From the time kids are young, they are picking up habits. Good habits are virtues. Here is a table taken from Character Building by Prof. David Isaacs that conveniently shows the most opportune ages for addressing specific virtues in education. Note that these virtues are......
Mom of ten shares some great insights on discipline. ...
No parent has perfect kids. All kids push your buttons. Here's help on tackling your child's bad behaviors and attitudes. ...
We can always know more and better. As human beings, we are open to the infinite, although we cannot contain it all. Reading can be much more than a pleasant pastime. It can be a preparation for life. Good books challenge, thrill, excite and awaken......
An amazing video made by IKEA on the importance of family conversations. A must watch and motivation to make better use of our Christmas family gatherings. Please activate English subtitles before watching. ...
Whether you are single, married, a new mom or have lots of years under your belt, the season of Christmas can cause a lot of anxiety. The push and pull of the world around us and our own expectations to do things just right can send us spinning....
The word "We..." is a powerful force in family life. It's what anchors children's loyalty to their parents and brothers and sisters--and forges a lifelong bond to their parents' convictions of right and wrong. It empowers children's inner voice of conscience for life....
How do I swing my life with 10 kids? How do I get it all done? ...
Take easy steps to happier and healthier family life one day at a time. ...
Being a mom of teenage boys can be exasperating, overwhelming and exhausting. ...
Our clothes, speak volumes about us. Complete strangers may be able to surmise our gender, age, ethnicity, economic status, education, vocation, personality, and even character based upon what we wear. Employers, teachers, parents, and peers will all take notice of our attire. First impressions count....
A powerful message of hope to every taken-for-granted woman in today's world...
Parenting is the art of raising happy, mature, generous adults, not merely happy children....
Take a look at temperaments to see how they impact your relationships for good and for bad. Sometimes just tweaking our approach can make a world of difference. ...
For a lot of people the word "virtue" sounds like something out of moral literature from the last century. Therefore virtues have no bearing on present-day life. What a mistake! A virtue is a good active habit. This makes the idea of virtue a bit more attractive. There is another "definition", though, which is even more practical. A virtue is that thing we love to find in others towards us but it is a thing awfully difficult to develop in our lives. We all like others to be understanding, generous, loyal, sincere and just to us....
We can take steps to improve our relationships by just adjusting our approach. Here are some superb resources to spring us into action....
The drama of our lives is lived out in the gap between what we are and what we should be. Which raises the question - what should we be? There are a lot of answers out there to that question. Every serious philosopher has tried to give an answer to that question....
What to do during COVID holidays? Here's a great list of ideas!...
Well-chosen traditions are invaluable anchors in identity, values, and legacy, helping to sweeten our days and transcend the moment....
I know for a fact that most parents feel the way I do about the teen years. They’re scared. Children who were playing with toys the day before yesterday are suddenly expected to talk, dress and act like the worst stereotype of a promiscuous 20-something and their parents don’t know quite what to do about it....
Birthdays offer a great occasion each year to show those we love how dear they are to us!...
Summer holidays afford more time and the opportunity for everyone to lend a helping hand. ...
Open yourself to the infinite. Let faith lift, inspire and transform your life. ...
Switch gears and inject joy to the people around you. Get inspired and make a difference....
Children have a lot of free time and actually need that time in order to grow up in a balanced, integral way. ...
Be brave. Be bold. Teach the differences between .... If you don't, who will?...
From a young age, each gal needs to make choices to find that happiness she craves for deep in her heart. Soak in these pearls of wisdom ....
Hot topics must be touched and dealt with in today's world if we are to ensure our strength against the ideological currents assailing us. Equip yourself with some great resources. ...
You can bet that when it's time to go back to school, life turns upside down, the pace picks up and it takes quite a while for the dust to settle. It's not easy making the transition from the lazy days of summer to the structure and work of school life....
We can take steps to improve our relationships by just adjusting our approach. Here are three superb resources to spring us into action....
Everything you say, do and wear makes a statement about you. That statement can be positive or negative – it is up to you. ...
Gloria Starr offers advice on how to pay a compliment. ...
Gloria Starr offers advice on how to shake hands correctly. ...
In the process of educating each child, the authority of the parents is an indispensable service. (Service means, "acting for, in the interest of, others") To persevere in spite of everything implies that the parents recognize their authority to be a service to their children, to help them grow in freedom and responsibility....
Many families sit together for a weekly family movie night. It is a great time to relax, watch a great movie and maybe have some popcorn. Well-chosen movies provide enjoyment, insight and criteria. They also act as powerful role models for our children. Good parents......
There’s a ton of stuff I could say on this topic — it never seems exhausted. I’ll try to pass on a few key ideas that I’ve learned over the years. What’s most important is that you really understand the why of discipline in order......
We need to keep our children short of money. Marketers are selling a grown-up, sexy image to pre-teen girls. Parents need to guide, direct and help their children. Our children have so much money that everyone wants to get it. We need to teach our children about the value of possessions by letting them pay for them themselves. With paper routes, snow shoveling, babysitting, grass cutting, and grandmothers, there is hardly a reason to give our children an allowance these days. Many are wasting it so why give them more....
His research shows children do best when Mom and Dad are both around, because each parent brings unique talents to the parenting enterprise. Dr. Wilcox says it’s a counter-cultural and sometimes controversial finding, given the variety of modern family structures....
It's important that we see the role of a father's protection in a broad sense, not just as physical protection from harm. When we look at the very important ways a man protects his family, we can better understand the dire effects in today's families caused by the man's absence -- either physical or moral -- in family life. ...
The real evil of materialism is not the pursuit of things. It is, rather, seeing and treating other people as things--and therefore putting things ahead of people. Youngsters with a habit of thinking and acting this way are headed toward trouble later in life: substance abuse, professional problems, marital break-up, a life dominated by impulse and unrestrained egoism. So what can parents do with their young children now to build strong character and lead children away from materialism?...
We have a custom of celebrating Advent. We gather the family around and burn one candle on the first Sunday of Advent in the evening while we read a part of the bible that has to do with the Holy family. We do this each......
Adolescence is a difficult time in the lives of young people both for themselves and their educators, parents and teachers. This period is normally associated with conflict, turmoil and tension. It is common for parents to be "de-mythologized in this period. The mass media plays an important role in this and also the so called drive for freedom without responsibility....
Remind yourself of your real job as a parent: to raise adults, not children. Your job is not to keep your children busy and amused, nor just to keep them out of trouble and make them behave, nor to exercise a kind of "damage control" at home. The real job of parenthood is to lead children--by example, directed practice, and explanation......
From a young adult woman: I never partied in high school. It wasn’t my thing. But after graduation I felt I missed out, so to fill that void I seemed to go out more. Things I learned: Almost everybody is drinking. So much of what......
I received these comments after soliciting many people for advice. May they help you in navigating these issues in your family. MH: As a parent you need to equip your kids with the truth. It’s illegal to drink under age. If you have consumed any......
ADJUST to the new emerging adolescent. It’s not easy and takes quite a bit of time. Cut yourself some slack and your teen as well, but do be vigilant. Don’t be neglectful. Your teenager is not an adult yet. He/she may look like one, but......
LAY THE FOUNDATION Parents have the privilege of forming the minds and hearts of their children and need to invest a lot of time in doing so, particularly in the young years. They lay foundations for their children by their love, availability, example, shared activity......
At first, nothing is as appreciated as the helper who passes you baby #2. I needed help to lift that second baby (so the first would not roll off the pillow!). A helper can assist with making minor adjustments that make all the difference to your comfort, ensuring a good latch, adding back support, and much encouragement ....
Right from the time your child is born, that child is watching, soaking in and learning what it means to be human, to relate to others and what love is all about. As they grow, they need to learn the true meaning of love, life......
Definitely start young with age-appropriate explanations and expand on it as they get older. Try to be the first one to tell them so they hear it from you and not the others, even if it means the child is younger than you wish.......
DAUGHTERS IN DANGER, SENSE & SEXUALITY and much more Abstinence Guide by Dr. Meg Meeker Start Preparing for the Teen Years Now by Mary Beth Bonacci The Neglected Heart by Tom Lickona 10 Emotional Dangers of Premature Sexual Involvement by Tom Lickona Video: Romance Without......
by Mary Beth Bonacci Bonacci is a syndicated columnist based in Denver, and the author of We’re On a Mission from God and Real Love. I found the Real Love book an excellent resource for my teenagers and myself on sexuality. It is written in......
If you choose to pull your children out of the school program, here are some ideas: Be positive in affirming your role. Stress your confidence, competence, and desire to be the primary educator in this critical area of your child’s development. Always be polite, diplomatic......
Birthdays offer a wonderful opportunity to let our loved ones know how much they are valued. ...
From Irene Every Easter we have the tradition of painting easter eggs. We hardboil some eggs and use paints to color them. We blow out other eggs and use wax and paint to create eggs we can keep. Traditionally we paint these eggs on Good......
Summer. What a wonderful word! As the end of the school year approaches, we are almost as excited as the kids! Summer is an opportunity to spend more time with our children, to see them in a different light, to slow down and smell the coffee, the flowers, the insect repellent.......
Remember playing in the sandbox, running through the sprinkler, eating ice cream and splashing at the beach, playing sports, biking around the neighborhood or camping in the tent. All conjure up warm memories of summers gone by. What kind of memories do you want your......
There are many ways to have a fun summer with your family. Here, randomly are ideas that might work with your family ......
No money? No sitter? Don't want to be bored? Why not be the board game hostess! It's cheap, easy and you don't even have to leave home for a great time. Playing board games creates family bonding. ...
Digital technology “seems to amplify the relational patterns and problems already in place: families that have healthy and frequent conversations find technology aiding that process, while families without such healthy interactions find that technology exacerbates the isolation of its members.”...
Storytelling is the most powerful form of human communication. Originally stories were passed down through storytelling before writing was developed. Before radio and TV, storytelling was the way parents taught right and wrong to their children....
It’s summer at last, and school is over. As my children say, “Now we get to read what we want.” Wonderful books abound, and finding them has never been easier....
You may be surprised, if you don’t keep up on these things, and few of us have any reason to, how tawdry and sometimes depraved are the kinds of books being offered to teenagers by the major publishers and bookstores, and even the schools. This is true especially of the books supposed in some way to describe “real life.”...
By Nell Minow Nell lives in Virginia with her husband and two children, Ben and Rachel. This article was published as a special to the Tribune on July 26, 2005 and is used with permission, all rights reserved. Copyright 2005 Nell Minow. Charlie Bucket is......
This collection of recent novels and standard classics—some of which have been made into movies—was well received by Grade 7-8 students as part of an independent reading program. Besides observing positive role models, students often reacted to the social justice issues embedded in the novel.......
Join The Kindness Challenge by Shaunti Feldhahn This is a free 30 day daily challenge you can receive by email about how to improve your relationship with your son or daughter by small acts of intentional kindness. Filled with practical ideas, researched information, inspiring videos and assessments to......
Whether we are in the teen years or they are looming on the horizon, we are well aware that they are rollercoaster years. There are no pat answers, quick fixes or magic formulas to avoid the challenges, harness the hormones or handle the changes. Each......
How fun to have a celebration! Everyone looks forward to getting together with close friends and having a party. Whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, graduation, or surprise party, we conjure up great memories of wonderful occasions with people we hold dear. Yet when the subject......
Most of us go into motherhood with little or no experience. The arrival of children is met with great joy. However it also comes with a steep learning curve. Even if you were part of a large family yourself, learning the ropes of motherhood can......
How would you like your children to learn about life, love, and sexuality? Who would you like them to hear it from? A child in the school yard, a teen magazine, the internet, the classroom teacher, some TV program or from you? They all have......
Parents are the primary educators of their children in the faith. Sometimes it is possible to gather like-minded families together to share in deepening the faith of those who attend. A family catechism program is one such initiative to support the parental responsibility....
For whatever reason, you may consider starting a club for your son or daughter. There are many benefits. You will get to know their friends. You will help them build friendships with like minded children. You will both have fun, but also learn a lot.......
Summer holidays afford more time and the opportunity for everyone to lend a helping hand. ...
Structure, routines, and chain of events are very important components of your family survival kit. They help to minimize stress, create order and promote harmony. Children need structure and want it. It helps make life predictable, secure and safe. Such small ingredients make big contributions......
Six years ago, when our two oldest kids were in grades seven and eight, their school proposed an overnight trip to Ottawa, a city 5 hours away. During an information meeting held for parents, my husband and I watched a promotional video produced by the touring company that ran excursions like this one....
As parents, you are trying to provide the best possible scenario so that your children can grow into happy and successful adults. Schools collaborate with you academically, and your role as a parent gives you both the right and the duty to co-operate with schools in bringing about the best learning conditions for all children....
Endless fretting about finances, however, can rob us of peace of mind and spirit. There are many things of value that do not cost much – or anything at all. We just need to remember where to find them....
Do you often feel totally exhausted at the end of the day by all the demands your children make on you? I certainly do. It sometimes seems never-ending. It is hard work raising kids, believe me. No matter how old they are, children want, they......
Obedience. Definitely, a word that stirs up a lot of different reactions. Nowadays obedience is not necessarily seen in a positive light. People see it as a lack of freedom, inability to be in control, stifling etc. Yet it is a virtue (a good habit......
Take a moment and think … In the eyes of your children, what are you an authority in? Really, think about it. Having difficulty coming up with something other than what you did your degree in? That’s quite normal. However, you are a big authority......
Parents, we have a mission. Your role is essential and invaluable to your children and to our society. ...
When I was growing up I longed to be a mother. I loved science and studying and dreamt of medicine as a career as many other children do at some point in their lives, but most of all I knew I wanted to be a mother....
Motherhood is not on the top ten list of “Great Jobs for the Modern Woman!” these days. How can it be if one is expected either to be able to do everything and anything at all (a.k.a. the Superwoman), or to have no personal opinion, idea, thought, interest, personality or identity (a.k.a. the invisible one)?...
What does every woman want, deep down inside? She wants to be loved and delighted in by others! But what does this have to do with modesty?...