At the time I had my first child I was a solicitor, a job for which I’d studied and trained and got qualifications. You’d think that those negotiating and persuasion skills I’d acquired on the job would have equipped me for parenting. Have you ever tried negotiating with a toddler? It becomes very clear who’s Read more
When a therapist friend told Allison Havey that her then 13-year-old son was almost certainly viewing online pornography, she felt angry. “I was offended because I thought, why would he be doing that? It’s deviant behaviour and he’s not deviant.” What Allison now knows is that it’s natural for boys to want to look at Read more
No one wants to have – or to be around – demanding, selfish, spoiled children; those who throw tantrums or sulk when they’re not given everything they want immediately. Paradoxically, the parents of such children encourage this demanding behaviour in the mistaken belief that if they give their children everything they can, their children will Read more
Priests and other church-connected people will be forbidden from being alone with children and other vulnerable people in Montreal archdiocese. This is part of a pilot project, which aims to create a “safety net”. The policy will be introduced in a handful of churches in Montreal, starting in September. An archdiocese spokesman said the policy Read more
Some parents say that getting toddlers out of the house only to go to a stuffy, preachy church service is not worth the effort. But as a mom of four children under 10, including twin toddlers, I’ve come to appreciate those church outings. Here’s why. Continue reading
Exposure to pornography harms children so much that it should be considered child abuse, Australia’s Catholic bishops have said. A commission of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference gave a statement to a senate committee in their nation last month. The committee was making an inquiry into the harm of Internet pornography. “Children have a right Read more
Over the past year we have all heard enough about Bruce Jenner than we really would have liked. To be honest I didn’t think anyone in that family could get more publicity than the Kardashians already did and I had had my fill of them (please note the name Kardashian is in autocorrect in Word, Read more
A new book will contain Pope Francis’s answers to challenging questions posed to him by children and young people. The book, to be published on March 1 by Loyola Press, is titled “Dear Pope Francis: The Pope Answers Letters from Children Around the World”. It will feature 30 letters and drawings from children aged 6-13 Read more
The Vatican is downplaying media reports that Pope Francis “will play himself” in an upcoming film. The film production company ENVI Pictures issued a statement on Monday saying Pope Francis will appear in the film “Beyond the Sun”. The Prefect of the Secretariat for Communications, Msgr Dario Edoardo Viganò, said “the Pope is not an Read more
Pornography may be defined as “the depiction of erotic behavior (sexual display in pictures or writing) that is intended to cause sexual excitement” in the viewer.(1) Over the past decade there has been a large increase in the pornographic material that is available to both adults and children. Mainstream pornography use has grown common because Read more