Early Years
Understanding 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 MoreGeneral Tips for Parents and Guardians to Help Keep Children Safe
While many parents and guardians feel they are faced with new and unprecedented challenges when trying to keep their children safe in today’s fast-paced and increasingly global society, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children ® offers these common sense, general safety tips to help families put these challenges into perspective. Make sure you…
Read MoreGeneral Principles for Teaching Sexuality by Developmental Stage*
As you read through these principles, it is helpful to remember that one stage builds upon the next and that the stages of growth and development often overlap. Early Childhood Parents are called to: Provide a wholesome and safe environment – especially through the monitoring of media. Convey to their children that they are…
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 MoreBasics of Prayer
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (articles 2623-2649) spells out five things that all Christian prayer should do. No matter what style of prayer we use, we should strive to do all of these things as much as possible: Adoration and blessing is the general attitude our prayer should take. Adoration is the acknowledgment that…
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 MoreRaising Catholic Kids who Live the Virtues
A key element of Catholic parenting is to parent in a way that seeks to shape the heart of your child, not just manage their behavior. A great way to accomplish shaping your child’s heart is to offer opportunities to grow in virtue. Unfortunately we don’t hear much about virtues anymore. We hear more about…
Read MoreThe Four Loves
In its most simple form, authentic love is the ability to will the good of the other. The basic truths about authentic or real love are; Love is primarily a choice, not just a feeling. Emotional response is a good part of love, but like all emotions it should be controlled and guided by reason,…
Read MoreTasks of the Family
Becoming a family means that you, as the parent, will lead your family towards the completion of a Godly mission. This mission comes from the document Familiaris Consortio (On the Role of the Family in the Modern World) which was written by Pope John Paul II. In his writings, the Pope identified four main tasks…
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 More