Puberty
Church & Chicken: Keeping the Lord’s Day
One of the most important traditions in my family growing up was Sunday dinner. Our family would go to Mass, then sit around the kitchen and talk while the air filled with smells of baking chicken and winter squash. We’d then sit around the table for a formal family meal. My parents expected good manners…
Read MoreNo One Likes Name Calling
Click Here to Download the Printable Version in PDF Format It is fair to say that public discourse – the way we talk to each other – has dropped to an all-time low. A quick check of most Twitter feeds, Facebook posts or trending YouTube videos will reveal multiple examples of foul language, cursing and…
Read MoreCreate a Circle of Virtue
We’re rolling out weekly parenting tips to help you embrace your role as a parent. Your journey to Christlike parenting begins here. Click here to get them for free! Preparing for this school year looks totally different than last year. Besides buying supplies, shoes and other necessities, parents must watch for any signs of illness,…
Read MoreGod’s Plan for Us: Faithfulness to God
Click Here to Download the Printable Version in PDF Format Parents want what’s best for their children. And the desire to give our children the best goes beyond providing for our children’s physical needs. As Catholic parents, we know that ultimately giving our children what is best means helping them to develop an intimate relationship…
Read MoreEstablish a Great School Year
Click Here to Download the Printable Version in PDF Format Another school year is about to begin and families are quickly shifting gears from summer into school mode. In some ways, it is exciting to prepare for school (anticipating the new activities). But in other ways, going back to school is challenging (establishing earlier bedtimes…
Read MoreParenting in the School-age Years: Participating in the Church
Children at this age are masters at memorization. They are also at an age of great intellectual curiosity. The parent’s task is to engage that curiosity and capitalize on their increased learning capacity to lead them to a better understanding of the faith. One mistake that parents often make at this stage is to assume…
Read MoreParenting in the School-age Years: Developing Society
When your children were younger, developing society as a family was directed by the parents. As your children reach puberty, they are going to have their own ideas about how to serve others through volunteerism and social justice.
Read MoreParenting in the School-age Years: Forming a Community of Persons
Even though your child wants more independence during these years, it is your obligation to keep him firmly rooted in the norms and expectations of the family. This is the first task that you have as a parent. In order to ensure that neither you nor your child bails out of the family during this…
Read MoreParenting in the School-age Years: Serving Life
Parents who have been honoring God’s plan for love and life and responsible parenthood up to this point will find the task of serving life in the pre-teen years much easier. Because they have lived marital chastity during the early family years, they will have a firm foundation of knowledge and wisdom in the matters…
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!
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