Helpful Web Sites for Parents .pdf>>

Diocese of Fort Wayne–South Bend, Office of Family Life (Catholic) - Diocesan Departments, Family Life at www.diocesefwsb.org –. Education in Human Sexuality, Diocesean Curricula for Grades 6-8. Ten classes in the “Reverence for Life High School Curriculum,” with documentation from scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, papal documents and other resources. This is excellent preparation for parents as well as teachers and catechists. The site also includes Recommended Resources for parents, teachers, catechists; for parents and children together; and for parent or parent-child sessions.

Family Honor, Inc. (Catholic) - (www.familyhonor.org or 1-877-208-1353) is based in South Carolina with a professional, portable faculty.

• Their archives section includes, Resources for Special Needs Children, Understanding the Theology of the Body, Questions from Young People.
• They present family-centered programs designed to enhance the sense of parent-child “connectedness.” Family-centered programs include:
  • Leading & Loving (for parents only)
  • Changes & Challenges (for parents with their 6th grade son or daughter)
  • Real Love & Real Life (for parents with their 7th or 8th grade son or daughter)
  • Created to Love: Honoring God’s Gift (for parents with their H.S.-age teen)
• New CD-Rom-based Teacher Training Program covers the history of sex education, research data on effective programs, the psychosexual development of children, theology of the body, family systems, fertility appreciation, and more

Focus on Your Child (Christian) - www.focusonyourchild.com Helps parents raise healthy, confident and well-adjusted children. Provides parents (kids 0-12) with a resource center for parenting insights on health, education, religion, and entertainment.

The Gift Foundation (Catholic) - www.gfwebstore.org or 1-847-844-1167
Naked without Shame – Sex and Christian Mystery, Reflections on John Paul II’s Theology of the Body (2nd edition) with Christopher West. 12 audiocassettes and 80+ page study guide. Includes the wisdom behind the church’s teachings that parents can share with their children.

KidsHealth.org (Secular) – is from the Nemours Foundation's Center for Children's Health. It provides doctor-approved health information about children from before birth through adolescence including parent, kid and teen sections. Also information on behavior and emotions, food & fitness, and “Positive Parenting.”

Maryland Coalition Against Pornography (MCAP) (Secular) - www.mcap1.com MCAP is a volunteer based organization working to protect children, families and communities from the devastating effects of pornography. Their mission is to heighten awareness about the dangers of pornography by providing information, speakers and referrals for sexual addiction counseling in the Washington, DC area.

Medical Institute for Sexual Health - for Science, Character & Education (Secular) www.medinstitute.org Site can help parents prepare for the more difficult questions. It provides a list of frequently-asked questions with medically accurate answers, brochures and booklets and a topical reference library. The library contains a synopsis of various journal articles or studies on condoms and contraception, marriage and cohabitation, pregnancy, STD and pregnancy prevention programs, sexually transmitted diseases and risk behavior.

Our Sunday Visitor’s Teaching Catholic Kids - is an online resource for teachers, catechists and parents to help children grow in our Catholic faith. It includes newspaper and magazine articles, access to an article archive, the Catholic Almanac Online, “What the Church Teaches.” As well as “Teaching Links.” www.osv.com/teachingcatholicyouth

Parents Television Council (PTC) - at www.parentstv.org (Secular) includes tips for parents on what to teach their kids about the media and how to talk with their kids about television. It provides a family TV guide (PTC Picks for the Week), internet safety guide, cartoon rating guide, movie reviews for parents, and recommended videos for the family. “Latest News” section alerts parents to research like, “Watching Sex on Television Predicts Adolescent Initiation of Sexual Behavior,” in the electronic journal Pediatrics, Vol.114, No. 3, September 2004 , pp e280-e289

Real Love Productions (Catholic) - at www.reallove.net – Mary Beth Bonacci’s dynamic, practical view of real life issues for teens, young adults and parents. The series of articles on chastity provides great parent “homework” in preparation for discussions with their children. Also available is a variety of videos and books for parents and teens on chastity and love that reflect the teachings of the theology of the body.

The Vatican – www.vatican.va/roman_curia/ Search by title for Educational Guidance in Human Love: Outlines for Sex Education, Congregation for Catholic Education (1983) and The Truth and the Meaning of Human Sexuality, Pontifical Council for the Family (1995). The Papal Encyclical Letters can also be downloaded.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops - at http://www.usccb.org .has an online Bible with daily readings and the Catechism of the Catholic Church; movie and TV reviews; Car Chat, a scripture and prayer resource for parents and children. The book store has Human Sexuality: A Catholic Perspective for Education and Lifelong Learning and Renewing the Vision, A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry.

Mary Lee O’Connell, CRNP