Q: I'm in my late 40s and feeling burned out in my job. But whenever I think about changing career paths, I feel overwhelmed and mentally paralyzed. Do you think I should just ride it out in my current field and wait for retirement?

Jim: These days, choosing a career isn't a one-time event. For most of us it's a series of decisions we make as we progress through different stages of life. Career paths may change multiple times based on age, family size, maturity and so on. So really, there's no right or wrong answer here.

That said, keep in mind that determining your career path takes healthy amounts of wisdom, reflection and prayer -- not to mention the support of your family. If you do decide to change careers, here are some important things to consider, courtesy of Crown Financial Ministries:

1) Don't always choose the first or easiest job you can find. The goal should be to move into work where you're using and developing your strongest talents.

2) Don't select a job based strictly on salary. Making more money won't be worth it if you don't like the work.

3) Avoid taking a position just because the title sounds impressive. Doing what you enjoy, and what you're good at, is far more important than what appears on your business card.

4) Don't accept a position just because you have the minimum ability to do it. There could be many jobs that you can do, but that doesn't mean they're the best options available. Put in the effort to seek a career that's the right combination of challenging and fulfilling.

Q: My teen son is struggling with self-confidence. It's obvious in how he talks about himself; he shows a lack of motivation or interest in things that usually make him excited. As his dad, how can I help him through this struggle and build his self-confidence for his future?

Dr. Danny Huerta, Vice President, Parenting & Youth: This is a common challenge. The teen years are filled with insecurities and pressures. Many factors can influence whether your son's confidence levels go up or down, including his interpretation of what happens around him. His personality, past experiences and emotions can all impact those interpretations.

As a reminder, you have an incredible opportunity to deeply influence your son's self-confidence. He needs you -- especially now as he wrestles through his fears of rejection, failure and weakness! While he may dismiss your positive and genuine affirmations, be consistent in giving them. Patiently help him interpret his life experiences through a lens of truth, self-compassion and accepting his own imperfections.

Here are two practical and consistent gifts you can give your son on his journey toward building (or rebuilding) his self-confidence.

Prioritize listening. Your son appreciates being heard. Giving your full attention while listening develops trust and security. It helps your teen realize his opinions and independent thoughts are worthy of attention and care. It also gives you insight into what might be going on underneath your son's behaviors.

Provide genuine and sincere affirmation and loving affection. Sons desire approval from their dads and affirmation that they're worthy and competent. As a father, you can also provide a sense of belonging, security and safety by taking the time to show affection despite the chaos in your son's life. Finds ways to demonstrate this that are meaningful to him. It could be a hug, life-giving words or asking to spend one-to-one time with him.

These are just two quick examples; there are many other ways you, as a dad, can encourage your son as he grows toward adulthood with confidence and humility. For more tips, see FocusOnTheFamily.com/parenting.

Jim Daly is a husband and father, an author, and president of Focus on the Family and host of the Focus on the Family radio program. Catch up with him at www.jimdalyblog.com or at www.facebook.com/DalyFocus.

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Q: My divorce was finalized recently. But over the past few weeks, I've become concerned about how this family breakup is impacting our preschooler. I wonder if maybe we could have made a better go of it. Should I consider remarrying my ex-spouse for the sake of our child?

Jim: By its very nature, divorce often involves plenty of anger and bitterness. So if your ex-spouse has no desire to continue the relationship, there probably isn't much you can do to change their mind.

BUT -- if you're both willing to move beyond the hurts and resentments of the past, there's a chance you could put your relationship back together again. And you're right -- that would be in your child's best interests.

During a separation or divorce, it's common for each of the spouses to focus on what the other party needs to change. But genuine growth and healing involves honest self-evaluation. Are you aware of ways that you may have contributed to the breakup of your marriage? Examine yourself honestly to see clearly into your own motives and blind spots. A divorce recovery class, possibly at a local church, can be very helpful in this regard.

If your former spouse is willing to go through the same type of self-examination process, there may eventually be a point when you're both ready to seek counseling together. That's when you can start taking definite steps toward restoring your marriage. This all takes time, patience and wisdom -- and I believe prayer is a major component. But your efforts can be successful if both of you are prepared to do the hard work required.

Our staff counselors would be happy to help; call 855-771-HELP (4357). I'd also mention that our organization has a very successful program to help save "hopeless" marriages -- visit HopeRestored.com. I wish you the best.

Q: It's been several years since our wedding -- and married life hasn't been what either my husband or I envisioned. We love each other, but we're discouraged. Do you have any advice?

Dr. Greg Smalley, Vice President, Marriage & Family Formation: Many -- maybe even most -- couples struggle with what their marriage IS compared to what they dreamed it would be. So often, they fail to consider whether the expectations they had on their wedding day were realistic in the first place.

It's common for dating couples to dream of marital bliss. In the early stages of romance, they can't imagine feeling discontent or disappointed with their spouse, or not having meaningful conversations into the wee hours. And disagreements? What disagreements?

But those expectations usually hit a speed bump once you're married. Working and paying bills gets monotonous. Then there are the stressors. Maybe one spouse loses their job, or a baby is born, impacting the couple's finances. Real life sets in. The dreams begin to fade.

Here's the key point: Good marriages aren't built on lofty expectations. They're patiently developed through the ups and downs of day-to-day, year-to-year life experience together.

So, if your relationship isn't everything you'd hoped, consider what you'd originally hoped for. Perhaps some of your expectations were unrealistic in the first place. If that's the case, cast a new vision for your marriage. But this time, temper those dreams with less fairy tale and more real life. And this is especially important: Design and craft that vision based on your individual and mutual strengths that you have identified so far through time together. Furthermore, always be looking for ways to build on what you've learned. Your marriage can -- and should -- be greater than the sum of its parts.

For more tips, assessment tools and insights on how to build a strong and thriving marriage, visit FocusOnTheFamily.com/marriage.

Jim Daly is a husband and father, an author, and president of Focus on the Family and host of the Focus on the Family radio program. Catch up with him at www.jimdalyblog.com or at www.facebook.com/DalyFocus.

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Q: My husband just received a promotion that involves a short-notice relocation to another state. I'm concerned about the impact on our kids -- how can we help them adjust to the move?

Jim: Moving to a new city is a significant life change that, for many children, can be almost as stressful as losing someone to death. That sense of loss often goes deeper than parents realize. Kids may struggle with anxiety about losing familiar surroundings, like their room, or have trouble leaving friends behind. Some children may express anger with parents for "forcing" such a drastic life change upon them.

Since your move is apparently happening over the summer, prioritize helping your kids find social connections before the new school year starts. Plug them into a church group, sports league or youth organization as soon as possible. Do as much as you can as a household to connect with other families, like neighbors or new co-workers. The faster the children develop some relationships, the sooner they'll settle in and feel comfortable with their new surroundings.

On the emotional front, don't minimize the changes that everyone in the family is experiencing. A generic "it will all work out" probably isn't the best approach. Encourage your children to express their concerns and fears openly and honestly. And whatever you do, don't ignore or downplay what they share. That will only increase their sense of isolation and frustration.

It's normal for some children to experience a temporary regression in behavior after a move. They may act agitated or unusually irritable. You may see a drop in their grades. Watch closely, but don't panic; they likely just need some time and space. Adjusting to their new situation could take a few weeks -- or for some kids, several months -- so be patient and understanding. But take heart: Life will eventually normalize again.

Q: Our family's screen time is basically out of control right now. What are some concrete ways we can make real changes in this area?

Adam Holz, Director, Plugged In: As a father of three teens and the director of Plugged In, I feel your pain. The phrase "screen time" looks innocuous. But those two simple words might be parents' biggest challenge today. Let me suggest some practical strategies to make changes stick.

First, recognize that all-or-nothing proclamations will likely fail. When you're frustrated, it's easy to announce, "We're all getting off screens right now!" But like dieting and budgeting, making small, specific adjustments gives us an opportunity to gradually -- but effectively -- root out entrenched habits. We can get a "win," then build on that momentum.

Such adjustments could include putting phones away at meals. Or identifying one day a week when we turn our phones off in the evening (one friend of mine has implemented "Tech-Free Tuesday" in his home). Even turning our phones off for just an hour combats tech's sneaky tendency to suck up many waking moments. In fact, a recent study found that cutting screen time by an hour daily led to positive shifts in mental well-being.

Next, pay attention to your own screen-time habits as parents. If we want our kids to make changes, we have to be honest about our own compulsions and model the behavior we want to see.

Finally, if we're asking our kids to dial back screen time, we also need to help them fill that time with something healthy and fun -- like getting outside, exercising at the gym or setting up a family game night. Even if your kids roll their eyes a bit, you'll be surprised how much they enjoy that time as a family once you begin to integrate intentional adjustments.

Jim Daly is a husband and father, an author, and president of Focus on the Family and host of the Focus on the Family radio program. Catch up with him at www.jimdalyblog.com or at www.facebook.com/DalyFocus.

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