Q: As a husband and father, I know I should be spending more time with my family. I really want to -- I just don't see how I can fit more in when I'm so busy working to provide for them. Do you have any suggestions?

Jim: There eventually comes a point where we have to face a hard truth: We can (and will) always make time for whatever is most important to us. Once you decide what comes first, you'll be surprised how easy it is to make adjustments.

One way to make more family time might be to alter your daily schedule. If you can go into work early, that might enable you to leave earlier and get home sooner. Doing this consistently could free up several extra hours a week -- time that could be spent with your wife and kids.

Also, if you can, avoid going out to lunch. When you factor in driving, parking, ordering and then eating, the lunch "hour" can easily stretch to double that time -- or more. Instead, pack a lunch and take just a 30-minute break. Besides being cheaper, it might clear enough extra time to catch your daughter's soccer game later in the day.

Finally, honestly evaluate your lifestyle. Don't be so quick to accept that promotion -- especially if it's going to require even more work or extra travel. Your family needs you more than they need extra income or more stuff. And you can't buy back the time you lose.

I'm certainly not suggesting that you shirk your responsibilities at work. Just make sure your job isn't all-consuming. There's a big difference between putting in an honest day's work and being a workaholic. Focus on what matters most -- those you love -- and you'll find a healthy balance.

Q: My boyfriend and I have been dating for a while and we're seriously considering our future together. If we continue to move toward marriage, we want to do everything we can to strengthen our relationship. I've heard people talk about pre-marital counseling; is that a good idea?

Dr. Greg Smalley, Vice President, Marriage & Family Formation: I agree with many other experts that one of the most important things you and your fiance can do before getting married is to get pre-marital counseling. But let's take it a step further: What about pre-engagement counseling?

Realistically, getting counseling before you're even engaged is a fantastic investment in the future health of your relationship. Think about it: By the time a couple actually gets engaged, they're largely predisposed against undertaking an in-depth, objective assessment of the relationship. They've already invested so much, and there's often a social stigma associated with breaking off an engagement. So, many engaged couples would rather just coast along instead of honestly admitting and dealing with their own (and one another's) character flaws ... along with other things that could cause trouble down the road.

So, here's my suggestion: If you've been dating someone for more than six months and feel that your relationship could be headed toward engagement and marriage, it's a great idea to set up a few counseling sessions with a qualified marriage and family therapist.

Note that this is NOT an admission that there's something seriously wrong with your relationship. Instead, it's a proactive commitment on both of your parts to make your relationship the best it can possibly be before taking the next step. Consider it this way: Investing in pre-engagement counseling now could save you the pain and expense of a divorce later on.

We offer many resources (including a national counseling referral network) to help couples at any stage -- dating, engaged and married. See FocusOnTheFamily.com.

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 jimdalyblog.focusonthefamily.com or at Facebook.com/JimDalyFocus.

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Q: Leading up to Father's Day I've been somewhat contemplative, thinking about what marks "true masculinity." What's your take on the subject?

Jim: I think at a certain level, pretty much every man wants to feel like a hero. We're built to be warriors and adventurers. The problem is that most guys don't feel like they get a chance to use their true strength on behalf of their family very often. Really, how often does a dude march in from the front yard on a Saturday and puff out his chest to announce: "I mowed the lawn!" That just doesn't quite hit it for most of us.

Perhaps that's why so many young men feel that they have to prove their manhood through power or brute strength -- how much weight they can lift or how hard they can punch. That might be the Hollywood (or sports bar) standard for heroes. But in everyday life, true masculinity is defined by a man's inner strength.

A real man lays his life down for his family every day. It's when a dad plays catch in the front yard even though he's tired from a long day at work. Or when he talks his daughter through her first heartbreak -- even though he'd rather she not grow up at all. Sometimes it's as simple as a husband skipping the game on TV to run an errand for (or with) his wife.

Those things may not sound very heroic. But that's because guys usually think masculinity is found in the big things. The truth is it's mostly found in the inner strength that enables a man to serve his wife and kids in the small ways every day. And there's no greater adventure than successfully guiding and protecting your small tribe through the jungle of this crazy mixed-up world. Dads: Stand tall.

Q: My teen son, daughter and their friends are constantly guzzling energy drinks. Am I right in thinking this has to be bad for them?

Dr. Danny Huerta, Vice President, Parenting & Youth: Your concerns are valid. It's really not healthy for anyone to consume beverages that are so high in sugar and caffeine. But there's increasing evidence that energy drinks can be harmful to teens, including their mental and emotional health. Researchers are finding increased risks of anxiety, panic attacks, mood issues and ADHD-type symptoms in teens who consume large amounts of these kinds of energy drinks.

Many teens see energy drinks as a way to help manage fatigue, social pressure, stress, and things that seem overwhelming -- or to find an edge in sports or academics. However, they just end up creating more problems for themselves in the long run, such as the possibility of ongoing dehydration, heart issues, jitteriness, insomnia and emotional issues (including a higher risk of suicide and addictions).

Since your teens are most likely trying to solve something through these drinks that jolt their brain and body, it's important to explore what they are trying to address. Instead of simply saying "no" and moving on, learn what your teens are wrestling with physically, emotionally and mentally -- and help them find healthier options.

Many different natural supplements and healthful drinks can give your teens an energy boost. Discuss healthy boundaries and explore other beneficial options, including stevia or monk fruit as sweeteners and organic green tea or coffee bean extract for the caffeine. These drinks usually contain a fraction of the caffeine that's in conventional energy drinks. Researchers affirm that 100 mg to 200 mg of caffeine throughout the morning hours can have some benefits. However, consuming caffeine past noon, and in amounts over 300 mg, can have adverse effects.

For more practical parenting answers and tips, visit FocusOnParenting.com.

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 jimdalyblog.focusonthefamily.com or at Facebook.com/JimDalyFocus.

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Q: Our baby girl has been a delight. But when she hit the "terrible twos," everything changed. We've heard this is fairly common and know it's "just a stage" that we'll get through. But right now it's exhausting and discouraging. Do you have any advice for keeping the right perspective?

Jim: Many parents can relate! I'll share an example that I heard from singer Phil Joel and his wife, Heather. The Joels' first son was a model baby -- smiling, sleeping through the night, and loving to be held. Then his pleasant disposition vanished as he became a toddler.

That's when Phil and Heather had the epiphany that parenting is a lot like gardening. The analogy illustrates that we plant seeds of love in our children, so their lives will flourish and grow. But as any gardener can tell you, positive results don't happen overnight. Success requires consistent labor and attention, rain or shine. And it's not just the seeds you plant that sprout -- you'll probably be dealing with weeds as well.

"Weeds" can take many forms in our children's lives. Whether from negative cultural influences, or an "all-about-me" selfishness, these things often choke out the positive seeds of love and encouragement we're trying to cultivate. That's why we need to dig beneath the surface of an issue to see and effect lasting change. When we ignore the weeds, they just grow deeper and become harder to uproot.

As we carefully dig out encroaching attitudes and influences, giving our children the emotional and spiritual care and space they need, they can flower into the healthy, thriving people they were created to be.

Raising children is seldom easy, but it's one of the most rewarding things you can do in life. With your loving care -- and your willingness to confront the negative influences that threaten their well-being -- your kids can develop into mature adults of character.

For more tips to help your children thrive, visit FocusOnTheFamily.com.

Q: My wife and I have been married for several years. We've both had high hopes for what we want our relationship to be and thought we were well-prepared. But so far, we haven't found the balance we desire. Help?

Dr. Greg Smalley, Vice President, Marriage & Family Formation: This is actually a very common scenario. And in many cases, the problem may be one of extremes.

We tend to forget that our upbringing has a significant influence on how we behave in our own marriage. For example, someone raised in a troubled home likely grew up with parents who constantly fought with one another. When that child reaches adulthood, they may do everything possible to avoid interacting as their parents did -- such as refusing to engage in conflict, even if it means they never express their opinion in the relationship.

In contrast, there's also a downside to growing up with parents who never allowed their conflict to be seen. Kids from these homes often feel their relationships have to be a carbon copies of their parents. So, when the first disagreement inevitably pops up in their marriage, they feel like failures and believe everything is lost before it even gets started.

Letting your expectations swing to either extreme can adversely affect (or even destroy) your relationship. The best solution is to find healthy middle ground. In other words, don't focus on fleeing the negativity of your past. But don't spend all of your energy trying to recreate the good parts, either.

Every marriage is unique. You and your spouse need to find an identity and "style" for your relationship that best fits your personalities. That's the only way to build a successful 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 jimdalyblog.focusonthefamily.com or at Facebook.com/JimDalyFocus.

INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT SECURED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.