Do you remember that little Confession Booklet I made for my daughter in the fall? It’s been looking a little dog-eared lately. So I decided to make her a real printed version. Now it’s available on Amazon.
The Three Magnets of God
Conversion stories — don’t you just love them? I find it both fascinating and inspiring to hear how Our Lord takes a soul and draws a person lovingly and compellingly towards Him. As parents, it’s useful to know how Our Lord does this so we can fully cooperate with Him in drawing our children to Christ.
First Communion Gifts
Once again, it’s a First Holy Communion Year for us, which makes spring an even more joyful time. Probably, many of you will be attending First Communion Masses, too. So, here’s a list of books and gifts I think your first communicants will appreciate:
12 Confirmation Gifts for Teens
Last spring my daughter recieved her Confirmation. It was a beautiful Mass and ceremony, and she was just glowing with joy. I also remember how I racked my poor brain trying to think of suitable gifts. Of course, in a teenager’s mind, cash is always a suitable gift. But if you want to give something that will help your confirmandi grow in his/her faith, here is a list of 12 confirmation gifts:
Faces of Down Syndrome
Thursday is World Down Syndrome Day! As many of you know, there is a real need to increase awareness about Down Syndrome. Each year, about 6000 children are born with T21 in the United States. And they need all the love and support they can get to thrive in a world that seeks to eliminate them before they see the light of day.
Many of you have seen the stats. In many European countries, over 90% of babies diagnosed in utero with T21 are aborted. In the U.S., that number is estimated to be about 67%. If you do the math, that’s about 12,000 innocent children who die each year in the U.S. just for having an extra chromosome. Children like this:
What St. Ignatius Would Say to a Homeschooling Mom who Wants to Quit
March can be a tough month. Winter seems to drag on, colds and sniffles drag on, and my kids get cabin fever. For most of the year, I have a strong enthusiasm for homeschooling. But during the winter months, that enthusiasm sometimes dwindles. And there are days I just want to quit.
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Helping Children Overcome Frustration
Question: How do you prevent frustration on your child’s part when you home school?
One challenging thing about homeschooling is that children do not hold back their emotions from their parents as they would (usually) do with their school teachers. In the absence of peer pressure, children feel less compelled to keep their emotions in check. Thus, in a home school, children are more likely to burst into tears or go into a fit of rage over a difficult math problem. This can pose a considerable problem for us parents, one that can cause us to feel inadequate and frustrated ourselves.
Frustration-Free Homeschooling? … Not Quite
Here’s a question that came into one of the comment boxes:
How do you prevent frustration (on your part and your child’s) when homeschooling? What do you do when you get frustrated? We’re thinking of homeschooling and I’m very worried about my lack of patience especially with an easily frustrated child. Please advise, thanks.
Frustration is a part of parenting, whether or not you home school. We all get frustrated with our children. We can minimize our frustrations, though, and doing so often has to do with managing expectations.
Continue reading “Frustration-Free Homeschooling? … Not Quite”
Should I Homeschool? One Mom’s Discernment
Last spring I met a young mom, Elizabeth, at a homeschooling conference. Her oldest was not yet of school age, but she was thinking about homeschooling. Here Elizabeth shares her insights on the prospect of homeschooling:
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St. Paul’s Letter to the Homeschoolers
1 Corinthians 13. It’s probably St. Paul’s most famous letter – the one we often hear at weddings. Listening to it in church a few weeks ago, I realized that St. Paul could have written it (with a few tweaks) specifically for teachers and homeschoolers. In imitation of St. Paul then, here’s St. Paul’s Letter to the Homeschoolers:
