Families are in crisis this back-to-school season. Your gift today can give them hope and guidance.

Urgent Need: As the back-to-school season begins, more parents are reaching out for biblical help, but giving has slowed and Focus on the Family is facing a $2 million ministry shortfall.
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Families are in crisis this back-to-school season

Your gift by August 31 will help reach them with biblical guidance, restore hope in their homes, and point them to Christ.

Families are in crisis this back-to-school season

Urgent Need: As the back-to-school season begins, families are facing mounting pressure—tough choices, cultural confusion, and strained relationships.

Will you make a gift before August 31 to help provide Christ-centered support in this critical season?

$
Please enter a valid amount

Families are in crisis this back-to-school season

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Parenting Q&A

Boy working at computer

Home Schooling a Child With Learning Disabilities

Is it a good idea to try to educate a child with a developmental or potential learning disability at home? I want my son to have every possible advantage and to progress as he should, but I’m not sure I’m qualified to help him with his special needs.

child covering face and parents' stand in background with arms folded

Mom and Dad Disagree About Child Discipline

How can my wife and I come to an agreement about child discipline? I’ve tried to teach my son a strong sense of discipline, but my wife often disagrees with my approach and methods. She says I’m “too hard on the boy.” As you can imagine, this can sometimes become a sore spot in our …

couple sitting in back of car suv date

Parents of Small Children Can’t Find Time for Themselves

How can my spouse and I get a break from the kids once in a while? During the early days of our marriage my spouse and I used to enjoy long, quiet evenings together at home — candlelight dinners, movie nights, etc. Since our children were born we can’t even find two minutes to sit …

three little girls in bed sleepover

Sleepovers for Grade-Schoolers

What is your opinion about overnight group activities for elementary grade children? We want our kids to have fun and participate with their friends, but we’re concerned about exposing them to inappropriate influences. Are we overreacting?

young boy karate

Teaching Kids to Stick With It

How do we keep our child from becoming a “quitter”? Several months ago our 5-year-old son asked to be enrolled in a Tae Kwon Do program. He’s enjoyed it and usually has a good time once he gets to class. But lately we’ve run into problems with him not wanting to go. We don’t want …

woman baking with daughter

Wife Quitting Job to Be a Stay-at-Home Mom

Do you have any advice for a woman who is about to leave a high-profile career in order to devote all her time to parenting and homemaking? My wife is on the verge of taking this momentous step. How can we make it a smooth transition? We’ve reached this decision together after hours and hours …

dad lying next to baby on his back

Facts About Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

What exactly is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and what are its causes? Is there anything I can do to reduce the risk of losing my baby to this mysterious killer?

young boy feeding snack to baby at table

Starting Baby on Solid Food

What should I give my baby when he’s ready to start eating solid food? How can I know when he’s reached that stage of development?

scared preschooler in the dark

Preschooler Is Afraid of the Dark

How can we help our four-year-old overcome her fears about going to sleep in the dark? We’ve tried everything – an established bed-time, a night-light in the bedroom, books, prayers, songs – but nothing seems to help. Can we doing anything to address these night-time fears?

upset boy sitting by dock

Teen Falling Behind in School

What should we do about our teen’s sudden academic struggles? He’s always been an excellent student, but since entering high school his grades have dropped significantly. When we ask him what’s going on, he just shrugs his shoulders and says, “My teachers don’t like me.” How can we get to the bottom of this?

grandma helping mom holding baby

Grandparent Eager to Help

How can I play an active and positive role in my grandchild’s life while still respecting appropriate boundaries with my son and daughter-in-law? I’m excited to help, but I realize how easy it can be for new grandparents to wear out their welcome. Any tips or advice?

mom helping preschool boy paint pajamas

Parenting After Divorce

How can I parent my child most effectively when our family has been divided by divorce? I’m a single mother of a four-year-old son. He goes to stay with his father, who left me when I was pregnant with him, every other weekend. When he comes home, he cries for his dad. This really hurts …

boy with angry expression

Anger Management for Teens

How can I help my adolescent son deal with his anger? It’s easy to tell that he is very angry about something, but I have a sense that he’s trying desperately to squash his feelings and keep a lid on his emotions. Try as I might, I can’t get him to talk about it. What …

Teen girl behind glass with the word no

Keeping Kids Away From Legalized Pot

How do I prevent my teenagers from using marijuana now that it’s been decriminalized? My state recently passed a measure decriminalizing the possession and recreational use of pot. Needless to say, this is all very disturbing for me. As a parent who is fighting hard to keep my children on the straight and narrow, I …

feet on bathroom scale

Recognizing and Confronting Adolescent Eating Disorders

How can I know if my daughter is anorexic or bulimic? She’s lost a great deal of weight over the past few months, and she’s become extremely thin. What should I do if I find out she has a serious eating disorder?

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 …

boy hands holding game controller

Controlling Kids’ Video Game Usage

Should I permit my child to play video games? If I do decide to let video games into my home, which games should I allow and how can I maintain control over the kind of gaming in which my child becomes involved?