True Joy Comes from Self-Control and Striving
Download the PDF Where do your children find joy? I teach at a Catholic school whose motto is “Joyfully Catholic.” Students will sometimes claim that we are not living up to our motto because we hold high standards for them. We give our students homework and expect them to complete it. We expect them to…
Read MoreResolve to Waste Time with your Children
Download the PDF A few years ago, 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. This mike drop tweet from our Holy Father reminds me…
Read MoreReady for the New School Year?
Download the PDF My parents had a wonderful practice of asking questions during dinner. They enjoyed getting us to think about topics and issues through conversation. I remember one question in particular; one that was asked the night before the start of another school year. What do you think you are going to discover at…
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 MoreGuide Your Family Through Future Generations With Family Ritual
Download the PDF What do you think of when you hear the word “ritual”? Does your mind turn to liturgy and prayer or formal ceremonies? You might be wondering what ritual could have to do with parenting and family life. The answer is that family rituals can be potent tools for building your family community,…
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 MoreParenting in the Early Years: Serving Life
SERVING LIFE The next task of parents is to serve life – both the children who have been born and those that are to follow.* When you are parenting children between the ages of birth and three, the more immediate need will appear to be to those who are already here. You will serve life…
Read MoreSeven Facts About Adolescence & Seven Strategies
The demeanor of almost every youth going through puberty often appears to border on schizophrenia. One moment they are rational and calm – the next they are unreasonable and emotional. One day there are compliant and able to listen. The next they are lost in a space of their own. One week they want you…
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 MoreConnect as a Family
In 2003, the Institute for American Families published a report called Hardwired to Connect. This study was filed by the Commission on Children at Risk – a team of 33 medical doctors, research scientists and mental health and youth services professionals. The group concluded that the rising rate of mental problems and emotional distress among…
Read MoreHow to Really Listen
One of the greatest gifts you can give your children is the ability to be heard because children in the throes of puberty have minds that are actively changing. These kids really need to have someone listen to them – someone who will help them sort through their thoughts and feelings. As the parent, 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 MoreParenting is a Journey
If you like the content on this page, then you’ll love the video segment “Journey with Your Children” from the Embrace Parenthood DVD Program! You can watch this video segment for one week and download relevant workbook pages for only $2.99. Click here to add it to your cart now! Parenting is a journey –…
Read MoreNecessary Conversations About the Art of Sacred Silence
Click Here to Download the PDF of This Article My world is so quiet right now. As I sit at my keyboard writing this article, my children are sitting in the living room quietly working on their schoolwork. I just finished Morning Prayer, and my heart is filled with gratitude for this moment of serenity.…
Read MoreThe Stair-Step Approach to Human Sexuality Education
Did you learn the facts of life from your parents or did you learn them from someone outside of the home? If you are like most parents, you probably learned most of what you know from someone other than your parents. Your information may have come from a class or from something you read about…
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