Do you find Catholic Parenting Challenging?

Why would you look for Catholic Parenting on the internet?

• You might be a young parent and you want to bring up your children with Catholic values, which means, that you value your own Catholic upbringing.

• May be you admire another Catholic family and want to bring up your own children in a similar way.
• Sometimes you might even resent a Catholic upbringing, and want to find out why Catholic parents are so firm about certain things.

Whatever the reason may be, I am here only to share with you my experience as a parent and hope it might help your family.

My husband and I had to guide our children in a totally different culture, from the culture we grew up in. Changes in culture could make Catholic or Christian Parenting very challenging.

Therefore, as a Catholic or Christian parent, one needs to be really strong and work in partnership with God. I mean your own prayer-life needs to be strong, so you could ask for the grace and blessings to be a good Christian parent.

My husband and I pray every night together as a couple asking God for blessings

• to be good parents - for patience, understanding, to be gentle and yet firm
• for the protection of our children from anything that could harm their mind, body or soul. Here is a beautiful Mother's Prayer for her children.
• We finally consecrate our family, our children to Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Our prayer might take us just ten minutes and comes from the heart. We would also pray for them as we drive together, or as we go about our day to day work. Here are some Prayers for family that you might like to use for your children.

PRAYER is the solid foundation for good Catholic Parenting.

The second important essence for being a good Christian parent is, to maintain a harmonious relationship between the parents.

This again becomes easy only if we keep God in our marriage. If our children notice that we don’t value each other in our marriage, then there is no point in bringing up any Christian or Catholic values. Children need to see the joy in us - in their parents.

The third essence is, to maintain a loving relationship between us-parents and children. To spend time with them – time to listen, to let them feel that they are loved even if they act wrong; to be able to forgive and to ask for forgiveness, specially, when we parents are wrong.

They need to see this difference in their own family in order to appreciate Catholic values.

Why Do I strive to be a good Parent?

Because the traditions and values of Catholic teachings create a solid grounds for our children to grow in their virtues and experience God’s love for them and ultimately show God’s love to others.

What does Catholic Parenting involve?

Parents follow the teachings of the Church, which ultimately results in a harmonious life within the family and with the rest of the world.

Catholic Parenting involves some of the following aspects, but not limited by them.

• Attending Sunday Mass as a family
• Respecting our parents, elders and teachers
• Actively being involved in the Church’s life, supporting the parish, the community
• Receiving the sacraments of the church
• Devotion to Mary and the Saints who’s lives inspire us
• Valuing the sacredness of Marriage and family, the sacredness of our sexuality
• Valuing life itself - the miracle of a new Baby
• Teaching our children about the Eucharist – Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
• Family Prayer time and Meal time. If your children ask you Why do we Pray, here is your answer.
• Visiting the elderly, the lonely, the sick family and friends
• Being Charitable with time, talents and material resources
• Practicing the virtues of forgiveness and acceptance
• Being a part of the global Catholic family – working for justice and unity
• Praying for the church, the pope, the priests and religious

Catholic parenting although challenging, if put into practice with the help of prayer, could be very rewarding for your family and children.

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