How can we talk to our children about the morality of using condoms and other forms of contraception? This is not an easy topic, and many of us understandably struggle with it ourselves.

Once we are able to appreciate the Language of the Body, which speaks about our vocation to love as God loves in and through our bodies, our eyes will be opened to the wonder of this language that God has given to each and every one of us.

When that happens, the Church’s teachings in this area will no longer be seen as a repression of our sexual desire, but rather a redemption of it, in which we will be liberated to love in such a way as to give us a beautiful foretaste of the heavenly delights that await us.

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How effective, really, is the condom in preventing sexually transmitted infections (or STIs)?

With all the information, and perhaps misinformation, that our teens are bombarded with from all avenues, it will be useful for us parents to be ready with the right questions, and the right answers.

In this episode, we discuss the medical data regarding the actual effectiveness of the condom in preventing pregnancy and STIs. We also discuss why it is so important for us to not just look at the biology behind this issue, but to understand it holistically, and consider the complex social, psychological and emotional aspects.

As a contributor to the British Medical Journal, Dr Stephen Genuis, once remarked, merely promoting condoms “disregards the complex nature of human sexuality and fails to tackle the underlying social and emotional needs of young people, who are often trapped in high-risk sexual behaviour as a consequence of difficult life circumstances.”

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Previously, we considered why masturbation is an objectively disordered act according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and how we can form our children in this area.

In this episode, we discuss the 6 steps we can take as parents if we somehow suspect or find out that our children are already engaging in this activity, or other vices such as pornography.

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Many of us instinctively know that masturbation is not right. At the same time, we find much difficulty explaining to our children why this is so.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us in no uncertain terms that masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action, while acknowledging that certain conditions may “lessen, if not even reduce to a minimum, moral culpability.” (CCC, 2352).

How do we approach this topic with our children? What should we say to them?

This episode explores these questions and gives some tips as to how Catholic parents can talk with our children about this.

Learn more about Catholic Parents Online at catholicparents.online.

At this stage, as our kids become teens, lots of changes, both physical and emotional, will be taking place in their lives. They are developing a mind of their own, and talking about sexuality, and indeed any topic at all, will be quite different from the stages we have discussed before. It becomes less of a “talking down to”, but rather a “dialogue with”.

How can we go about this? How can we help them avoid the pitfalls of following the world’s plan, so to speak, so that they can continue to follow God’s plan instead and grow in His love, and ultimately experience the joy and fruits that this brings?

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The journey now gets more exciting (read challenging). At 10 to 12 years of age, our children are on the cusp of puberty. And at this stage, a significant proportion of them will have been exposed to pornography, intentionally or otherwise.

What can we as Catholic parents do to help them navigate the pre-pubertal years? How can we prepare them for the changes to be expected in puberty? What about pornography? Even sexual grooming and abuse.

This episode explores these questions and gives us tips on how we can help us survive, and more importantly, help our children flourish as they continue their journey towards their teen years.

Learn more about Catholic Parents Online at catholicparents.online.

In the previous two interviews with Mr Bryan Shen, we had discussed how important affirmation is for the flourishing of our children. We also examined how the “emotional baggage” that we parents carry with us from our own upbringing may negatively impact the psycho-social development of our children.

In this episode, Mr Bryan Shen shares with us the pressures and influences our children may experience from another aspect of their lives – society, such as school, friends and media. How significant is this influence? How may it affect our children from a psycho-social point of view? And how can we as parents help our children face up to these challenges in a way that will make them better and more resilient?

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By the time our children reach the age of 6 to 9 years old, they will likely be curious, and asking, where babies come from. In addition, children in this age group may also be at risk of exposure to pornography and sexual grooming, even molestation and sexual abuse.

How can we talk to our children in this age group about sexuality? How can we protect them from the possible harms that may be inflicted on them by others who approach them with less than noble intentions?

Join us as we explore these issues in our continuing journey of sexuality education at home.

Learn more about Catholic Parents Online at catholicparents.online.

In our earlier episodes on talking to our children about sexuality, we shared about the important foundations needed before we could have fruitful conversations with our children about sexuality. Namely, having a good connection with them and forming them in the virtues and the faith.

In this episode, we will discuss the principles and practical ways in which we can initiate this talk, or rather these talks, with our children from the time they are born to the age of 5 years or so.

Learn more about Catholic Parents Online at catholicparents.online.

In our previous episode we had shared what chastity is really about, and why it is the goal of sexuality education. To strengthen our children in the virtue of chastity, we need to cultivate the virtues, namely temperance, justice, fortitude and prudence. Because chastity flows from, and is strengthened by, these virtues.

This episode discusses why this is so, and explores how we can form our children in these virtues for the sake of their flourishing and authentic happiness.

Learn more about Catholic Parents Online at catholicparents.online.