RESPONSIB

LE
PARENTHOO

RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD
The ultimate goal of marriage is to raise a
family. The implication relies on how parents
assume their responsibility in caring and
supporting their children to attain the best
possible future. Preparing for parenthood
requires a lot of consideration such as:
1. Parental role - to provide physical, material
and continuous guidance to the children in
order for them to become responsible members
of the family and society

 2.

Emotional adjustment - to be
emotionally prepared and adjusted to cope
up with the challenges of life

3.

Family Relationship - to perform each

role and create a harmonious relationship

4.

Knowledge in child rearing - educated

parents are better prepared to face the
challenges of parenthood

RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD
is the spirituality of the family.
From the very beginning of marriage, the
spouses embrace a new heart which makes them
a gift for each other.
The love they share encourages them to foster
responsible family life.
At the heart of responsible parenthood, we find
God. He will be the source and fountain of life
and love in which the family lives in the world
today.

RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD IS
GUIDED BY CONSCIENCE
It

is the duty of parents to establish a

family after the will of God. The conjugal
love they exchange and share draws its
origin from God therefore, God manifests
His plan and wisdom in the consciences of
all members in the family.

RESPONSIBLE
PARENTHOOD IS THE
MISSION OF THE FAMILY.
It includes the respect of the functions of the
spouses and their specific role in the
propagation of life and defense against the
forces of death.
The family is sent to "bear fruit and have life to
the full" by exercising their specific function
biologically and psychologically in the context of
the family.
It is the mission of the family to transmit life
and raise the children according to the law of
God.

RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD IS
THE VOCATION OF MARRIAGE
The family is ever challenged with pressing
problems which are brought about by the
escalating trends of secularization however,
responsible parenthood includes the moral
norms that the family uphold when faced with
these problems.
It is always the good of the children and the
spouses which responsible parenthood focuses
as its goal.

RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD IS A
SERVICE OF LOVE.
It is at the service of the serious commitment
done by spouses before God and the Church.
Spouses are not free in the sense that they do
what they only think and desire.
Responsible Parenthood is the free exercise of
love considering the divine intention of God for
the family.

THE NEW
CHILD-REARING

There are some simple child-rearing

principles that parents should keep in mind
throughout the years their children are
growing up.
Pay careful attention to your marriageor yourself, if you're a single parent.
Your marriage, if it is strong and
satisfying, will give your children more
security than any amount of attention. If
you are single. Your sense of self-respect
and fulfillment as a person can act as
the same sort of anchor for children.

Expect your children to obey you. Don't apologize for decisions you
make. Children need strong, confident parents upon whom they can
count to be authoritative, decisive and trustworthy.

You are in charge of the family. As long as your children live in your
house, they don't have a right to make decisions for themselves?
You allow them the privilege of making decisions. And you always
have the option of revoking that privilege if it is abused.

Nurture your children's responsibility within this structure. Allow

your children to make choices, and let them know that they must
accept the outcomes. From an early age, expect them to make
regular, tangible contribution to the family.

 That

means doing chores for which they don't get

paid. And it means letting your children take
responsibility for their own actions. Don't create the
impression that it is perfectly acceptable to run after
the bus every day-let your children cope with the
consequences of being late or arriving at school
without the permission slips they left on the kitchen
table.

COMMON FAMILY
PROBLEMS

 1.

Coping with a new baby

Making the change from being a couple to

being parents isn't always easy. It can be
difficult to find time for yourselves, your sex
life can change, you have to juggle the
commitments of work and family and find a
way of agreeing on how to bring up the
children.
This factsheet aims to help you if you've just
had a baby but the Relate book Babyshock!
explains how your relationship can be
affected from the first decision to try for a
baby, through pregnancy, birth and
babyhood, up to the stage of caring for
toddlers and young children.

 2.

Coping with our disruptive teenagers

Being a parent to teenagers can be a

challenging, worrying and sometimes
distressing time. While teenagers are
pushing against the system in their search
for independence, parents can feel rejected,
criticized and confused. The home may
become a battleground with constant
power wrangles and high emotion. But this
is just a pale reflection of what's going on
inside your teenagers body.

 3.

Life/Work balance

It's often observed that in spite of the vast

array of modern day time-saving technologies
we have less and less free time. Many couples
find themselves constantly torn between the
pressures of employment and personal life. We
need to earn a living, but we also want quality
time for our partners, our family, our friends
and ourselves. It can feel as though there just
aren't enough hours in the day or days in the
week. And while we rush around trying to fit
more and more activities into less and less
time, it is often our couple relationships that
suffer.

HERE
AREYour
SOME
TIPS
TO HELP YOU REAccept
Life
Stage
ALIGN
YOUR LIFE/WORK BALANCE.
Expand Your Timetable
Get

Help
Don't Be A Perfectionist
Schedule Couple time
Think Quality not Quantity
Consider Your Priorities

4. Poverty
is

the single most powerful risk for families

and children and affects families in many
ways. Poverty exerts its greatest impact during
children's preschool years, the age group in
which children are most likely to live in
poverty. Poor families are less likely or able to
provide educational and cultural experiences
for their children.

FORMS OF
FAMILY
CRISIS

Death/

Illness/ Injury
Natural Disaster
Annulment/ Relationship

END