

Child psychology professor Joshua Straub and his wife, Christi, offer parents helpful insights from his book, Safe House: How Emotional Safety is the Key to Raising Kids Who Live, Love and Lead Well. (Part 1 of 2)

grandmother with young grandkids

Explaining a Grandparent’s Affair to Children

How do I tell my young children (ages eight, seven, and four) that their grandparents – my husband’s mom and dad – are splitting up as a result of Grandpa’s involvement with another woman? Since these grandparents live out of state, we only see them every three to four months or so. We don’t plan …

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Maintaining Relationships With Children After a Divorce

Now that I’m divorced, how can I stay involved with my kids? One of the most difficult outcomes of the settlement is that it limits my contact with them. Legally, I’m only allowed to have them a few days out of each month. I’d like to be more involved, but my ex-wife is very strict …

sad little boy wearing grown up sunglasses

Adoption: Treating Sensory Processing Disorder

What kind of treatments or therapies are available to kids who suffer from Sensory Processing Disorder? We’re fostering a boy from an abusive, high-risk background. After several consultations with an occupational therapist we’ve come to the conclusion that many of his most aggravating behavioral problems can be traced to sensory-based issues.

boy looking sad lying on blanket

Identifying Neurochemical Factors in the Adopted Child’s Behavior

How can I tell to what extent my adopted child’s erratic behavior and moods might be based on neurochemical issues? I’m not sure about the details of his background before we adopted him, but I have a hunch there was some kind of neglect or abuse. It’s been more challenging to raise him than we …

three teen girls making heart symbol with hands by lake

Protecting Your Kids Against Drug Abuse

What can I do to “drug-proof” my home? I’m aware that drug abuse is a huge problem among adolescents, and I want to educate myself about this issue so that I can protect my own kids and prevent them from falling into this trap. How can I make sure that they’re safe?

teen holding sweater neck over face

When and How to Intervene in the Life of Your Teenager

As a parent of teenagers, I understand the importance of distinguishing between what I can and can’t control and granting my kids the freedom they need in order to make their own choices and learn by their own mistakes. Unfortunately, I have reason to believe that my teens are in serious danger of choosing wrong …

Feet of man and woman standing close together

“Dirty” Teenage Dancing

Can you help us deal with the with the issue of sexually suggestive teenage dancing? My teens have been asking to attend parties and school dances, but when my wife and I got a glimpse of some of the lewd activity that goes under the name of “dancing” nowadays we told them “no.” Are we …

teen girl in thrift clothing shop

Modesty and Clothing Battles Between Parents and Teens

How do I handle conflicts over clothes and fashion with my teen daughter? This is becoming a real battleground at our house. She insists on wearing outfits that are inappropriate, immodest, and revealing. I won’t even begin to tell you what we go through when it’s time to shop for bathing suits. What can I …

man and woman shaking hands over desk coffee computer

Parents Disapprove of Young Adult’s Romantic Relationships

How can we help our grown son choose better girlfriends? He’s still living with us, and we’re anxious to see him “grow up,” move out on his own and get married. He’s brought several girls home to meet us over the past few years, but so far he’s shown very poor judgment and we haven’t …

female hands holding phone

Understanding Teen Sexting

As a parent of a teenager, is “sexting” something that I need to be concerned about? I’ve heard a few stories about this on the news, but I’ve never felt that my daughter would be susceptible to temptations of this kind. We haven’t talked about it because I’m really not up to speed on the …

woman holding girl in front of laptop

Toddlers and Media

As parents of a 2- to 3-year-old, how do we begin placing healthy limits on our child’s exposure to television, video games, and the Internet? We’ve heard a lot about the negative impact of electronic media on adolescents and pre-teens, and we want to start encouraging good habits in this area as early as we …

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My Child Has Joined a Cult

Can you offer any guidance to parents whose child has recently become a member of a cult? Our family has been completely blindsided by this. We have no clue what our options are or what we ought to do, practically, legally, and otherwise. We really need your help!

little girl sleeping

Children and Sleep

How can we implement a more consistent bedtime schedule for our children, ages 8, 6, and 4? We haven’t been very successful in this area. How many hours do kids this age need to sleep? Do you have any tips for ways to improve bedtime and make it more pleasant?