Parenting
Parenting
Parenting a child, for many, will be the most important, challenging and rewarding job of lifetime. As with any job or career, it will require learning new skills that are not necessarily "automatic." Becoming a good parent will require a disciplined commitment to study and practice these new skills. Good parenting takes time.
The Office of Laity & Family Life hopes to offer a variety of resources and programs to enrich and nurture many kinds of families. We believe that all God’s children deserve to be raised in an atmosphere of unconditional love, mutual respect and healthy interaction. As we develop these pages, we invite you to tell us of community events and local resources that could be shared with other parents.
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Same-Sex Attraction
Are you the parent of a child with same-sex attraction? You may have questions and concerns. There is a support group in St. Louis that can help. Call Fr. Knapp, SJ, or Fr. Houlihan, SJ, (314) 792.7993 to find out more about the group.
Encourage i s a ministry within Courage dedicated to the spiritual needs of parents, siblings, children, and other relatives and friends of persons who have same-sex attractions.
Standing by the true teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, Encourage members support one another and their loved ones through discussion, prayer and fellowship.
For information about homosexuality at a Catholic website, please visit Courage.
"This Pontifical Council for the Family supports the organization called 'Courage' which was founded by Father John Harvey, OSFS, for helping homosexual persons to live in accordance with the laws of God and the teaching of His Church." (7 July 1994 - Prot. N216/93)
Catholic Charities Offers Help to Families
CCSL provides a variety of services to help strengthen families and serve families with special needs. Find out more about these services by visiting their webpage: HERE.
Interested in presentations and groups on ttopics including parenting, anger management, assertiveness training, sexual abuse prevention, money management, and others. CCSL Family Life Education can help you find what you need: HERE.
The reality of some TV messages is truly alarming
Tomeo castigates MTV programs using women to vilify women
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 12, 2011 – On the heels of a study from the Girl Scouts that found “reality TV” shows promote bad behavior among girls ages 11-17, the Parents Television Council (PTC) has released a study showing how negative some of these shows’ messages have become.
“This alarming study released by the Parents TV Council comes on the heels of another eye-opening report from the Girl Scouts,” said bestselling author and syndicated radio host Teresa Tomeo. “Both studies raise important issues about the impact Reality TV is having on girls and women. It’s sad to say these studies show how women of all ages can be our own worst enemies when it comes to the objectification and over-sexualization of our gender.”
On Dec. 7, the PTC released its report “Reality on MTV: Gender Portrayals on Reality TV.” The study reviewed content of four of the cable channel’s most popular programs – “Jersey Shore,” “Real World,” “Teen Mom 2” and “16 and Pregnant.” One of the most startling findings is that only 24 percent of what females said about themselves was positive across all shows combined.
Over-sexualization of Girls
in Our Culture and
the Effects on Your Children
The American Psychological Association announced in 2007 that the health and well-being of young women has been placed at great risk because of the sexualized images of women, especially of girls, that permeates marketing, television, films, and other media formats. The emphasis of the study focused on the well-being of females. Men and boys who also view such images have been negatively effected, as well. The objectification of either sex harms both. Such sexualized images reduce the female or male body to merely an object.
Pontifical Council for the Family provides us with guidelines for educating and preparing our children to know that "Human sexuality is thus a good, part of that created gift which God saw as being very good." Catholic Parents Online provides an online video that reflects the Church's teaching. Click here to view the video.
The dangers of pornography are real and do impact the individual and the family. For more information on how to keep your children safe and where to go for help if you or someone you know has been impacted by the use of pornography, please visit the As for Me and My House webpage.
Images portraying women or men as sexual objects, rather than persons, for the sake of selling products or popularizing films or starting fashion trends can destroy the viewer's ability to recognize authentic love for another human being. Science tells us this, psychologists tell us this, and the Church following God's Word tells us this. Be cautious in what you allow your children to watch on television, view on the internet, and other media formats.
Suffering the Loss of an Infant or Miscarriage
The grief felt after losing an infant or through miscarriage alters the world of the parents causing a special trauma and leaves them in need of care and support. Fortunately, several organizations have formed over the years to minister to those who grieve a loss of this kind.
Whether you are the parent who has suffered the loss of an infant or misscarriage, or whether you are a friend or family member trying to find a way to help, these resources below may be helpful in finding a way through the pain and grief.
SHARE - an organization that strives to provide families with a positive resolution to their grief.
In the St. Louis area, you can find help with SHARE in the following locations:
More Parenting Resources:
Click on any of these links for information pertaining to each topic.
Parenting a child (of any age) with same-sex-attraction (homosexuality) EnCourage is a support group dedicated to the spiritual needs of parents, siblings, children, and other relatives and friends of persons who have same-sex attractions. The group meets in St. Louis on the second Tuesday of every month. For information on time and location, please call Fr. Knapp, SJ (314) 633-2336.
Have Questions? Get the answer.
CPYU - bridging the gap between parents and teens
Helping Your Children Understand the Eucharist
One of St. Louis' Archdiocesan priests, Fr. Joe Kempf, has produced two videos that help children (and adults) understand what's going on at Mass. Whether they are preparing for First Communion or their 1500th Communion, children will find in Fr. Joe's videos inspiration and a better understanding for Jesus' love for them.
The videos are available from the Gospel Values website.