Adolescence
Parenting Toward Adulthood: Serving Life
Convincing a young adult to reserve sexual activity for marriage is one of the greatest challenges a parent will face. There are many reasons for this. First, many parents themselves did not wait until marriage so they do not think they can expect their children to wait either. Secondly, some parents think that sexual activity…
Read MoreParenting Toward Adulthood: Forming a Community of Persons
‘It’s time to become the guide at the side, not the sage on the stage”. This phrase aptly describes the transition parents make during the young adult years. Youth are still expected to follow the right counsel of their parents and participate in family life and parents are still expected to provide guidance and interaction.…
Read MoreLessons of Life and Love
A proper, full understanding of love is just as important as a proper, full understanding of sexuality. Authentic love isn’t first about self-fulfillment. It’s about self-giving. Learn what true love really is.
Read MoreRe-creation, not Recreation
Sexuality is all about love. It is learning how to give and receive love as a man and a woman. That’s why it’s so important. It is core to who we are as human persons, called to love in the image of God. Learn the total meaning of sexuality. It’s not as scary as you think!
Read MoreYour Guidance Has a Destination
Sometimes in amidst the humdrum tasks of parenting (feeding, clothing, sheltering, and disciplining our children), it can be difficult to keep in touch with the loftiness and dignity of the vocation of parenting. But all the guidance we give to our children has a destination, and it’s a destination of glory.
Read MoreBegin with the End in Mind
In the book, Seven Habits of Effective Families, written in 1998, Stephen Covey directs families to develop a mission statement that will guide them. He firmly believes that if you want to achieve a goal you have to begin with a statement of your purpose – a clear description of who you want to become.…
Read MoreCivility: Time for a Comeback
Click Here to Download the PDF A recent experience literally made me stop in my tracks in disbelief. While on my nightly walk, I noticed a group of grade school children arguing in a neighbor’s yard. Their voices boomed with anger as they stood face to face poised for physical combat. Unmistakably, a line had…
Read MoreWe ARE Capable of Self-Possession and Self-Control!
Click Here to Download the PDF PLEASE PRAY THAT Parents will lead their children to self-control and self-possession. Our culture will start to value a fully human life rather than animal self-indulgence. Families can become a place of loving correction, true repentance and true forgiveness. Catholics will return to the Sacrament of Confession and fully…
Read MoreThree Key Catholic Teachings About Sexual Intercourse
The final step in the “stair-step” approach to teaching your child about sexuality is teaching about the act of sexual intercourse. In addition to the biological facts about intercourse, there are 3 key points to teach about God’s plan for life and love. Point #1: The most important Catholic Church teaching about sexual intercourse is…
Read MoreEngaging the Conversation: the Basics
Having discussions with your child about “sticky” moral issues can be nerve-racking. But there are four main steps that will prepare you for the necessary conversations that you will have with your child. The first step is to learn about the moral issues that your child is likely to face. The second is to prepare…
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