5 reasons why fatherhood is far better than football

June 8, 2014 | Michael Foust | Posted in Parents of infants, Parents of toddlers, Parents of young children | Tagged Children, Christ, dad, daddy, daughters, Father, fatherhood, fathers day, football, God, sons

I remember my first big-time football game as if it were yesterday. I was 13, sitting beside my dad and a friend in a huge stadium.

The game, though, didn’t go as I had hoped, and a loss seemed certain — when something amazing happened. With only four seconds left, my team’s kicker booted a 51-yard field goal that tied it up, and we all went wild. It was a college game and there was no overtime back then, but we rode home feeling as if our team had won the Super Bowl.

I also remember the birth of my first child as if it were yesterday. I was 36, standing in the delivery room with the doctor and nurses all around, minutes after midnight. Then something amazing happened. I heard a tiny, helpless, sweet cry, followed by a booming voice from the doctor: “It’s a boy!”

They placed my son under the warmer and I saw him up close for the very first time. He was full of life, looking all around, squirming from head to toe. It was the most precious sight I had ever seen.

My wife and I drove home two days later, feeling as if we’d won, well, the Super Bowl.

Those few seconds
when I enter the house and
my three kids go wild as they
hug my leg are better than any
balloon drop at a political rally.
To them, I might as well be president.

I’ve been to quite a few football games in my life while spending far more money than I care to acknowledge, and I can say without hesitation: Fatherhood is infinitely better than football. This should be obvious, of course, but we do live in a day where too many of us men are making a life out of our hobbies, extending our teen years into our 30s.

As we approach Father’s Day, consider these five reasons why fatherhood is better than football — or any hobby, for that matter. Continue reading →

3 great resources to teach your children theology

June 6, 2014 | Michael Foust | Posted in Parents of toddlers, Parents of young children | Tagged Children, Christ, Christianity, God, Jesus, Parents, teaching children theology, theology, Trinity

When it comes to asking tough and sometimes comical theological questions, nothing comes close to an inquisitive child.

I should know. My oldest son, who is 6, currently is the reigning world champion in the “asking tough questions” competition, and he shows no signs of slowing down.

Take a recent dinner table discussion, for instance. His cup had pictures of superheroes, and he asked with a serious look on his face: Does God hate the Incredible Hulk? (No, I told him, God loves all people, and besides, the Incredible Hulk isn’t real, anyway, and just because the Incredible Hulk has a mean look on that cup doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy.)

Then there’s the constant question he asks when we discuss heaven: Will his favorite stuffed animal – the one he sleeps with every night — be in heaven? The problem: If I say “no,” heaven isn’t looking so grand to him. He once cried when I told him “no.” (My latest stab at that for him was more of a non-answer. I asked with a smile, “Do you want him to be in heaven?” He said “yes,” and we moved on. I do tell him that I believe dinosaurs will be in heaven – which excites him.)

Children’s storybook Bibles are plentiful, but children’s theology books? Not so much. I have found two that I really like, although I am certain there are others out there. Know of others? Let me know in the comments section.

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8 stress-reducing steps to a happier family

May 29, 2014 | Michael Foust | Posted in Parents of infants, Parents of toddlers, Parents of young children | Tagged Children, Christ, families, family stress, God, Parents, reducing stress, stress, toddlers

When you’re at the hospital preparing to take home that 7-pound bundle of joy, the nurses don’t provide any advice on dealing with stress. They don’t even hand you a book.

I was thinking about stress recently when my wife called me at work and said, in a tone of voice that matched the circumstance: “There’s water in our basement!”

We already had a garbage disposal that wasn’t working, a dishwasher that was leaking and a clothes drier that wasn’t drying. With three small children, clean clothes and dishes are a necessity. Things weren’t looking good, but God soon provided. The basement leak slowed, and we pinpointed the problem. We fixed the drier (lint blockage) and then discovered that the dishwasher leak was linked to the broken garbage disposal.

Through it all, we told one another: Don’t stress out, this is small potatoes. In other words: Keep things in perspective.
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The 4 best smartphone apps to distract your toddler when you’re at a restaurant and they’re crawling under the table

May 22, 2014 | Michael Foust | Posted in Parents of toddlers, Parents of young children | Tagged Android, apps, apps for toddlers, iPhone, restaurant, toddler

The other day my family and I were celebrating a special event at a fun Mexican restaurant, when my two-year-old son decided he wanted to be the center of attention. Well, not really, but it ended up that way.

As I was ordering my meal and talking to the waiter, my son stood up in his chair, lost his balance and accomplished a trifecta of destruction: 1) his chair fell sideways in the aisle, landing with a loud “thud” at the feet of several other guests, 2) his cup of water and seemingly 300 ice cubes careened across the floor, forming a huge lake, and 3), he fell to the floor, too, and had a look of shock on his face apparently wondering how he had made such a big mess so fast.

He thankfully was fine, but it was only our latest example of something every parent already knows: It’s not easy taking children to restaurants. One of our three kids enjoys crawling under the table from time to time. Another one wants only to sit in my lap. All three would eat anything found on the floor if given a chance. And I haven’t even talked about what one of my boys likes to do in the men’s restroom.

My wife and I use electronics only sparingly with our children, but when we’re at a restaurant trying to have a good, pleasant meal and conversation – and not waste $25 or more — we’ll sometimes pull out our smartphones and let them play a game or two.

Honestly, just about any game will work with a toddler, but I’ve found that apps with animals works best with our kids. Here are my four favorite apps that distract my toddlers long enough for me to eat more tortilla chips, drink another glass of tea, or simply talk with my wife a few more minutes.
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3 reasons Moms’ Night Out is the funniest movie you’ve never seen

May 4, 2014 | Michael Foust | Posted in Parents of infants, Parents of toddlers, Parents of young children | Tagged comedy, funny, moms night out, moms night out review, patricia heaton, sarah drew, sean astin

There aren’t many movies that make me laugh so much that I’ll watch them twice. There also aren’t many movies that shake me emotionally so much that I’ll shed tears multiples times. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a movie that did both, though – until now.

Moms’ Night Out, which opens Friday, is one of the funniest movies you’ll ever see, along with one of the most moving. It’s a film that does for moms what Courageous did for dads – that is, uplift, inspire and encourage mothers to better fulfill their God-given role. It’s a celebration of moms.

I watched a screener of it one night with my wife, laughed hysterically and cried a few times, and went to bed amazed at what I had just seen. The next night, I watched it again, laughed hysterically again and cried some more, again.

It’s that good.

It may be the best faith-based movie yet, but honestly, it doesn’t seem fair even to say that. Moms’ Night Out simply is a great movie that has a faith message and plenty of crossover appeal.

Who will like it? Anyone who has a child, who’s ever had a child, who has taken care of a child, or has watched in interest and horror a child at Walmart have an Aisle 6 meltdown.

It tells the story of a stressed-out mom who has small children and simply wants a night out, with her friends, but without the kids. She gets that night out, but it begins falling apart early on. Continue reading →