Adolescence
Having Necessary Conversations About Human Sexuality
Necessary Conversations As a parent of a son and daughter, both in middle school, I am deeply concerned about the perception of sexuality that my children are absorbing through the culture they are immersed in. The sexual revolution has caused us to accept a number of assumptions about sexuality rather than the good news that…
Read MoreTeaching Manners
Showing good manners is part of social maturity. It is the we express the kind of love the Greeks called storgè – basic respect for human dignity. Since human dignity is so important, every culture has created a set of norms intended to show respect. Unfortunately the modernist culture our young people are immersed in…
Read MoreHelp Your Child See and Respect Dignity in All People
Raise Them WellSocial Maturity TRAIN THE YOUNG IN THE WAY THEY SHOULD GO;EVEN WHEN OLD, THEY WILL NOT SWERVE FROM IT (PROVERBS 22:6). A mother of a 4-year-old is anxious that her child will take toys away from other kids at preschool. A father of an 8-year-old son learns that bullying is happening at school. A…
Read MoreUsing a Family Media Plan to Protect Your Children – and to Teach Virtue
Does your family have a media plan in place? I love technology. When used and managed properly, technology can change the dynamics of a family in very good ways. Last Christmas the one gift I wanted to get for my family was a large, flat-screen television. But we didn’t connect this television to cable or…
Read MoreThe 10th Commandment – Self-Control and Contentment
As parents, we want to give our children the very best. But God calls Catholic parents to really examine what it means to give our children the best. My children will tell you that their friends get the best from their parents. Their friends have smartphones, video game systems, flat panel televisions, and the freedom…
Read MoreWhy is Your Family So Important?
The Church teaches that the family is a vital, foundational society. But is your family important? Should the importance of your family change the way you approach it? This article invites you to reflect on the importance of your family.
Read MoreThe 8th Commandment: Do Not Bear False Witness
I can remember it like it happened yesterday and not 40 years ago. My 10-year-old brother was hiding under a table in the basement. He had his hands over his ears and his eyes were squeezed shut. I climbed under the table with him, placing my hand on his knee. He lifted his head in…
Read MoreWho Has the Greatest Influence On Your Children?
A your children grow toward adulthood, they come under the influence of a multitude of voices. Do they listen to their parents anymore? How can you continue to have the influence God calls you to? Learn what it means to be the primary educators of your children as they become more independent.
Read MoreThe 7th Commandment – Justice & Human Dignity
When I tried to foresee what challenges my wife and I would face as parents, I never imagined that one of them would be stealing. To me, “Do not steal” was such a basic Commandment – sort of like “Do not kill.” Only really bad people committed these sins – or people with major psychological…
Read MoreBeing Before Doing
Click Here to Download the PDF Even though I am both a teacher and a public speaker today, as a child I never thought I’d ever feel comfortable speaking in front of people. You see, I didn’t grow up with a lot of self-esteem. I was a smart kid and did great in school. But…
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