Focus on the Family, Parenting Team

Teach children how to show gratitude, especially around Thanksgiving.

Whether your family has a long history of traditions or your new family is approaching the holidays for the first time, these Thanksgiving traditions can bless your family.

Spend time planning how you will successfully model Christ’s love to your children as you manage extended family dynamics.

Should Christians celebrate Halloween? The answer is complex. As you and your family prepare for Halloween, continue to study, pray, and seek God’s wisdom.

Talking to your daughter through the years about her worth, identity, and beauty requires your consistent compassion and investment. Learn more about how to maintain these conversations throughout each age and stage of her life.

We no longer get to make the “right” decision for our adult children. But we can keep our expectations from planting seeds of bitterness that may eventually overflow into our relationship with them.

Read about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, what the Bible has to say about getting high, how a teen can help a friend involved in substance abuse and resources for drug abuse.

Fathers have the awesome responsibility of laying a spiritual foundation in the home. But what does that mean, exactly? How can you be the dad your family needs?

Jesus Christ was born for a purpose. Help your children understand the reason for His birth.

Are you looking for ideas to help keep your children focused on the reason for the Christmas season?

Schedule time for what really matters.

Help your kids get more out of Christmas.

I’ve been hearing a lot of mixed messages. What are some of the main influences a child to identify as transgender?

Learn how to address and answer your child’s questions about LGBT pronoun usage. Then, cultivate healthy conversations about how to equip your children to communicate using love, care, and compassion.

Instagram and Snapchat may seem harmless and fun, but they can be addicting and damaging for your teens, when these apps are used in excess.

Discussing body image and eating disorders is difficult, but it is important to create a safe place for your teens to express what they are going through.

Few words carry more awkwardness and confusion than puberty. However, this is the most critical point in your son’s life. Take initiative in leading your son through these physical, emotional, and mental changes.

Enjoy these inspirational stories and unique celebrations of Christmas from Phil Vischer, Jim Daly, Elisa Morgan, and others.

Enjoy simple activities that are filled with fun and faith and can help bring your family closer together during the Christmas season.

What does sex education really do? I want my kids to be aware of certain topics that I think are important, but I don’t want them to be exposed to ideology I don’t agree with. How do I know where to start?

I’ve heard a lot of different things about transitioning in children and its connection to gender dysphoria. Is this a permanent condition?

I’ve heard that trans-youth are at a higher risk for suicide. Is this true?

I’ve heard about transgender medical treatments for children and adolescents. Does it work? If so, is it harmful for teens?

Have you ever heard of the verse that mentions being fearfully and wonderfully made and wondered what that means? Learn more about this complex and deep topic that can positively shape your children’s identity and future.

Some of the warning signs of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder.

Learn what causes eating disorders, what the root of the problem is, factors that could lead to the development of an eating disorder, what the Bible says about beauty and how to avoid the trap of eating disorders.

Reading the warning signs of eating disorders requires your patience as a parent. Not every situation will contain the same circumstances. Nor will every child or teen display identical warning signs. Remember to prioritize love and care in conversations involving warning signs of eating disorders.

Preventing eating disorders in kids requires a lot of a parent. When assessing your first steps, remember that your love and care are vital to your child’s mental and physical wellbeing. Explore our guiding principles for situations where eating disorders might be present in your children.

Learning that your child struggles with an eating disorder can be shocking and overwhelming. Explore some of the initial causes and risks associated with eating disorders. Then, learn more about how negative thought patterns lead to a vicious cycle of pain, loneliness and worry. Finally, see how you can positively impact your child’s mentality and encourage them to form a lasting bond.

By understanding where the core of the problem lies and checking what the Bible has to say about our bodies, we can grasp a hope and a faith that’s out of this world.

Although the following influences do not constitute a comprehensive list of contributing factors, they are often present in eating disorders.

While the level and variety of chores depends on their age and stage, even the youngest child can learn how to make their bed

No matter your family’s relationships or structure, you can share your faith with your grandkids at Christmas. Here’s how.

Walk through tough holiday times with your children to show them how to handle conflict between extended family.

Healthy communication at home is the best means of setting your children down the path to a promising future free of alcohol and drug abuse.

Simplify Christmas for kids with sensory sensitivities.

Consider these four freedoms that parents should extend to their children.

Boundaries are more important than you may realize. Here’s how to establish limits that will help your children succeed.

When a terminal illness requires a family’s change of direction, parents can still find ways to focus on all their children and grow closer as a family.

Grandparents are needed today more than ever; not only to support fatigued parents, but also to be trusted allies who provide a much-needed sense of stability, security and unconditional love to kids.

If your son has had a sexual relationship and an unplanned pregnancy is the result, remember that he will probably be experiencing many of the same emotions as his girlfriend. He may feel fear, guilt and uncertainty. In addition, he will feel considerable conflict and confusion over the role he should play as a teen dad.

These family-friendly Halloween activities are only the beginning to teaching your kids how to appropriately approach Halloween. This fall season, create new ways to bond with your kids while teaching them the importance of intentionally interacting with the people God puts in our lives.

What makes a good dad? Learn about the superpowers of a Dad that society often doesn’t talk about, but bring huge impact to your family.

Learn how to prepare for the upcoming transition in your preteen’s life. Understand these three keys to helping your kids launch into this next stage of life.

As parents, it is our responsibility to keep our children out of potential risky situations. Beyond that, we have to teach them what to do if someone tries to exploit them sexually.

We can look at statistics all day, but the true stories that impact real people often contain the deepest impact. In a moment, we’ll follow the paths of two young men who recall their experiences, which are affected by the navigation of sexual thoughts. As you read, consider how you might process these situations, your own experiences with sexual thoughts, and how to equip your kids to handle their own situations.

As a parent, you are the best person to educate your child about sexuality. However, our children’s culture poses threats to a biblical perspective on sexuality.

As your young children grow up, they will face a variety of situations involving their body parts, sexual development, and issues around sexuality. Talking with your children about these topics might feel awkward, and that’s okay. But taking initiative regarding sexual development when your kids are at a young age will benefit your relationship later down the road.

From the toddler to early elementary school years, there are several important developmental milestones that impact your children. Remember that your child is uniquely designed by God for a specific purpose. Their sexual identity is a large part of that purpose. As a parent, you have the privilege to help your child discover how God created them.

Even if you’ve followed every rule or principle regarding your child’s sexual development to this point, there are upcoming changes that require your renewed attention and investment in your preteen’s life. God designed your preteen with a specific purpose. Help support and encourage them as they discover that purpose and its connection with their sexual development.

Understanding teenagers can be difficult. However, it’s vitally important to cultivate a strong relationship with your teen so you can discuss important topics such sexual development. God designed your teenager with a specific purpose. Help support and encourage them as they discover that purpose and its connection with their sexual development.