THE FAMILY ZONE

St. Bernard of Clairvaux was a Benedictine monk from the 12th century who is known for his profound spirituality. St. Bernard spoke about human emotions as being an integral part of our faith journey and identified four types of love. In this 2019 article found on Aleteia.org, the author looks at how we can apply St. Bernard's stages of love to our own relationship with our spouse. Click on the link below to find out more about this inspiring saint! We celebrate the Memorial of St. Bernard on August 20 and wish a Happy Feast Day to our own St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry!

Here are some books to help you talk about feelings with your kids.

When emotional challenges take over, here are some prayers you can turn to for strength:

Here are some backyard games that teach kids how to regulate their emotions and control their behavior, so you can have some fun and they can learn important life lessons!

1. Simon Says
2. Freeze Dance
3. Red Light, Green Light
4. Musical Chairs
5. Stacking Tower Blocks

The Feast Day of St. Monica is coming up! She was from Algiers. Celebrate her Memorial on August 27 with this Algerian-inspired recipe that will please the whole family! Add in more spices like cumin, coriander, ginger or turmeric if your family enjoys spice or change up the veggies or add-ins to meet your family's tastes!

It's so important for kids to recognize the feelings of others and be able to talk with you about their own emotions. Here are some ways to enter into those conversations and create a safe place for your son or daughter to share.

1. When you are watching something, looking at a book together or just witnessing other people in real life, ask:

What do you think this person is feeling?

Have you ever felt that way?

What did it feel like?

2. Identify your own feelings like: "It makes me so happy when you too sit nicely next to one another at Mass. Can you tell I am happy? How can you tell?"

3. Instead of getting frustrated, identify big feelings when they are having a meltdown. "I can see you are really upset." "Let's take a minute and breathe." "Can we ask God to help us deal with these really big feelings we are having?"

Do you have pets at home? Do you ever try to decipher their feelings? Or go to the zoo and wonder how the animals are feeling there? Here is an interesting download to help you explore and help your child better understand how animals are feeling.

Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester

Editor: Leslie Barkin leslie.barkin@dor.org

Debtor in Possession

Email: oec@dor.org
Website: oec.dor.org
Location: Diocese of Rochester, Buffalo Road, Rochester, NY, USA
Phone: 585-328-3210

See them all here!