My House - Diocesan Anti-Pornography Initiative

Reflections on Checklist for a Spiritually Healthy Family

Does your family pray together?
As we all know a family that prays together stays together. Prayer will form the bond with God that He desires from us.

Does your family celebrate Sunday Mass together and participate in the life of the parish? Family activity and sharing in the gift of the celebration of the Mass together will instill a lifetime desire of giving back to God and the community.

Does your family enjoy regular meals together?
This is a great opportunity for sharing among family members and may be the only uninterrupted time of the day.

Do the parents set rules and expectations for the children regarding such things as telephone and computer use, video games, study time, and curfews?
Kids are still kids and as such need and actually yearn for the guidance their parents can provide in setting limits. Don’t be fooled by children testing the limits. This behavior allows them to grow and understand authority.

Do the parents monitor and limit what the children are allowed to watch on television? Children, when left to their own choices, will develop a very unrealistic view of societal expectations.

Are all computers and televisions within the home in open and visible places (and, in particular, not in children’s bedrooms)?
Even with the proper guidelines in place children will test your boundaries and need to be monitored.

Does your family regularly participate together in activities aimed at physical and mental development?
Stimulating physical and mental activities will increase our quality of life. Increased learning capacity is readily demonstrated in human beings who are physically and mentally challenged on a regular basis.

Do the parents make wise and virtue-centered choices about their own entertainment, including television, movies, reading material, and internet?
It can no longer be “do as I say not as I do”. We can’t expect our children to learn by example if we don’t provide the right modeling behavior.

Do the parents, both publicly and privately, model the kind of behavior they want their children to emulate?
It can no longer be “do as I say not as I do”. We can’t expect our children to learn by example if we don’t provide the right modeling behavior. It bears repeating.

Parents will seek or recommend pastoral or professional care if needed. We must be open to accepting help once we discover a problem. No one should have to rely on themselves for all the answers. Professional help from your pastor or another counselor may be the best thing that ever happened to you.