Focus Magazine: Parenting and Family

The One Rule

Discipline boils down to respect

Love Speaks Many Languages

How to say "I love you" in a way your child can understand

The Bug Project

Letting my child succeed (or fail) on her own

Tween Transitions

How to help your child ease into middle school

Michael W. Smith's First Priority

Almost an empty nester, Michael W. Smith reflects on parenting adult children.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

When your little girl wants to be just like you

Virtual Worlds

Learn more about your kids' online activities.

Pursuing Purpose

Is your child busy, bored or industrious?

Into His Arms

God embraces an unwed mom.

Your Career Choice…or Theirs?

Releasing your children to seek God's plan for their future

Age to Age

How multigenerational friendships can benefit today's kids

A Father and a Gentleman

Tips for single dads raising sons

Surviving an Adolescent Meltdown

Rules of engagement for when your child loses control

Teaching Through Trials

Parental lessons in perseverance

Into the Wild

Two fathers canoe through a remote wilderness to connect with their sons.

Sexy Too Soon

The battle against the sexualization of our children

So You're Gonna Be a Daddy

Humor for husbands preparing for fatherhood

The Mechanical Baby

My daughter's lesson in simulated parenthood

Media Missions

How parents can help their kids prepare for careers in the entertainment industry

Raising Kids Who Care

How to nurture compassion in your children

Ex Bashing

How it hurts your children

Parenting Grandchildren

The unexpected joys and challenges that come with raising grandkids

The Lies We Tell Our Kids

Which of these "white lies" have you told your kids?

What Single Parents Did Right

From the mouths of grown children — parenting that worked

Sudden Grandchildren

Family dynamics change when adult children remarry.

Parenting: Round Two

When midlife couples choose to adopt

Strings Attached?

Sometimes it's best to turn down a helping hand — especially when it comes with an unexpected obligation.

The Truth About Consequences

The effective use of a powerful parenting tool

The Road to Gratitude

Family living that cultivates thankfulness

Turbulent Teens, Stubborn Love

A glimmer of hope after a blowup with my daughter.

Hard Knocks and Soft Correction

Preparing kids for the challenges of life.

My Baby Is Better Than Your Baby

A competitive parent's struggle to stop the comparison game.

I Choose...Dad

When your child moves in with the other parent.

New Kid in Town

Helping your child find new friendships after the big move.

Lessons from the Racetrack

How child raising is like NASCAR racing.

Life as an Elevator

Sometimes I'm a young mom, sometimes an empty nester — what floor next?

Consider Adoption

It's not as complicated as you might think.

Just Awhile Longer

Lingering with your children in each day's final moments.

Flunking Motherhood

Perfection is overrated — thankfully, my family thinks so, too!

Neither Storms, Moves Nor Illness

When life tried to pull us apart, we worked hard to pull our family together.

Home Schooling and Single Parents

Given up on the idea of home education? It might be time to reconsider.

Who Is Encouraging Your Children?

Someone will influence your kids. Will it be you?

A Successful Launch

The transition from parent to consultant.

Six Features of a Father

What kind of man makes a good role model for your son?

Their God-Given Design

Helping children grow secure in their gender identity.

Fatherhood: Mission Impossible?

Raising children can be the most intimidating assignment a man will ever face.

Loving Your Wayward Child

How to handle rebellion in your home.

A Mom's Best Sermon

A look at exemplary moms in the Bible.

Parental Sarcasm Is No Joke

Biting words can leave children with emotional scars.

When Ordinary Becomes an Adventure

God altered my Hollywood idea of life.

The Amazing Journey

My greatest adventure began with a trip down the aisle.

Pausing for Motherhood

Putting my career on hold helped me yield the best in life.

Wake-up Call

Seizing the day to become the parent you've always wanted to be.

Choosing Parenthood

How much thought have you put into your future as parents?

The Unexpected Sports Dad

When my son started playing basketball, I discovered my inner sports fan.

Gambling Is Not Child's Play

Millions of grade-school kids have become hooked on gambling. How are you protecting your children?

Innocence Lost

Helping our kids deal with harmful cultural messages.

Your Teen’s First Breakup

Add the pain of a fractured family and the wounds run deep. How can a single parent help?

The Birds and the Bees

What are your children learning about sex? Don’t assume school curriculum teaches your values.

Celebrating Your Family Identity

The keys to creating a sense of belonging for your children.

Your Chores or Mine?

A clever idea changed my perspective on my kids and household duties.

Winning the Super Bowl

When child No. 1 mastered potty training perfectly, I thought I was a champion — then came child No. 2.

Pushover Parents

Too many bewildered parents are being run over by kids who have no boundaries.

Who Do You Want to Be?

What matters more: a child’s future career or his character?

All in Due Time

Is your child growing up too fast?

When Dad Pushes Too Hard

God showed me the possible consequences of provoking my son to anger — it was a lesson I’ll never forget.

Losing My Money But Not My Mind

How to keep your sanity as you parent through the teen years.

Deploying My Faith

As a military spouse, I have a hard time letting my husband go.

The International Faces of Single Parents

They cope with different cultural challenges, but they have one common source they can always depend on.

“Dear God…”

Discover ways to kick-start your prayers for your kids.

This Beautiful Mess

Stop struggling to maintain a picture-perfect home.

Stand Against Bullying

Learning to protect the weak against bullying is essential to your child’s moral education.

Brotherly Love

When my older son let his brother be picked on, I had to step in.

Mind Games

Although movies, music and magazines can inspire, the power of today’s media can negatively sway human behavior.

Digital Junkies

Protect your child from video-game addiction.

PDA Parenting

Are you over-scheduling your child’s life

The Art of Being an Advocate

When should you stand up for your child?

Across the Miles

Building long-distance family relationships.

A Woman’s Touch

When a single dad is raising two daughters, he might overlook a few things.

A Mother’s Truce

A parent takes a difficult first step to resolve conflict with her teenage son.

Parenting With No Regrets

No one is guaranteed tomorrow; invest time in your children’s lives today.

Family Ties

Creating connections that count.

Mother-Daughter Face-Off

What do you do when your teen rebels?

The Day My Dad Left

A daughter’s perspective on facing her parents’ divorce and her journey to wholeness.

When Kids Grieve

How to help your child deal with loss

The Grief of Infertility

There is no “normal” definition for mourning.

The Smart Stepparent

How to discover your place in your stepchild’s life.

Who’s Your Child’s Best Teacher?

A parent’s responsibility doesn’t stop at the school doors.

Step Into Grandparenting

Blended families need the stability of caring grandparents.

Boomerang Kids

When children who have left the nest return.

When Friends Matter Most

Finding the support you need to thrive as a single parent.

The Four Phases of Parenthood

Your role changes as your child grows. What’s yours right now?

Treasured Words

What will you leave behind to the next generations?

How Your Grandkids Think

How can we bridge the generation gap?

Parents in a Digital World

Technology doesn’t have to be a frightful menace for today’s parents; it can be an important ally.

Turn Down the Volume

My screaming was out of control; could I change?

Let Your Kids Fail

Using consequences to foster responsibility, confidence and success

Jordan’s Paper Heart

Allowing your child to more openly appreciate an estranged spouse can be painful, but is an important part of raising a healthy child.

Marriage Before Carriage

Keep your marriage a priority during the parenting years.

Walking in My Father's Footsteps

Becoming a parent gives us greater insight into our heavenly father.