By Laura Kizior
We hear this all the time: “My family is very pro-life. I’m sure my kids know abortion is wrong.” But just as you cannot assume that your children will be Catholic simply by taking them to Mass every Sunday, you cannot make the assumption that your children will be able to hold onto their pro-life beliefs unless you are intentionally sharing the pro-life message with them on a daily basis.
Today’s Christian families are beautiful to watch—beautiful, smiling children eager to help others and practice virtues. But even in these faithful families, the pro-life message can be lost in the chaos of everyday life. We show our kids the beauty of family life and the sacredness of every human being, but oftentimes we forget to sit down and explain WHY family is important, and we may not even know HOW to explain the pro-life message.
Teaching the culture of life must be more than just a once daily class. It is a way of life—a way of thinking and acting. Just as you must learn to walk before you can run, you cannot become a pro-life activist without first learning the basic foundation for why every person deserves to live. Here are four ways you can start incorporating pro-life topics into your family’s daily routine:
- Pray for the safety and protection of all human beings. This is more specific than just praying for an end to abortion or violence in the world. Praying in this manner helps us recognize that every person, in every stage of life, deserves to be treated with dignity from the first moment of existence until God the Creator calls us home.
- Teach your children about the beauty of a preborn baby’s development. Teach them the science behind their story—and the story of every human person. The more children see the intricate stages of a preborn baby’s life, the more they will realize how each human being is a gift from the Creator.
- Turn every moment into a teaching moment. Even family movie night can be a source of pro-life education. Watch pro-life films as a family and use those stories to jump-start discussions on how to live a pro-life life. Use tools like the Miracle of Life Coloring & Activity Book to show your children what a culture of life looks like.
- Train your children to help others, not just in simple ways, but in ways that exhibit an understanding of the importance of every human being. Explain that helping others should go above and beyond common courtesy. Encourage your children to be first to volunteer when they see someone in need, even if it means they will receive nothing in return for their kindness.
Pro-life education is more than an antidote to the culture of death. It is the way we will end threats to the dignity of the human person in our country. When students see the incredible beauty of a preborn baby’s development or learn how every single person is uniquely created by God, they can begin to realize the value of every human being.
We cannot assume our children are ready to speak up for the weak in our society if we never show them how. We won’t win the battle for human dignity by passively teaching our children. If we want to change the culture, we must equip our children with the tools to live as ambassadors of the pro-life message.
Laura Kizior is the digital media and communications manager for the Culture of Life Studies Program. Her work has appeared on Verily.com, CatholicMom.com, LifeSiteNews.com, Celebrate Life Magazine, TeachersSavingChildren.org, and in the Pro-Life Healthcare Alliance newsletter.