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Parenting
Nick-nicknames
by Jake Frost In our family, we have so many nicknames that our nicknames now have nicknames of their own — we call them “nick-nicknames.” Such as “umpkins” — it’s a word we use to refer to all the kids collectively, as in: “Hey! You…
When Someone You Love Stops Going to Church
by John J. Boucher At one time, my wife and I were contributing authors for a book called Keeping Your Kids Catholic. Just before its release, our oldest son Charles returned home from a summer art workshop with long hair and body…
Big families are just easier
by Matt Archbold Someone once asked me, “How do you do it with so many children?” I don’t. We do it together. My wife and I have five children. I don’t think I’d be a very good parent of one child or two. I firmly believe that having many…
The father provides
by Susie Lloyd The tiny plane dropped from a leaden sky as the young flight student struggled to keep it steady against the erratic wind. He sailed over the telephone wires which he could see, and doing so, he narrowly missed a fence which…
‘Dadding’ — one day at a time
by Matt Archbold Christopher Columbus dreamed that he could navigate the globe in a short period of time. Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned, and despite good intentions his name since then has been subject to scorn and…
A Glimmer of Hope
BY GARY ZIMAK Do you know what it’s like to feel hopeless? I sure do. It’s happened on many occasions, but one incident stands out for me. It took place 22 years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday. My wife and I were sitting in…
Praying for our adult sons and daughters
by John J. Boucher Once, while setting up for a workshop about “adult children,” three parents approached me. Maria lamented, “I brought my kids to Mass every week, but only one out of three is now willing to go to church.” Frank added, “My…
The powerful witness of fatherhood
by Bishop Robert Reed I had two fathers when I was growing up. I know that sounds strange. The fact is, my birth father, William, was killed in a car accident just before I received my First Holy Communion. My mother remarried a…
Encouraging men about the value of fatherhood
In his book, How to be a Superman Dad in a Kryptonite World: Even When You Can’t Afford a Decent Cape (Guiding Light Books, 2017), John Clark, husband and father of nine, draws upon his own experiences to discuss the value of fatherhood.…
How to raise pro-life children
The No. 1 question Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life, hears from parents and grandparents is: “How do I talk to my kids about abortion?” It certainly isn’t an easy conversation for adults, but children have a natural love of…