Today, we’re interviewing John Fuller @FullerJohn (http://johnfullerblog.com) about starting a family. John is VP of Focus on the Family’s Audio and New Media division. He and his wife Dena have been married 25 years and have 6 children.
FamilyFormation We’ve always appreciated your experimentation with new media. Thanks for being up for a twitterview.
FullerJohn Glad for the opportunity, this should be fun!
FamilyFormation Let's jump in with the first question. Did you have any hurdles to overcome in order to first start your family?
FullerJohn My wife and I were on the same page, after 2 yrs of marriage. It was time to have kids. We enjoyed our life together. I worked, she stayed at home and had a variety of ministry activities, including some babysitting for friends. We found that there were some physical hurdles, and had a season of infertility. That was hard. After almost 20 months of trying, she finally got pregnant, and our first was born in ’88. We’ve got six kids now!
FamilyFormation Did your wife (or you) have any unusual cravings during pregnancy?
FullerJohn Cravings? None for me. She craved pickles, lemons and tex-mex!
FamilyFormation What surprised you most about becoming a parent?
FullerJohn We were in our late 20s, and so we had seen other couples having kids. I don’t think there were too many real surprises... ...though the biggest change was having no more spontaneity in life. A child made us get into more routines. That was the start of a dying to self that every parent has to face. Still a struggle. Its all good, tho!
FamilyFormation What's the most annoying toy or children's show/video that parenthood brought into your life?
FullerJohn I really dislike Barney. We’ve intro'd our kids to classic TV we watched – Bugs Bunny, Andy Griffith, that kind of thing.
FamilyFormation How has having children affected your marriage?
FullerJohn Heh - HUGE impact! Strengthened our marriage – we stand united in facing various parenting challenges. Big thing we face, with 5 kids still at home is having quality time together. Heart intimacy really requires time.
FamilyFormation How has having children affected your relationship with God?
FullerJohn Our kids have challenged us – to pray more. That actually brings us closer together as a couple. ...Find myself asking God to help me be consistent in my walk and talk. Not so easy with 10 eyes watching my every step!
FamilyFormation What advice would you give a couple considering starting a family?
FullerJohn Don’t wait until you can afford kids – I still cannot afford mine! God will provide. He likes kids! And... ...Surround yourself with good mentors. We learned from several other couples, and their help was invaluable. Also... Get educated about kids, their stages, their needs, your role as a parent, discipline techniques. http://bit.ly/4lvePv
FamilyFormation This is great, encouraging stuff. Thanks so much for the twitterview. Hope you and your family enjoy the snow this weekend.
FullerJohn Thanks, it has been fun. I hope we’ll hear from someone who found this helpful.