Catholic Parents Online

One of the biggest questions from our children nowadays, and perhaps one of the most challenging, is this: "Why should marriage be only between man and woman?" With all the influence from social media and contemporary culture, it is not difficult to see why many can be so befuddled by this question. We will look at this issue from the perspective of reason. It will help us understand what...

Fathering has never been easy since time immemorial. More so in modern times with higher expectations for fathers to perform both at home and in the workplace. How can Catholic fathers exercise our role in bringing up our children well? How can they deal with the need to balance pressures at work and at home? How can wives support their husbands in this vocation? Dr Christopher Cheok shares with u...

Managing rebellious teens has never been an easy task for many of us parents. What causes them to be rebellious? What can we do when they are? How should we respond? Mr Nicholas Gabriel Lim, a psychologist/counsellor who has worked with many youths, shares with us some insights into this issue. Resources: https://nicholasgabriellim.com/ "Parenting Your Teens and Tweens with Grace", Gregory...

"Why should I be Catholic?" This is not an uncommon question that Catholic parents might face as our children grow up and grapple with the concept of faith and God. How do we know if what we know about Jesus from the Gospels is true? And how can we be sure the Catholic Church is indeed the one true Church that God has willed to continue His saving mission on earth? We explore these questio...

It is quite certain that many of us try to raise our children to love God. Yet, many of our youth seem to have lost sight of who God is, or more basically even, whether God exists. In the post-modern world of today, many doubt God’s existence because they do not find evidence for Him in our world. However, is this true? How can we convince our children that God does indeed exist? We share two ways...

Has the development of science disproven the need for #God, and thus the need for faith? Is faith just an irrational belief in a system of thought that is contrary to the #logic provided us by science? Unfortunately many people, including many of our children, believe this to be the case. We need to correct this misperception that is so prevalent today. We discuss the relationship between #faith a...

As Catholic parents, we want our children to grow up well in the faith and to practise the virtues, defined in the Catechism as a "habitual and firm disposition to do the good" (#1803). This necessarily involves discipline. How can we discipline our young children in a way that will instil in them the love for a virtuous life? Ms Melissa Huang, a qualified early childhood educator and Cath...

Anecdotal experience suggests that many of our teens leave the Church not long after receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation. How can we reverse this trend? How can we keep our teens in Church, not just physically, but in a way that engages and helps them appreciate and treasure the faith better? Mr Nick Chui, who holds a Masters in Theology from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Marriage...

As Catholic parents, it is so important for us to share our faith with our children. Why is this so? When can we begin this process? And how can we go about doing this? Melissa Huang, a qualified early childhood educator and Catholic mother of three young children, shares with us her insights into these questions. Resources: Parents. Catholic. Sg , an initiative by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese o...

All of us have been brought up differently, simply because different parents have different parenting styles. For better or for worse, many of us tend to emulate the methods our parents used. We interview Mr Steven Yeo, counsellor and family therapist, who shares with us positive parenting styles that can help us bond better with our children and in the process help them flourish according to God’...

Challenges await our children at different times of their lives from very early on in their lives, be these physical, emotional, academic or spiritual.  Dr Christine Tan E-Ching shares with us how we can cultivate the virtue of #fortitude in our #children as we build their #resilience and prepare them to meet #challenges that will inevitably arise. Resources: Parents. Catholic. Sg , an initiative...

Many of us would go out of our way to help our children succeed in life. We enrol them for enrichment classes in pre-school; some even for tuition classes at such a tender age; we enrol them in the best schools which we think will provide them with the best education. The list goes on. In all likelihood, we do these because we want our children to succeed later in life. Yet what is success? What a...

It is our primary duty as Catholic parents to share the beauty of the #faith we have with our children. How do we go about doing this? We discuss what faith is and how we can transmit it more effectively to our children, as we continue to fulfil our mission as priest, prophet and king in our family. Resources: Parents. Catholic. Sg , an initiative by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore to...

Many of us might have thought that, with greater wealth, conveniences and technological progress today, our young should be happier than before. Yet a national study published recently showed that about one in three #youth in #Singapore has reported internalising mental health symptoms such as sadness, #anxiety and #loneliness. Something seems to be missing in our #children's lives. What is th...

The abuse of substances such as alcohol and drugs such as cannabis seems to have gotten worse in recent times. Another dangerous practice – vaping – has also been on the rise and in the news recently. As parents, how can we prevent our children from falling into this abyss? Or if they have, how can we help them get out of it? In this interview, Dr Christopher Cheok, Psychiatrist, Senior Consultant...

Given the time spent by many children online and on gaming consoles, gaming addiction is an issue that many parents are rightfully concerned about. In this interview, Dr Christopher Cheok shares with us how such addiction develops, and what measures we can take as parents to prevent or overcome this with our children. Learn more about Catholic Parents Online at  catholicparents.online . #catholicp...

Social media is replete with numerous posts that are untrue, unkind and even unbecoming. It is so easy for us and our children to fall into this trap, if we do not think first and discern what and how we should post on social media platforms. We discuss 3 broad principles that will help us guide our children in using such platforms safely, properly and responsibly. Learn more about Catholic Parent...

Sexting is a rather new phenomenon that has arisen among the young over the past 10 to 15 years or so, and which has rightfully sparked concern among parents. How prevalent is it? Why do teens engage in it in the first place? We discuss what we as Catholic parents can do to protect our children from this disconcerting phenomenon. Learn more about Catholic Parents Online at catholicparents.online #...

Pornography is a multi-billion-dollar industry that has devastated individuals, marriages, and families. According to the American College of Paediatricians, “consumption of pornography is associated with many negative emotional, psychological, and physical health outcomes. These include increased rates of depression, anxiety, acting out and violent behaviour, younger age of sexual debut, sexual p...

While the internet has brought much benefit, there are also many dangers that lurk in there, ready to pounce on our unsuspecting children if we do not put measures in place to protect them online. While no method is perfect, there are many measures we can take as parents to protect our children in the digital era. We discuss the various levels of protection and security we can put in place to do j...

Studies have shown that excessive media use can lead to attention problems, school difficulties, sleep and eating disorders and obesity. In addition, the Internet and cell phones can provide platforms for illicit and risky behaviours. How can we help our children manage devices? We address these questions and propose guidelines for parents to help children manage devices in a safe and responsible...

One of the biggest challenges we face as parents today is helping our children manage screen time. In a local survey, more than 60% of parents were not aware of the actual recommendations for physical activity and screen time. What are the recommendations from professional bodies when it comes to screen time for children? How can we help our children manage screen time? We address these questions...

In recent years, we have noticed more advertisements of parties and events celebrating #Halloween. More often than not, there is much emphasis on the gory and the scary, with decorations and costumes that depict evil, ghosts, zombies and the like. As #Catholic parents, what can we tell our children about Halloween? What can we do in the face of the current trend? Learn more about Catholic Parents...

Managing the digital world ourselves is in itself a challenging enterprise. What more with our children? We cover the basic principles of engagement with our children in managing digital media, so that they can do so as safely and responsibly as possible. Learn more about Catholic Parents Online at catholicparents.online #chastity #catholicparents #catholicparenting #cybersafety

We cannot deny that the advent of the internet has certainly brought about much good. Yet, many of us are also acutely aware of the dangers that come along with it. And if not managed, these dangers that lurk in the digital world can cause much harm to our children, ourselves and our families. But why is the digital world so attractive, and sometimes even addictive? What is its impact on ourselves...