Family Matters

Family Matters is a 5 minute programme offering practical advice from Focus on the Family. Receive a daily dose of encouragement and advice for the family with keys to stronger marriages, effective parenting, deeper relationships and a more satisfying lifestyle.
Daily English South Africa Society & Culture · Religion & Spirituality
1,149 Episodes
384 – 404

Grandparents Filling in for Busy Moms and Dads

In modern society, it has become increasingly common for both moms and dads to work outside of the home, and it’s overwhelmingly evident that busyness has become the norm for so many families. The words: ‘Oh, we’ve just been so busy!’ are almost everybody’s mantra. And with parents adopting this…
7 Feb 2022 5PM 4 min

Eliminating the Stress of Potty Training

If you’re a parent of school-going children you may look back on the potty training years and breathe a sigh of relief, but if you’re in that phase of life with your child right now, you possibly feel like this mountain is insurmountable. Well, the good news is that you…
6 Feb 2022 5PM 4 min

Disciplining an Uncooperative Child

The subject of discipline is a hot topic among most parents, and it’s an area where parents can feel overwhelmed and underqualified. What a lot of Moms and Dads don’t realize is that effective discipline takes effort and follow-through, and when there’s inconsistency, children end up feeling unsure of their…
3 Feb 2022 5PM 4 min

Considerations for Working Mothers

Do you have any encouragement for moms who are employed outside the home? I'm aware that Focus on the Family spends a lot of time affirming stay-at-home moms in their role, but I'm wondering if you can offer any support to those of us who have to leave home every…
2 Feb 2022 5PM 4 min

Cohabiting Boyfriend Has Been Unfaithful

A relationship that ends because of unfaithfulness is always a serious blow, but when there are children involved it makes the situation so much more difficult and devastating.
1 Feb 2022 5PM 4 min

Avoiding Extremes in Child Discipline

When it comes to disciplining children, parents need to have a clear-cut understanding of the appropriate methods and purposes of discipline. To discipline is to teach, and that is why harsh reactions to bad behavior are never healthy, although it can be so easy to fall into that trap when…
31 Jan 2022 5PM 4 min

Biblical Instruction and Expectations for Christian Giving

Biblical instruction and expectations for Christian giving can sometimes be misinterpreted or refuted when modern Christians believe that the laws laid down by Moses have been abolished by Christ, leaving us with only two new commandments to live by. The idea of tithing, therefore, seems outdated, and many Christians try…
30 Jan 2022 5PM 4 min

Denominationally Mismatched Romance

Pursuing a serious relationship with someone who you feel is a potential marriage partner is always a big decision. This is because marriage is a lifetime commitment that doesn’t only involve you and your spouse but your respective families too.
27 Jan 2022 5PM 4 min

Biblical Perspective on Homosexuality and Same

As a ministry, Focus on the Family is not intent on vocalizing our stance on controversial Christian topics, however, when asked a question regarding our perspective on a greatly disputed issue, we will offer as much insight and clarity on what we believe the bible clearly states.
26 Jan 2022 5PM 4 min

Dealing With the Discouragement of Unemployment

If there’s one thing that can demoralize a man’s spirit, it’s unemployment and feeling unable to provide for the family. When a man loses his job and struggles to regain employment, it really takes its toll on his sense of worth and success.
25 Jan 2022 5PM 4 min

What to Do About Long Hours on the Job

Creating a balance of work and family life can be an extremely challenging task. If we focus all our energy on our careers, then our family life suffers, but we want to make enough money to provide for our families.
24 Jan 2022 5PM 4 min

The Spiritual Side of Eating Disorders

There is not a single human being on this planet that has not, or is not facing challenges. The way that we view these challenges in light of Christianity is perhaps what separates us, even within Christian circles. God is so intricately woven into the tapestry of our lives that…
20 Jan 2022 5PM 4 min

Still Can't Sleep in the Same Bed with Unfaithful Spouse

he sting of infidelity is not something to be taken lightly. The wounds go deep and therefore need a special kind of spiritual healing. It would be negligent and foolish to believe that any spouse would be able to simply move on from such a transgression.
19 Jan 2022 5PM 4 min

Spouse Uses Marijuana

It's not easy to be married to someone who is addicted to a substance of any kind, marijuana included. It’s lonely, painful, and isolating, just to name a few of the negative factors. Even the simplest everyday tasks can become painful trials when your partner is in the habit of…
18 Jan 2022 5PM 4 min

Signs of Video and Computer Game Addiction

Very often an addict is slow to realize the severity of their problem, and will become defensive if the word addict is even mentioned. Now, you may think I’m referring to substance abuse and addiction, but today I’m referring to an addiction that’s catching a lot of people off guard:…
17 Jan 2022 5PM 4 min

Replacing Porn With Sexual Photos of Wife

The nature of pornography is that is objectifies a person and takes away the beauty of a relationship between human beings by warping it into something completely different. If a spouse is making an effort to walk away from porn addiction and re-kindle the marriage relationship, then all aspects of…
16 Jan 2022 5PM 4 min

Preschooler Is a Picky Eater

Have you ever heard yourself say something a little like this: “You are not leaving the dining table until you have eaten your dinner”, or, “Why didn’t you eat the school lunch I packed for you?, or, “No, you cannot have a sweetie, it’s 9 in the morning and you…
13 Jan 2022 5PM 3 min

Leaving Job to Become a Stay at home mom

n this day and age there are very few families that are choosing to have a single income household with mom staying home to look after the young kids. It is a brave decision when a career woman gives up her day job to be a stay-at-home mom, but studies…
12 Jan 2022 5PM 4 min

Help for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

There are so many families in our country that have been broken by bad relationships, death of a parent or both parents or just never had the chance to be a family in the first place. Countless children are being raised by their grandparents because of these undesirable circumstances and…
11 Jan 2022 5PM 4 min
384 – 404