Mother’s Helper

In the comments on Mother’s Guilt, we were discussing not having a manual or to-do list for raising our children. One of my highest priorities is to pass on my faith to my children, but I often wonder if I am prepared for this awesome task. PT is a natural skeptic, but I have found that reading this book, Catholic Truths for Our Children has really helped me to answer his questions, as well as to work matters of doctrine into conversation where appropriate. This is also a great supplement to the religious ed program we are using. Recently, we attended a wedding at an Episcopal church, and I was able to talk to the children more comfortably about why we don’t genuflect in this church. Before reading this book, I was hoping that I could just keep my kids under my skirt for long enough and I would not have to answer the tough questions. The author makes the great case, however, of the future college roommate who may be an evangelical well versed in his faith and prepared to question every thing your child has believed. I saw so many young people leave the church because the evangelicals were, frankly, more bold in their faith and better prepared to explain it. We Catholics are the heirs of the one true Church of Jesus Christ and we need to arm ourselves and our children to bear witness to that truth, to defend our own faith and, when God calls, to share it with others.

Note: I am using what I am learning from this book to talk to my six year old, but I will continue to use it for his entire life, touching on different points in different ways as appropriate to his development. This book also gives lots of bible references, so it is particularly helpful in apologetics with our Protestant brothers and sisters.