Parents, Children and the Facts of Life

by Henry V. Sattler

Father Sattler has written Parents, Children and the Facts of Life to help parents fulfill the extremely important duty of training boys and girls to be pure and innocent, and eventually to enter marriage with a noble and holy purpose if God calls them to that state of life. According to the official Catholic teaching, sex education is the duty of the parents, yet many parents still struggle to convey the facts of life to their children in a natural and inspiring way. Applying traditional Catholic principles to very practical questions, Fr. Sattler explains what parents should tell their children, when and how they should tell it, what moral and psychological dangers they must avoid, and what questions they should anticipate. His conversational and down to earth style provides parents with the confidence and practical wisdom to fulfill their role as their children's primary teachers of the facts of life.

260 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1993

Reviews

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was just what I needed! I love that it starts with explaining that Catholics CAN trust this book. It has been checked by the Church, by priests, nuns, moral theologians, parents, doctors, psychologists, you name it. Then he goes on to explain concepts AND their applications to real-life. He goes to lengths to make sure parents understand what the correct view is, how/when/how much to tell children, how to guard them from sexual sin, and also leaves some flexibility in the hands of the parent since they know their child and situation best. It's very balanced. There are even study questions for a group study situation, and a "quiz" including realistic situations with which the reader can test their new knowledge (e.g. Johnny, age 12, found himself in such-and-such situation and did X, followed by Y. Did Johnny sin by doing X? Did he sin by doing Y? If so for either, was it venial, or mortal? Why or why not?). Incredibly helpful advice including enough detail to ease my mind, but not so much nitty-gritty theological jargon that it is overwhelming. The whole goal is to equip parents to have these important discussions and to guard their children from sin in the process. I highly recommend it!

[Christie Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Resource Warning: this book recommends a novel by the title of Never No More. It’s my understanding it’s being suggested for indirect methods of instruction. There is a chapter with a well written scene about menstruation and the facts of life however, I am very glad that I read the book before giving it to my daughter. I am confused and baffled as to why this would be suggested for young girls. I hope I am misunderstanding and it’s recommended solely for that chapter, but that is not the way it’s written in the resources section. Be aware and read it for yourself first so you can decide what’s best. I very much appreciated this book but am surprised the same man who wrote this book for parents would suggest that title for young girls.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much clear, straight-forward, truth. There is so much wisdom in these older books - it's a shame they aren't touted more to modern parents. Instead, today's publishing houses only push the latest stuff, which can't hold a candle to Fr. Sattler. Given his approach, it was good to read while my kids are young and will definitely re-read in a couple more years. The "suggested other works" section has many titles as well that I can hopefully obtain.