FOCUS ON THE FAMILY

Hey guys,

I am continuing a series of posts on parenting, but the resource I am highlighting this week includes much more than parenting. Honestly, if I listed all the fantastic resources on this website, this would be an extremely long post. So, I am going to highlight only the things that my family uses on a regular basis from Focus on the Family.

1. You will find several tabs on Focus on the Family navigation bar that will help you find resources you are looking for on: Marriage, Parenting, Faith, Pro-Life, Culture, Shows, etc. There are many articles that are up-to-date and on current, real life issues. No matter your stage of life, you will find helpful articles and videos that will enrich your life and those around you, such as:  
   • Build Your Child's Confidence through Chores
   • Is 'Overwhelm' Hurting Your Marriage?
   • Dodging the 'So You're Still Single' Holiday Question 
2. In addition to the previously mentioned menu bar, there is a secondary navigation bar located above it for some of their specific resources. One I personally think might be the most helpful to parents is Plugged In. This resource is dedicated fully to reviewing movies, books, video games, and music. If you’re like me and do not have time to watch, read, or listen to everything your kids do but want to make sure it is suitable; this is your perfect resource. The reviews are written with Christian values in mind and will help you know what questionable content the title contains, along with its positive qualities. If you have kids or grandkids, you need to have this tab saved on your browser - especially for the early teen years.
3. Another tab that is great for you to share with your kids is Adventures in Odyssey. Adventures in Odyssey is a Christian radio story program designed specifically for kids. My kids love these and use them all the time! I love them for my kids because they are wholesome, educational and my kids will listen to them for hours at a time. There are several ways to listen to Adventures in Odyssey, but you can also purchase them.
4. Lastly, Brio (for teen girls), Clubhouse (for ages 8-12), and Clubhouse Jr (ages 3-7) magazines are a paid subscription service. We have bought a year’s subscription for our kids' Christmas or birthday presents and our kids always looked forward to each issue. I highly recommend them and they are very reasonably priced.

I pray that you find these helpful to you and are able to share them with friends and family!

Blessings,
Pastor Chris