Dr. James Dobson

We live during an age in which the institution of marriage is under constant attack by forces that want to destroy it. As a result, this timeless relationship is increasingly viewed by many as an unnecessary hindrance to our self-absorbed lives. Temporal “partnerships” are dissolved through “conscious uncoupling,” and children are little more than assets …

Dr. James Dobson: Why Marriage and Family Matter Now More Than Ever Read More »

It's a wonderful fact that children will occasionally disobey their parents for the express purpose of testing just how much they can get away with. This is a game I call "Challenge the Chief," and it can be played with surprising skill—even by very young kids.

If you have children at home, you probably know exactly what I'm talking about. You have clearly and emphatically told your little girl, "Don't touch the lamp," only to turn around a moment later to see her flashing you an impish grin as her hand grasps the forbidden object. Or perhaps you've instructed your son to clean up his messy room or eat his vegetables, and he responds by setting his jaw, folding his arms and essentially saying, "Make me!"

Virtually every parent, the world over, has been issued an ultimatum of this nature at one time or another! But when moms and dads ignore this kind of challenge, something changes in the parent-child relationship. For a particularly strong-willed boy or girl, that early test of parental leadership can grow into a full-blown case of rebellion during the tumultuous days of adolescence.

 It might sound like a cliché, but parenting e toughest jobs on Earth. After about 20 years of on-the-job training, we begin to figure out what it is all about. By then it’s time to let go and pretend we don’t care any more. Added to these difficulties are our own personal problems, which can …

Parenting Pains Read More »

Today's parents must work harder than ever at building satisfying and affirming relationships with their kids. When I was younger, parents didn't have to depend as much on communication and closeness to keep their children in line. They could control and protect them, more or less, by the imposition of rules and the isolation of their circumstances.

My folks understood that system. They had a million rules. There were regulations and prohibitions for almost every imaginable situation. Coming from a minister's home in a very conservative church, I was not allowed to go to the movies (which were remarkably tame), or to dances, or even to use mild slang.

I remember being reprimanded once for saying, “Hot dog!” when I got excited about something. I'm still not sure what danger those words conveyed to my dad, but he warned me not to say them again.