Parenting and Family Life

The family has the mission to guard, reveal, and communicate love, and this is a living reflection of and a real sharing in God's love for humanity and the love of Christ the Lord for the church, his bride.

Pope John Paul II. On the Family

 

We know that youth ministry does not happen in a vacuum. If churches want to truly serve young people they need to be reaching out to their families. Supporting marriages and families is vital. Some parents find themselves parenting alone or in less than ideal circumstances and the church needs to support and encourage them as well.

Catholic Culture within the Family

Creating an authentic Catholic culture in the family can be a challenge. There is no check-list of what makes a family Catholic and no official resource exists that tells you how create a Catholic home environment. Finding ways to live your faith everyday is the best way to foster a Catholic culture in your family.

Research shows that regularly eating meals together has a family reduces the likelihood that youth will engage in risky behaviors. Check out Grace Before Meals for tips on how to make family meals a part of your daily life. (You can also watch a clip of Fr. Leo, founder of "Grace Before Meals," on the Food Network's, "Throwdown with Bobby Flay.")

  • Disciples Now is "The Place for Catholic Teens on the Web!" You will find articles for teens on faith and current events, Mass readings and reflections, music, and a Q & A section.
  • My Catholic Voice is a Catholic social networking site that has groups, blogs, music, videos, and podcasts.
  • Check out Liturgical Year section on CatholicCulture.org for information on Saints, prayers, activities, and even recipes that connect with the current liturgical season.

Marriage

Prayer creates connections between the spouses and with GodIt can be all too easy for husbands and wives to focus their attention entirely on their children. However, if spouses are not tending to their marriage the entire family suffers.

Parents need to make sure they spend time with and caring for one another, not only for the sake of their own marriage but also to model a healthy marriage relationship for their children.

  • For Your Marriage is an initiative of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops that seeks to help couples prepare for and care for their marriage. This site is a good resource for couples desiring to enrich their marriage and for parents looking for help in talking with their teen about marriage and healthy relationships. You can also sign up to receive a monthly newsletter. For Hispanic spouses, USCCB also has a Spanish language website Por Tu Matrimonio (For Your Marriage).
  • Many families are impacted by divorce. Two web sites that you might find helpful for support and insight are Catholic Divorce Ministry and DivorcedCatholic.com. Both sites have articles and useful links. Catholic Divorce Ministry has a directory of regional events for separated and divorced Catholics. DivorcedCatholic.com has a forum, videos, podcasts, and a free e-newsletter.

Parenting

Parents need a lot of support when it comes to the incredibly important job of raising teenagers. Look for parenting groups in your area. Having a community of like-minded parents with whom you can discuss the issues involved with raising teenagers can be a valuable resource.

  • Father and son talkingNational Associate of Catholic Family Life Ministers (NACFLM) – Their “Resource Links” page is a great collection of organizations that exist to help families. Included are links to ministries that address specific situations like divorce, widowed, separated, healing, and bereavement, along with marriage and family enrichment sites.
  • Helping your son or daughter choose a college can be an important step as they make the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Catholic Colleges Online has areas for both perspective students and parents and covers topics like: deciding what type of school is best for you, college visits, tips on choosing courses, and financial aid. And, you can search for colleges based on location, size, cost and academic program.