When exploring the deep and complex teaching of Pope Saint John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, we can easily get lost in the high-minded philosophy of it all. Even in considering its most practical aspects for our lives, we can often find ourselves asking, “Okay, that’s great. But how do I help my kids understand this?” Well, here are five practical tips for bringing TOB into your home, school, or parish.
1. Encounter the Body of Christ
As with every aspect of Catholic life, prayer and the Sacraments remain the number one priority. While a cultured and learned man in his own right, Pope John Paul’s insights came not just from books, but from God. His robust prayer life and commitment to the Sacraments played an essential role in his philosophy. So, prayer and the sacraments will help us when we try to bring this philosophy to life for our children. After all, doesn’t it make sense for us to know God personally, when trying to explain to others what it means to be made in His image?
2. Everybody off their phone
This may be another obvious one, but important nonetheless. Most parents and educators nowadays see the urgent need to keep young children off of phones. But what about us? Even if we can manage to keep our kids from using screens all the time, our actions speak volumes above our rules. Kids watch what we do, so as adults, we have to take extra care in the example we set. By staying off our own phones to stay present with our kids, our bodies model for them the importance of keeping ourselves present when with others.
3. Say, “The body matters”
Kid’s love to ask, “Why?” When it applies, this handy phrase can help cement one of Pope John Paul’s core ideas in our children’s minds. “No, you can’t have candy for breakfast. Why? Because the body matters, and it will hurt your tummy.” “Yes, you have to go play outside. Why? Because the body matters, and you need sunlight and fresh air.” This phrase applies to so many facets of life, and it can help to cement in the minds of our children the idea that we ought to treat our bodies a certain way.
4. Learn the language of the body
Pope John Paul taught us that the body speaks a language. Intentionally or otherwise, we communicate things to each other through the language of the body. When we smile, we express happiness; when we cry, sadness. But this also means we can lie with our bodies. For instance, we can cry for undeserved sympathy or smile to deceive someone. By teaching our children what certain bodily actions mean, we can help them understand the importance of telling the truth with their body.
5. Read The Body Matters books
This list could go on for a very long time. That’s why we created all of our original and engaging programs to help teach TOB! The Body Matters shares Pope John Paul’s teachings with children through age-appropriate story books, parent guides, and educator guides. We took Pope John Paul’s deep and dense work of philosophy and made it accessible to all ages and stages.
Prayer will always help in our efforts to form children.
Chris Tarantino is the Communications Director for TOBET. He studied History at The University at Texas A&M and has written for the Tennessee Register and Nashville Catholic.
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