Author: Stef Patag
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Revisiting the HP Dilemma: What’s A Parent to Do?
I hesitated writing this post for my friend because almost every single discussion I’ve seen or been in online about HP eventually devolved into personal attacks. There are good arguments on both sides of the divide, so it pays to evaluate both and decide what approach you want for your family. The Choice You Need […]
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Musings on My Stinky Veil
A few months ago, while in St. Louis to help care for my Papa who was dying, we attended Mass at a church we hadn’t been to before. Like our kids, we love visiting different churches whenever we are out of town. I realized belatedly that I had left my black veil back home in […]
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A Character Report Card for Catholic Homeschoolers
We’ve been using this character report card sporadically for a while now. We updated it recently so we can use it with the 9-year-old who needs this kind of guidance and self-monitoring at this time. So I thought I’d share with other homeschoolers who might be able to use it in their homeschool. You can […]
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Even Sporadic NFP Use Has Many Untold Benefits
My husband and I were one of those Catholic couples who got married not knowing about Natural Family Planning (NFP). We planned to have kids right away and were ultimately shooting for six kids (five for a basketball team and one “extra” for a sub). By the time our first child was born, however, […]
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How to Trust Like Mary
Tradition holds that Mary was in the midst of prayer when the Archangel Gabriel came with his message. At that moment, her mind, her soul, her heart, her very body, was prepared to receive. “Hail, full of grace,” he greeted her. It was her life of prayer that gave her the humility to listen, to […]
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Is Contraception Really What Filipinas Want?
This past week, I ran across three interesting posts online, from three different Pinays. The first comes from a single woman studying at one of the top universities in the Philippines. In it, she tells Facebook that she is for contraception. What message does this send? Some probable responses: she’s modern she’s progressive […]
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“Do The Next Thing”: A Curriculum
“Classical relaxed unschooling” sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? But it describes our CURRENT style of homeschooling so well. Notice I said CURRENT; I’m not the same homeschooler I used to be when we got started 18+ years ago. My homeschooling philosophy has evolved through the years. In the beginning I naturally gravitated toward […]
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Of Suffering, Safety Nets and Kings
Over the past few weeks, PinayVoices has been hopping because of our posts on divorce. It can be draining. It’s exhausting to talk to unhappy women who, blinded by anger, can’t get past their own view of things to hear what others are saying. Misunderstanding is a given. I wasn’t surprised, but what bothered me […]
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Know Thyself
If there’s any piece of advice I’m taking myself this year and giving to others, it would be this: know thyself. When we’re in our teens, we’re still figuring out our identity and our purpose in life. As adults, it’s imperative that we have a firmer grasp of who we are and why we’re […]
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How I Organize My Life, Part 2
Part 1 is here. Time to talk about materials. I used to buy a new planner every year, often trying out what my friends were buying/recommending. I know myself better now. In the past I’ve been so excited about “starting over” with a fresh planner (This will be the year! I’ll get my act together! […]