Years ago, I said something to my 11-year-old son which he found to be unsympathetic. His response? “I don’t think that is what a real parent would say to her child.” I have no idea how he came up with his frequent one-liners, but perhaps all 11-year-olds have this gift. 

Nevertheless, his comment highlights the question I frequently asked myself during those years of raising children: what does a “real” parent say to her child? What should a Catholic parent say and do? 

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen said, “When a child is given to his parents, a crown is made for that child in Heaven, and woe to the parents who raise a child without consciousness of that eternal crown!” Amongst the fun, challenges, and busy-ness of having children, my husband and I felt the sober weight of that reality every day.

As parents, it is our job to create safe and loving homes wherein our children can learn what it means to know, love, and serve God. In other words, it is our job to make our homes “Catholic.” The mission of Christian parenthood is a tall order! 

Thankfully, God gives us the grace for this mission—all we need to do is cooperate. 

5 Ways To Make Your Home More “Catholic”

1. Fill your house with holy reminders and inspired words. Place statues of the saints on the ledge above the kitchen sink or on the mantel; affix beautiful religious pictures and icons to the walls; hang a crucifix in every room. Every week, write a new scripture verse on a prominently placed whiteboard. 

2. Have regular family meetings! Younger children love family meetings, and while the older kids may groan at the suggestion, they are secretly glad to be part of a loving family with parents who aren’t afraid to break into their space. 

Start family meetings with a prayer and then discuss ways your family can reorient toward God and others. Come up with a family mission statement together and, at each meeting, ask yourselves if you are living up to it. Children can offer their insights and ask questions. 

3. Pray the rosary. Traveling in the car with children provides an ideal opportunity to pray the rosary. Start by requiring each person in the car to put their phone or other electronic devices in the glove box or trunk. (As parents, our duty is to create technology-free spaces for our kids to help them become who God has created them to be!) 

You can start the rosary by saying something like, “Let’s pray the rosary and change the world.” Or, “Boy, I really don’t feel like praying right now…let’s do it anyway and show the flesh and the devil who’s boss.”

If your family isn’t accustomed to praying the rosary, start with one or two decades. Singing part of a hymn or a children’s “Bible song” after each decade is a great way to add variety and engage little ones. 

4. Reading out loud to your children is gold! Read books that capture the imagination and demonstrate virtue or give you opportunities to discuss vital topics. 

Consider stretching your child’s intellectual boundaries by reading books or excerpts that are challenging for your children to read on their own. Digest those thoughts together. (Here’s a list of some great Catholic children’s books to get started.)

There is no better book to read than the Bible. Choosing one of the narrative books of the Bible, such as Exodus or one of the Gospels can help our children understand salvation history and who Jesus Christ is. 

5. Do something out of the ordinary. Round up the family and actively create memories associated with your faith. Go on a family retreat or to a Catholic conference designed for families. Or just incorporate daily Mass and prayer as a joy-filled, non-negotiable part of your regular vacation.

Serving at a soup kitchen or visiting sick people has potential to unite a family in love for one another as we work together to be a blessing to those who are less fortunate. 

And if the activities you attempt don’t always go smoothly, that’s okay! Just try something, stay positive, and let the Holy Spirit do the rest.

Our Mission As Catholic Parents Matters!

As Catholic parents, it is our mission to give our children a Catholic worldview, teach them to love authentically, and avoid the poverty of mind and spirit which plagues our culture. 

Though we should try to evangelize our children in a way that meets their needs and speaks to them, we should never apologize to our children about giving them daily opportunities to fall in love with Jesus. And the more excited and authentic we are about our relationship with God, the less chance our kids will see religious practices and the teachings of the Church as “boring” or “pointless.”

As 2 Timothy 4:2 states, “…proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.” We carry out this life-changing mission by deliberately creating opportunities to share the gospel of love and truth with our children. 

Image: Photo by Klara Kulikova on Unsplash