Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule. The home is well suited for education in the virtues. This requires an apprenticeship in self-denial, sound judgment, and self-mastery – the preconditions of all true freedom. Parents should teach their children to subordinate the “material and instinctual dimensions to interior and spiritual ones.” Parents have a grave responsibility to give good example to their children. By knowing how to acknowledge their own failings to their children, parents will be better able to guide and correct them. (CCC 2223)
Furthermore, educating our children about the Catholic Faith is not only a privilege, but is a serious responsibility:
Gary Zimak is the founder of Following The Truth Ministries (http://www.followingthetruth.com), a lay apostolate created to assist Catholics in learning more about their Faith. He is a regular guest on EWTN Radio’s “Son Rise Morning Show”, Ave Maria Radio’s “Catholic Connection with Teresa Tomeo” and appears frequently on several other Catholic radio programs. In addition to writing for CatholicLane. Mr. Zimak hosts a daily program on BlogTalkRadio and posts frequently on his blog, Facebook and Twitter. He is a member of Catholics United For The Faith and the Knights of Columbus and resides in New Jersey.
Catholic Ping!
The above is perfect advice. Although parents can not be perfect-—they can always perfect themselves with daily reflection and education. Habit—practice Virtue and it is habituated. Aristotle knew this thousands of years ago. Children model what they hear and see. If you treat people badly—children will learn to do the same thing. Catch yourself when you “gossip” and refuse to drag people down-—build them up—bring their BEST out. Everyone will be so much happier and children will learn and model goodness and character..
You should NEVER allow the mind of your children to be corrupted—by TV, by school curricula—it is vital—maybe more—than the physical health of your children. Soul needs as much nurture—it creates emotionally strong people with character.
Never be silent in the face of evil—no matter how uncomfortable you “feel”. It takes God’s grace to face Satan’s forces and the public schools teach conformity and humiliation for those “thinking outside the Atheist/Marxist box”, so Christians will be vilified and Truth is not welcome-—you will be ridiculed for standing up for Christ. BUT it is worth it—and will greatly enrich the lives of your children and create good people.
It is never an accident when children become people of character. Read the biography of Bonhoeffer-—even his mother recognized the evil “Prussian” system in Germany schools. That Prussian system was put into total effect in America in the 30’s by a Fabian Socialist—Dewey. It was the beginning of the Atheist/Marxist brainwashing and the destroying of Truth in the schools and the promotion of hedonism/atheism/Marxism. Kids can NOT resist the agitprop—what they are told becomes part of their subconscious when they are young.
I would never put my kids in “public” schools of today. They teach Satanism/Atheism. Children are vulnerable—it is why they have “parents”. Do your duty and protect and nurture their minds-—not with unlimited TV and Public Schools-—they destroy Virtue and promote evil 90% of the time.