Posts by Alice Heinzen
Everyone Fails. What You Can Do About It.
Children have free will, just as we do. They are also fallen human beings, just like we are. While frustration is natural, parents can also see an opportunity to exercise Christlike love. This article explores what parents should do when their children fail to meet the expectations parents set for them. What do we do when our children choose what is harmful, what is wrong, and even what is hurtful to others?
Read MoreA Gift to You Courtesy of Covid-19
The January 2020 TWL newsletter challenged families to do a gut check on what they value. Three questions were given to help readers determine what they deem important and necessary. When the article was posted, none of us knew how quickly life would be changed by the pandemic. No one saw the turmoil, anxiety and…
Read MoreWhat Can I Expect?
Authoritative parents expect that their children will contribute to the well-being of the family by taking on the responsibility of certain family responsibilities. Three areas of basic life skills which should be expected are: cleaning a house and keeping it that way, planning/selecting and preparing healthy meals, budget and making appropriate purchases. Expecting a child…
Read MoreUnderstanding the Media
Media has both an upside and a downside. Understanding these five facts about media is the first place to start. Media Fact 1: All media educate Children learn about the world and how to behave in it from their every experience – including their experience of media. Today’s media provide powerful messages that influence large…
Read MoreSet a Firm Foundation in the New Year
The new year has begun and with it a new decade. Take just a moment to think back over the past ten years. Reflect upon this question. What has changed in your life since 2010? You may have married and started a family. You might have changed employment or the place you reside. Perhaps you experienced something life–altering that either caused you great joy or pain.
Making Sense of the Gender Debate
Download the PDF(opens in new tab) There are two things that really frustrate me: being confused and not being told the truth. That is why the culture’s campaign on gender is difficult for me to understand. Can you relate? The term gender confuses many people because it used to mean the same thing as “male” or “female”…
Read MoreConnect With Your Family All Year Long
We can connect to each other as a family (a “community of persons”) in any circumstance. in fact, the formula for an authoritative family: high demands and high levels of response (love and presence) can also lead to a greater connection as a family in any season and in any circumstance.
Read MoreWaste Time with Your Kids
On October 27th, 2015, Pope Francis sent out a challenge to parents across the globe. His simple and direct tweet said: Parents, can you “waste time” with your children? It is one of the most important things you can do each day.
Read MoreTogetherness: a Blessing or a Burden?
Being forced to be together can be stressful for families, especially for extended periods of time. We are in each other’s space. We get on each other’s nerves. But for Catholic families seeking to become a true community of persons, striving to grow in holiness and love, this is an opportunity not to be missed!
Read MoreWhat Is Sexuality?
Sexuality – Sexuality is more than just a biological reality. It is a person’s capacity to give and receive love as either a man or a woman. Sexuality affects all aspects of the human person (physical, psychological and spiritual) in the unity of his body and soul. Each person is more than a body that…
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