BJ Foster Creates Content for Family First Ministry’s All Pro Dad and iMOM | Resources Help Families Love Each Other Well
How can families love each other well? That question inspired Mark and Susan Merrill to found non-profit Family First, formerly the Florida Family Council, more than three decades ago. While they initially worked to change laws that impacted family, they realized changing hearts and minds was most important. They began creating encouraging, helpful content for families, including the Family Minute radio spot that aired on stations nationwide. Although they stopped producing those spots more than 10 years ago, stations still replay the Family Minute, as much of their content has remained evergreen, said BJ Foster, Family First’s Director of Content. The ministry is named Family First to reflect God’s initial action as creator of the family, BJ explained.
The organization has evolved from faxing articles in the 1990s to now delivering relevant resources in modern ways. Their two sites, All Pro Dad and iMOM, receive more than 10 million visitors every year, impacting families with their hundreds of articles and emails on marriage and parenting. As Director of Content, BJ oversees all the Family First platforms, including writing and curating information from marriage and family authors to creating the curriculum on the two websites that form the ministry’s backbone.
Visitors to Allprodad.com and iMOM.com can find parenting and marriage information for an All Pro Dad or iMOM depending on their status. In addition to articles and podcasts, they can opt in for a daily email. As the titles suggests, many of the emails pertain to parenting, but every Wednesday, content focuses on marriage, BJ said. Writers include popular relationship leaders like Ted Lowe, Jackie Bledsoe, and Bobby Lewis. Celebrity spokespeople include All Pro Dad co-founder, Tony Dungy, and ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky and Laura Rutledge.
BJ’s found men and women react to content differently.
“Men tend to approach marriage and fatherhood with the attitude of ‘I’m pretty awesome,’ ‘I’m doing great – let me check out this article to see if I’m missing anything.’ Wives and moms worry that, ‘I’m not good enough,’ ‘Other moms do more.’” The tone of the articles appeals to each. “For women, we remind them they are doing great, maybe just try a few things,” BJ said. “Men are much more motivated by a negative article about what they are doing wrong. A common admonition is for men to put down the remote, the phone or, for Millennial husbands, the gaming controller.”
One article, “20 Things a Husband Says That Wives Hate,” became so popular it inspired a speaking topic, BJ said, that provided very practical words to say instead. For example, the no-win question, “Does this dress make me look fat?” To which BJ advises husbands to answer, “I don’t think that dress brings out your best.” Or “It’s not emphasizing all the things that bring out the most beautiful about you.” Or “It’s washing you out instead of bringing your best parts forward.”
Other unpopular words with wives: “Huh?” “Relax.” “Let me explain this in a way you can understand,” or, “Is it your time of the month?” Instead, BJ substitutes phrases like, “So when you say this… you mean this?” and “I hear you, I understand, I’m really glad you told me that.” Other winners: “That sounds really hard. How are you handling that?” And “If you were in my shoes, what would you do?”
A 65-year-old man recently shared feedback with BJ how helpful he’s found those phrases. For those who wonder how a man married just 18 years could be so wise, BJ admits he grew up with three older sisters. He realized at a young age words people say can greatly impact others.
All Pro Dad
All Pro Dad was designed to give men practical fatherhood tools and encouragement to address the issue of more than 19 million children in America without father figures. The organization believes that lack directly correlates to poor academic and social outcomes. One of the main goals of All Pro Dad is to provide programs and initiatives that will counteract the negative effects of fatherlessness.
