“Alright kids, why do we go to Mass?” We ask a variation of that question every time we arrive at our parish parking lot, usually sweaty and disheveled from wrangling four (soon to be five) children into the van. A mini call-to-action and reminder of why Mass is...
parenting tips
5 Ways To Engage Children With Jesus | Part 3 Of A Guide To Children’s Adoration
This is the third installment of our series on bringing children to adoration as part of a response to the USCCB’s call for a Eucharistic Revival. In the first part of the series, we looked at why it is both appropriate and important for children to go to adoration....
Raising A Saint: Lessons From Holy Dads
If you could ask a few male saints how they were raised, what do you think they would say? Certainty, every Catholic father wants to raise a saint, but not every father is willing to make the sacrifice or knows where to start. The Father Of St. Thomas More Let’s...
Your Child Has Been Confirmed! Now What?
Congrats! Your child (or godchild, niece, or nephew) received the sacrament of Confirmation, sealing them with the same Holy Spirit who moved upon the watery void of Genesis and convicted the hearts of Jesus’ disciples at Pentecost almost 2,000 years ago! ...
The Duty Of Parenthood: Handing On The Catholic Faith
Tradition – The Handing on of Faith St. Paul wrote in his letter to the Corinthians: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the...
6 Tips For Talking To Your Daughter About Puberty
When I chat with other moms who are raising daughters, there is one thing that really unites us: we’re worried about puberty. How will we navigate the mood swings and the body changes-- and the conversations?? Even those of us who are very comfortable charting and...
How To Pray The Rosary With Children: Embrace The Joyful Chaos!
Historically the Rosary is a simple alternative to the Liturgy of the Hours. If you couldn't read or afford the book, these prayers allowed for the lay or common man to enter into contemplative, daily prayer reflecting over the...
3 Ways To Recover When Your Day With The Kids Has Gone Haywire
I had the best intentions for my first year of virtual schooling. I imagined us waking up early, enjoying a healthy gourmet breakfast, praying the rosary together, reflecting on the daily readings, singing a few songs, and then...
Top 3 Ways I Failed As A Catholic Father
I didn’t sign up to screw up my kids. Fatherhood was going to be GREAT - adventures, hugs, and giving better than I got. 27 years, 10 kids, 6 months of couple's counseling and 1 year of Catholic psychotherapy later, it's the...
Can Moms Volunteer? 9 Tips To Make It Work
Volunteering is incredibly beneficial to our spiritual growth. Serving in the community provides opportunities to focus on the needs of others, challenges us in new ways, develops virtues, and encourages us to pray more. But, once you become a mom, isn't your family...
Aid To The Church In Need Offers Free Children’s Bible Read Alouds
Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is working to share the Gospel with children and families who are spending more time at home during the coronavirus pandemic. They have recruited twenty-five bishops and several lay leaders from the UK to produce video read alouds of...
7 Things Catholic Parents Can Do This Summer
Summer is my favorite time of the year here in Ohio. I love everything about it, especially the warm weather and the long nights. Having my kids home from school can be incredibly exhausting, but it's absolutely the highlight of the summer months. So many...
How To Explain The 7 Sacraments Without Boring Your Children
Don't know how to start explaining the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church to your son or daughter? Are you lacking material for your church’s catechesis program? Is it sometimes a bit complicated for you? Don’t worry. Through this article, we’ll help you...
How My Parents Raised Four Adult Catholics Who (Still) Love Jesus And The Church
Disclaimer: This post is not meant to be a formula for raising Catholic kids; it's simply one family's experience of how the witness of parents shaped children who became faithful Catholic adults. Each of my siblings and I got to a point in life where we had to choose...
7 Great Habits For Catholic Families To Start
God's plan for the family is to be a model of the love of the Holy Trinity. "The Christian family is a communion of persons, a sign and image of the communion of the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit. In the procreation and education of children it reflects the...
10 Simple Ways To Bring Your Children Closer To God
Being parents makes us responsible not only for taking care of our children, but also for the spiritual education we give them from the moment they are conceived. For this reason, I want to share with you 10 simple ways to help our children grow closer to God. “Do we...
Children Are So Much Work! Are They Worth It?
At a first glance, the idea of parenthood and having children is pretty insane. Parenthood is demanding. From the moment of conception till their death, and particularly till they are out of your house, your life is theirs. Grab your bucket, because you better be...