Canada's 30,000 Adoptable Children in a Labyrinth of Policy and Social Issues
It's time for churches and Christians to discover what they can do to change it.
by Bruce and Tracy Clemenger | Posted 12/08/11
Get Ready – Here Comes Christmas!
Busy with Christmas preparations? These simple ideas will keep your toddler busy, too.
by Catherine Wilson | Posted 12/08/10
Safeguarding Their Faith
Spiritual dangers lurk in humanistic curricula, dehumanizing music and peer pressure. How can parents create an environment to protect spiritual growth?
by Shawn Alyne Strannigan | Posted 12/01/10
Parenting Tips
Focus on the Family is introducing Parenting Tips – a web page where parents can share and exchange innovative ideas.
by Staff, Focus on the Family | Posted 11/17/10
Canadian Parents More Lenient Than Those in France and Italy
Canadian teens say parents are less punitive, less coercive and more tolerant. The statistic should be of concern.
by Staff, Bible League of Canada | Posted 09/22/10
Too Young to be Hot
Many young teens feel too rushed to grow up. In the process, they unwittingly undermine themselves. Here’s some advice for today’s teens on how to talk to be understood.
by Sheila Wray Gregoire | Posted 09/15/10
A Graduation Speech
It’s time we prepared our kids for the real world. After graduation they are starting a real life. Here’s what we should tell them.
by Sheila Wray Gregoire | Posted 09/08/10
In Praise of Boredom
Boredom never hurt a healthy, well-educated child. Patches of it should be regarded as a desirable component of a normal childhood.
by Barbara Kay | Posted 07/28/10
Siblings of Substance
You can intentionally encourage positive sibling experiences in a number of ways.
by Kim Perrone | Posted 06/30/10
A Father's Heart
We've all had times when we're physically in one place but mentally in another. Most of the time, it’s not a real problem – except when it comes to being a husband and father.
by John Trent | Posted 06/16/10
Strong Fathers in Challenging Times
In light of the complicated and challenging youth culture our kids face, fatherhood takes on a greater sense of importance than in prior generations.
by Paul Robertson | Posted 06/16/10
Fashionably Frugal
It is possible to live happier and healthier for less, even for kids! Here are some tips for frugal living for the whole family.
by Kim Perron | Posted 06/02/10
Everyday Graces: A Child's Book of Good Manners
Here’s a book on manners that instructs through stories rather than by rules of dos and don'ts. Each selection is tried and tested, and works with kids.
by Karen Santorum | Posted 04/28/10
Pediatricians Reject Teens' Same-Sex Attraction as "Normal”
Adolescents experience confusion about many things, including sexual orientation and gender identity, and they are particularly vulnerable to environmental influences.
by Staff, Focus on the Family | Posted 04/28/10
Family Values: Do You See What I See?
Many families like to maintain an illusion of perfection, even if it means denying the truth.
by Sheila Wray Gregoire | Posted 04/14/10
A Cure for Tattling: Hear No Evil
Kids seem to compete over who can tattle on the other more. How does a parent end constant tattling?
by Dr. Ray Guarendi | Posted 04/07/10
What about Barb?
What happened to easy names like John, Tom and Bob? Phil Callaway addresses naming conventions with some suggestions for prospective parents.
by Phil Callaway | Posted 03/17/10
Answering the Big Questions
What are we doing about our children's faith? Parents owe their children their best answers to the deepest questions.
by Rev. Raymond J. de Souza | Posted 03/03/10
Rated PG
Parental substance use, family structure, parent-child interaction and parental community involvement are among influences that impact teen sexual activity.
by Peter Jon Mitchell | Posted 10/28/09
The Gift of Appreciation
Teach your kids the value of a dollar. They’ll acquire a gift that’s priceless.
by Emily Wierenga | Posted 10/21/09
Signs of Depression in Preschoolers
A Quebec study shows children are suffering. Young children experience a lot of pressure to be achievers and suicide among teens is very high.
by Staff, Focus on the Family | Posted 09/30/09
A Bonding Tradition
Family meetings are a great way to promote meaningful family communication and have a lot of fun.
by Denise Dykstra | Posted 7/29/09
High-Tech Parenting
It’s worth embracing the new technologies even if it’s just for staying in touch with your kids.
by Staff, Faith & Friends | Posted 7/8/09
Matchmaker, Matchmaker!
When Phil Callaway was young, he thought arranged marriages were a horrible idea. Now that he has kids of his own, he sees the benefits.
by Phil Callaway | Posted 5/6/09
Not Just Another Mother’s Day
Are you still trying to figure out something to do this Mother’s Day that you haven’t done before? Here’s how to celebrate moms of all kinds on this special day.
by Matthea Schumpelt | Posted 5/6/09
Moms, Don’t Forget to Grow!
On Mother’s Day, take some time for yourself. Make a date with your favourite babysitter and try a few of these “mom-savers.”
by Serena Wang; Translated by Dr. Pak Shem | Posted 5/6/09
Planting Seeds of Faith
What kind of seeds are you planting in the fertile soil of your child’s life?
by Colleen Hammermaster | Posted 4/29/09
Re-Emerging Adults
An increasing number of parents find themselves, for different reasons, welcoming their adult children back into the family home.
by Jenny deGroot, Joshua deGroot | Posted 4/22/09
The Real Reward
Positive reinforcement is great, but if children are often rewarded (bribed) for doing things, they’ll start to feel like they deserve the reward every time.
by Sheila Wray Gregoire | Posted 4/15/09
Doing the Right Thing
The Bible is the best curriculum for teaching morality. The key is to transfer that conviction to a child so he/she adopts it as their own frame of behaviour.
by Charles Lewis | Posted 4/1/09
Camp Craze
Make summer memorable for your kids.
by Emily Wierenga | Posted 3/4/09
Learning to Speak Teen
Where will text-messaging lead? Instead of developing keyboarding skills, teens have devolved a language of their own. CD IT B R FUCHR?
by S. Wray Gregoire | Posted 2/25/09
Protecting Your Kids in an Online World
For better or for worse, the mainstreaming of the internet has radically altered the way in which kids view and interact with the world. What should parents do?
by Dr. Dave Currie, with Glen Hoos | Posted 1/28/09
Teaching Children Manners
There's no mystery to spinning the charming pottery of civilized adults out of the lumpy clay of vexatious children. It's simple.
by Barbara Kay | Posted 1/21/09
Youth Violence and Family Breakdown
A $2 million dollar government report fails to address research that shows family structure matters for child development.
by Peter Jon Mitchell | Posted 12/17/08
The Gospel and Parenthood: Reflections of a Young Mother
As newlyweds they had agreed they wanted time to cultivate their marriage, travel and pursue their dreams and careers before starting a family. It didn’t turn out that way.
by Jackie Pastrano Tan | Posted 12/10/08
Why Do We Dress Our Daughters Like Skanks?
Provocative, inappropriate clothing is not just a problem of immodesty. It’s a spiritual problem.
by Stanley J. Groothof | Posted 12/3/08
So Sexy So Soon
Communication critical: Want to help your children navigate a sex-saturated culture? They'll need to learn your beliefs—not those all around them.
by Rebecca Walberg | Posted 12/3/08
Obese Children Can Have Middle-Aged Arteries
An important message to parents: these children have high cholesterol, hypertension and damage to their arteries.
by Staff, Focus on the Family | Posted 11/26/08
The ABCs of Bullying
A handout on addressing, blocking and curbing school aggression. What parents can do "For the Child Being Bullied" and "For the Child Who Bullies." See also, The Bullying Prevention Resource List.
by Staff, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) | Posted 11/19/08
Want to Build Your Child's Self-Esteem?
Tell them how ordinary they are. A growing body of research suggests that praising kids for their talent and intelligence doesn't help them achieve success – it sets them up for disappointment.
by Staff, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention | Posted 11/19/08
Parents Seek Help for Internet-Addicted Kids
Parents are waking up to the troubling reality that growing numbers of their children are becoming Internet addicts, the Toronto Star reported.
by Staff, Focus on the Family | Posted 11/5/08
Built Upon a Rock
Build a strong foundation with your daughter, Mom!
by Kim Perrone | Posted 10/29/08
Single Parents: Out of the Closet
In many ways, single parents, 1.4 million-plus and rising in Canada, have become the new heroes of the parenting world.
by Laura Thomas | Posted 10/29/08
Teach Manners
Manners are the everyday ways we respect other people and facilitate social relations. They make up the moral fabric of our shared lives and they need to be taught.
by Thomas Lickona | Posted 10/8/08
Friends or Foes?
When you compare siblings, you devalue one child while putting too much pressure on the other.
by Km Perrone | Posted 10/1/08
Raise Children of Character
When we do not set high standards, we abandon our children to their own immature desires and the pressures of their peer group and culture.
by Thomas Lickona | Posted 10/1/08
Abuse of Legal Drug Raises Alarm
Canadian police and medical researchers are concerned about a legal and readily available herb that causes a powerful hallucinogenic reaction when smoked.
by Staff, Focus on the Family | Posted 9/24/08
The Building Blocks of Being a Dad
“I quickly learned about the mundane aspects of fatherhood. I have been slower to grasp the mystery” (Larry Matthews).
by Larry Matthews | Posted 8/27/08
Raising Boys: Your Family, Our Culture
Boys Should Be Boys is an insightful and thought-provoking look at what sons need from their parents, and how families and our culture shortchange many young men.
by Staff, Focus on the Family | Posted 8/13/08
Good Parenting Overrides Genetic Link to Delinquency
A study linking criminal behaviour with genetic factors suggests that such tendencies can be overcome by good parenting and other positive influences.
by Staff, Focus on the Family | Posted 8/13/08
Men Taking More Time to be Dads
A Statistics Canada study indicates that Canadian fathers are showing a heightened desire to care for their young children.
by Staff, Focus on the Family | Posted 8/6/08
Sex Talk
It is important to talk to your kids about sex and to start early. Even at pre-school age.
by Shamona Harnett | Posted 7/30/08
No Place for the State in Families of the Nation
“We're on tender ground, Canada, our kids really need us to help them…. Kids are really confused about their rights and what it means to be taken care of” (Lorna Dueck).
by Lorna Dueck | Posted 7/16/08
Family Autonomy and the Law
The Senate’s new spanking legislation is against the will of many good parents.
by Staff, Institute of Marriage Family Canada | Posted 7/9/08
The Four Phases of Parenthood
Introduce a little sanity into your life and train up your child for his/her fast-approaching independence. Learn about the different phases of parenthood.
by Bob Hostetler | 6/18/08
Saint Bernard’s Glow Brightens Teen
A mission trip transforms a sullen teenager into a follower of Jesus.
by Phil Callaway | Posted 5/21/08
Childcare: Something Canadian Parents Should Know
There’s a new childcare report out in the United Kingdom that Canadian parents won’t likely hear about—but they should.
by Andrea Mrozek | Posted 5/14/08
Canadian Street Gangs: How Bad, and What to Do?
A recent book describes the problem, but does it adequately address causes—and solutions?
by Peter Jon Mitchell | Posted 5/14/08
Brainwashing or Simple Parenting?
Not much has appeared in the media about a groundbreaking study demonstrating that spirituality is a major contributor to a child’s overall happiness.
by Ron Csillag | Posted 5/7/08
Growing Kids Who Love God
Today’s kids are making poor choices and paying the consequences. The solution is for them to become disciples of Christ, and begin to understand what He’s like.
by Grace Fox | Posted 5/7/08
Darwin’s Disciples: Beyond Belief
Parents need to be aware of efforts to discredit the creation perspective. Here are suggestions for preparing children for classroom instruction about evolution.
by Melvin Mulder | Posted 4/23/08
Send a Kid to Camp and Reap Wonders
Summer kids' camp is a magical, other-world experience. Everyone should have the chance to go at least once in his or her life.
by Lynda MacGibbon | Posted 4/16/08
Moms Push for Family-Friendly Checkouts
Parents in Abbotsford, British Columbia, want their local grocery stores to set aside at least one checkout aisle that is free of sexually explicit magazine covers.
by Staff, Focus on the Family | Posted 03/19/08
The Journey of One
When her husband left her with two boys to raise, life became an endless struggle to survive. A single mom shares her story.
by Carolyn O. Bergen | Posted 3/12/08
Single Parents: Out of the Closet
Encouragement for single parents! Singleness is not necessarily a handicap when raising healthy kids.
by Laura Thomas | Posted 3/12/08
Roses, Chocolate and Lots of Love
Maybe you have a child approaching a milestone-13, 16, graduation. Why not take that opportunity to bless them and launch them well?
by Sheila Wray Gregoire | Posted 2/13/08
Spirituality a Key Factor for Overall Happiness of Children: Study
A shocking conclusion for the researchers: An "inner belief system" is very significant to the average child's sense of contentment.
by Staff, CanWest News Service | Posted 02/13/08
Let’s Abolish Bullying
What is creating the increasing incidence of bullying? Who is responsible? And what can we do about it?
by Marg Buller | Posted 1/2/08
Too Modest for TV?
When an episode of Dr. Phil's show aired recently, all teenage role models who are boycotting companies with crude clothing marketing campaigns were missing.
by Wendy Shalit | Posted 1/2/08