Talk to your kid
Talking to children about topics such as peer pressure, religion, drug abuse and sex isnīt always easy, but Grand Island, Nebraska, USA author Mary Dey is here to help. Dey has published "Speak to Your Children," a Catholic parenting guide to help adults speak to their children about discipline, decision-making and life in general. She is certified in Natural Family Planning and Family Life classes through Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Grand Island.
The book contains 79 guides for "five-minute conversations with your kids," she said. "Five minutes a day, or even five minutes a week, can save a lot of trouble. Parents are so busy and Iīm trying to make this easier." The introduction explains how to use the guide, which begins and ends with chapters on Godīs love, she said. "I have found that many moms and dads do not know where to begin," Dey said. "Most parents, my husband and I included, need a little help with raising children in the increasingly anti-life and anti-faith culture. I learned there is much room for hope in spite of youthīs alarming problems. I found many parents eager to teach truth, and many young people open to learning it."
According to Dey, Catholic parents will find comfort in the book when they discover how easy it is to work with their children and talk about lifeīs issues and their faith. For children under 5, the conversations outlined in the book focus on love and discipline, and for older children the discussions center on faith and respect. The focus for teens is on decision-making and defending faith while rejecting peer pressure, drugs, alcohol, sex, depression, violence, etc.
Deyīs inspiration for writing the book came 17 years ago when a parent asked her if there was a guide for tackling tough topics with her children. She thought she could address the necessary issues in a pamphlet, which grew into the recently published 229-page book. Dey said she drew on her own experiences as a mother and grandmother, and also did research on the various topics included in the book.
The conversations are what sets the book apart from others published on similar topics. Parents donīt have to read the entire book before using the information gleaned. Instead, they can read a chapter after reading the introduction and speak to their children as they go, she said.
"It talks about decision-making in faith and life situations that can be passed on (from generation to generation)," said Dey.
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