Browsing Category
Parenting
Am I Overprotective?
Q. I’m the mom of three children—two boys ages nine and six, and a four-year-old daughter. I wonder if I am unreasonably consumed by fear and anxiety about my kids’ safety and well-being? This issue is starting to be a source of friction…
Parenting Mary’s Way
What do you do when your kids aren’t doing what you want them to do, or worse, when they’re doing everything you’ve taught them not to do? That was the very conversation I was having with an editor from Ave Maria Press two summers ago when…
Family Recipes for Dinner Conversation
So you’ve finally done it. You’ve made family mealtimes a high priority in your household. But now you have a problem they didn’t tell you about. Cornell University found that family dinners five times a week prevent disordered…
Stay Active With Your Grandchildren
Body & Soul, summer issue
Household Chores Teach Independence
Q. When I was growing up, we had a “chore chart” on the wall of our kitchen that listed all the housework each child in the family would do during the week. But my kids have no time for chores because they are completely consumed with their…
How to Raise a Compassionate Child
Nine practical ways to help children grow into considerate, grateful, generous, empathetic, and successful adults.
When Stuff Is For Dinner
My mom can cook. I mean flat-out cook. To me, the real test of gourmand greatness isn’t concocting exotic dishes from strange recipes that call for ingredients you’ve never heard of before, utilizing specialty gadgets that can perform only…
8 keys to keeping kids Catholic
A teacher and catechist shares her hard-earned wisdom
Prayer aware: Five ideas to help your children become more attentive at family prayer time
Many people ask me how I get my children to pay attention during family prayer time. They admit that their own children drift off during family prayers even after a minute or two. They wonder how they can encourage their own children…
How to Support Young Adults
Little kids, little problems. Big kids, big problems. Does it have to be that way? Or is there something we can do? Between 17 and 25, a person is bound to go through at least one life-changing transition, and probably several. We…