Catholic Parents Online

When was the last time we went on an exclusive date as husband and wife? How often do we make time for each other as husband and wife? Exclusively, without our kids around? We discuss why it is imperative that spouses make time for each other on a regular basis, for the sake of our marriage, for the sake of our kids, for the sake of our family. Learn more about Catholic Parents Online at www.catho...

How can parents help their children grow in faith and virtue? What are the foundational pillars of formation that can support our children on this journey? What can Catholic parents in mixed marriages do to carry out their mission in this area? We interview Rev Fr Carter Griffin, rector of St. John Paul II Seminary in Washington, D.C, and author of the book " Forming Families, Forming Saints &...

When was the last time you affirmed your spouse? And how frequently do you do this? For our relationships to thrive, we need to affirm our spouses on a regular basis. We discuss why we must affirm our spouses regularly and propose various ways we can do so. Learn more about Catholic Parents Online at www.catholicparents.online #marriage #catholicparenting #catholicparentsonline

One of the challenges married couples face, especially in the earlier years of marriage, is to understand and speak the language of love that our spouse identifies more strongly with. After all, how each of us expresses and perceives love, our so-called language of love, can be, and often is, quite different from that of our spouse. This can easily give rise to misunderstandings and frustrations....

Marriage is the foundation of our family. The stronger our marriage, the more we love one another, the better we can give our children a stable, positive and nurturing environment to flourish in. In other words, stronger marriage, stronger family, happier children. Unfortunately, many parents focus so much on their children that they tend to forget to work on their relationship with their spouse,...

Often, the Catholic Church has been caricatured by the secular media as an organisation that is out of touch with modernity, perhaps none more so than in the area of gender theory. But what has the Church actually said on the topic? And why? What's the big deal about being male and female? Why did God make us that way? What should we make of Gender Ideology? How should we regard those who expe...

One of the reasons given to justify the position that sex is not binary, that is, either male or female, is the presence of so-called "intersex" conditions. These are rare situations when babies have atypical genitalia, or when boys and girls have chromosome or hormone variations, which leads to challenges in easily classifying them as male or female. However, the term "Intersex" i...

Approaching gender theory as a concept is totally different from approaching the person who experiences gender dysphoria, often in a very painful way. We interview Mr Nicholas Gabriel Lim, Psychologist, Counsellor and Legal Practitioner, who shares with us how we can journey with persons who experience gender dysphoria, in truth and in love. Learn more about Catholic Parents Online at  https://cat...

We have discussed some of the key philosophical ideas and cultural changes that led to the development of gender theory and subsequently “gender-affirming treatment”. “Gender-affirming treatment” basically refers to therapy that affirms individuals in their gender dysphoria. This could consist of any single or combination of a number of social, psychological, behavioural, medical or even surgical...

How did Gender Theory originate? What were the philosophical ideas that have caused the cultural confusion we are witnessing today in some societies? Who was Dr John Money, and how did he contribute to this idea that gender is a mere social construct rather than something that is innate to a person? Learn more about Catholic Parents Online at www.catholicparents.online #gendertheory #catholicparen...

In recent times, we have often been asked about “gender theory” by Catholic parents, and how we are to approach it. As such, we have embarked on this series on “Gender Theory” in an endeavour to shed some light on this seemingly complicated topic through the lens of reason and faith. We hope and pray that this will provide parents with a better grasp of this topic as we continue to navigate the ev...

In recent times, there appear to have been more conversations and articles written about "toxic masculinity", whether in print or social media. Based on this reading, which in turn is based on rather rigid stereotypical ideas about masculinity, it is used to dominate and use, even abuse, our female counterparts for the man’s gratification. Yet, what is masculinity in the first place? Is au...

A recent report, that should concern any parent, noted that more youth aged 19 and below committed sexual crimes in 2023, 470 to be exact, about 30 per cent more than in 2022. One of the main reasons cited was their exposure to pornography. According to experts, research has shown that teens who view pornography are likely to experience greater emotional and behavioural problems, earlier sexual ex...

The Ministry of Health released new screen time guidelines for children in 2023. In this interview, Ms Natalie Lim, Principal Psychologist, shares with us how these guidelines can be implemented for our children. In addition, she shares with us how she and her husband help their teens manage screen time as well. Learn more about Catholic Parents Online at catholicparents.online #screentime #digita...

It is always heartening to hear from teens as to how we can use social media safely and responsibly. Here is some advice from some teens to others as to how they can do just that. Resources Best advice from teen girls on the use of social media: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/parenting-education/best-advice-from-teen-girls-on-the-use-of-social-media   Episode 37 — Helping Our Children Mana...

One of the best ways we can be gift to our children is by living a sacramental marriage founded on the love of Christ and His Church. And many of us have entered marriage thinking that it would be a case of "living happily ever after". However, experience tells us it is anything but. The fact is, ups and downs abound in any marriage. Yet through the challenges and vicissitudes of married l...

A recent article in our local newspaper reported that about 800 students were referred to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) for #vaping offences in 2022, a 16-fold increase from 2019. What is more, this seems to be an underestimate. Another report suggested that up to 40 percent of residents in our universities' halls are using vaporisers, or vapes for short. Why are our young drawn to this...

Many of our children (and us parents) experience examination stress at some time or another. While we want to help our children perform well in school, we are also aware that, if such stress is not handled well, our children may be driven to rebellion, anxiety, depression, despair, or in the worst-case scenario, even suicide. How can we help our children (and ourselves) manage examination stress?...

The Catholic Church has often been accused of being anti-science, and the saga involving Galileo Galilei is commonly used to illustrate this point. In this interview, Mr Nick Chui shares with us insights into what actually happened in the Church’s interaction with Galileo, as well as some interesting facts about the Inquisition. Finally, we discuss whether faith is indeed opposed to science. Mr Ni...

Sexual desire is powerful. And throughout human history, it seems to have gotten many people into trouble.  Why do we have sexual desire? What is it for? What should we do with it? Suppress it? Indulge in it? Or is there another way?  We discuss God's plan for sexual desire, and how we can direct it in a way that helps us find true love and happiness. Resources: "Chastity — Same as Celibac...

What if our child tells us that he or she is "gay" or "lesbian"? How should we respond? Amidst the turmoil of emotions many of us might feel, Mr Nicholas Gabriel Lim shares with us some useful tips to help us respond in a way that will not only preserve the precious parent-child relationship, but also enable us to embark on the journey with them in a Christ-like way. Resources: 1....

When it comes to the topic of same-sex attraction, the Church has, unfortunately, often been seen as unforgiving, even harsh, in its teachings and attitude towards persons with this condition. On the contrary, the Catechism tells us: "They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.” (CCC 2358) Let us consid...

As Catholic parents, one of the biggest hopes we have is for our children to become a priest/religious, or if God calls otherwise, to find the right spouse in life. Yet, at the same time, we also know how factors such as emotions and misplaced compassion may lead our children to make the wrong choice. In this interview, Dr Christopher Cheok shares with us insights into what these common pitfalls a...

More marriages are breaking down, and many of these have been attributed to extra-marital affairs. Why do some people cheat on their spouses? What can spouses do to prevent this from happening in their own marriages? Drawing from his experience in his work as a psychiatrist, Dr Christopher Cheok shares with us insights into this issue. Learn more about Catholic Parents Online at catholicparents.on...

What is God’s plan for marriage between a man and a woman? Did St Paul really justify male domination by saying, “Wives, submit to your husbands?” (Ephesians 5:22) If not, what did he really mean in Ephesians chapter 5? This episode discusses God’s plan, from the very beginning, for the institution of marriage between a man and a woman. Resources: Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2331 to 2336 htt...