By Dr. James Dobson
I hope you will read very carefully what I am about to write now, because it explains why this matter is so significant. Porn and smut pose an awesome threat to your boys. A single exposure to it by some thirteen to fifteen-year-olds is all that is required to create an addiction that will hold them in bondage for a lifetime. It is more addictive than cocaine or heroine. That was one of the conclusions drawn during the...
As if parents don't have enough to worry about, they're also faced with a cyber and media world that is enormously dangerous to their children. Are you aware that the average person between the ages of eight and eighteen spends approximately 44.5 hours each week engaging with some form of media? That's the equivalent of a full-time job and several hours of overtime! With consumption at this level, it's little wonder that media has become a type of "super-peer," influencing behaviors and shaping values.
Another key factor is the prevalence of violence in the media, which has taught kids the wrong way to deal with tormentors. Teens, including those with wounded spirits, live every day with images of killing, poisoning, maiming, decapitating, knifing, crashing, and exploding. It is everywhere, from the theater to cable television to music videos and the Internet. One of the most popular movies a few years ago was Scream, produced by Miramax—a subsidiary owned, it is sad to say, by the Disney Corporation. The film opened with...
Culturally, men have difficulty sharing their feelings and showing affection and love. But it is never too late to start sharing with your children and praying for them.
Dr. Frank Minirth and Dr. Paul Warren describe how prayer taps into the power of the Holy Spirit and models for children that there is a heavenly Father we can all rely on in times of fear.
Some would question whether it is even desirable for a girl to be feminine in a traditional sense, fearing that it will signal a return to the oppression of a patriarchal era when women had to hide their intelligence and conceal their accomplishments. Hear me out, moms. Not for a moment would I try to take away the hard-won achievements of respect and emancipation enjoyed by today's women. Those cultural advances are here to stay, and may they long endure.
Dr. Dobson's guest Fern Nichols brings home the vital importance of parents praying without ceasing for their children. She introduces her ministry called "Moms in Prayer."
It's a well-known fact that kids identify their parents—and especially their fathers—with God. One day when I was out of town on business, Shirley asked our son, Ryan, then two years old, to pray before their meal.
Joe White encourages parents to pour scripture into their children, praying them into eternity. He and Dr. Dobson concur that this is the most significant task for a parent.
A few years ago I slipped into a market to buy a few groceries for lunch. Standing in front of me at the checkout was an elderly woman who didn't seem to be altogether lucid. It quickly became obvious that she had selected more food than she could pay for, as she fumbled in her purse frantically for a few more coins. The checker politely continued to add up the items.
Dr. Dobson talks about human nature, reminding us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
Dr. Dobson notes how difficult it can be for people to apologize, especially as parents, but how being willing to do so offers opportunities for growth and demonstrates core Christian values to children.
It is very difficult for parents to ask their children for forgiveness. They feel that it somehow damages their authority to admit they have done wrong and promise to do better next time. But I believe it is healthy for a mom and dad to model for a child how to apologize when they have done something wrong.
Unlikely as it sounds, I made the decision to become a Christian at three years of age. I remember the occasion clearly. I was attending a Sunday evening church service and was sitting near the back with my mother. My father was the pastor; he invited those who wished to do so to come forward, and I joined them.
Dr. Dobson and his guests, the Wolgemuth family, enjoy a warm conversation about raising godly children, and in the process illustrate what a Christian home looks like.
I remember him once going off to speak in a tiny church and coming home ten days later. Eventually my mother asked about the offering. I can still see my father's face as he smiled and looked at the floor.
Dr. Dobson and Guest Tim Clinton talk about how winning your children to Christ sometimes comes out of the relationship with your own father.
Talk to your children about the Lord and His mercies continually. This is what Moses told the children of Israel. It is also what King David and the prophet Joel, among other biblical authors, instructed us to do. These passages are too clear to be misunderstood.
Pat Williams sits down with Dr. Dobson to discuss some of the finer points of parenting. One of the key conclusions that is drawn is that the foundation of parental leadership begins with a servant's heart and an unconditional love for one's children.
Jesus died for you and every sin anyone has ever committed or could ever commit.
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Dr. James Dobson is the Founder and President of Family Talk, a nonprofit organization that produces his radio program, “Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk.” He is the author of more than 30 books dedicated to the preservation of the family, including The New Dare to Discipline; Love for a Lifetime; Life on the Edge; Love Must Be Tough; The New Strong-Willed Child; When God Doesn’t Make Sense; Bringing Up Boys; Marriage Under Fire; Bringing Up Girls; and, most recently, Head Over Heels.
Dr. Dobson served as an associate clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Southern California School of Medicine for 14 years and on the attending staff of Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles for 17 years. He has been active in governmental affairs and has advised three U.S. presidents on family matters. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California (1967) in the field of child development. He holds 17 honorary doctoral degrees, and was inducted in 2008 into The National Radio Hall of Fame. Dr. Dobson recently received the “Great American Award” from The Awakening.
Dr. Dobson is married to Shirley and they have two grown children, Danae and Ryan, and two grandchildren. The Dobsons reside in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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