Learning about LIFE

Feedback from Participants and Facilitators


Here is what they are saying about the Learning about L.I.F.E. sessions!   

Feedback from the fathers:

  • "Hesitant and skeptical at first but found it to be surprisingly enjoyable!
  • "It was done in a non-threatening, non-judging way. It was good."
  • "It opened discussion with my son."
  • "This was a great lesson!"
  • "Was very well done."
  • "Well organized and very relevant for this age group."
  • "Gave me the words to continue the talking."
  • "It was good to share with my son in a non-threatening way."
  • "Very touching...great time together with my child."
  • "Allowed breaking the ice with my child."
  • "Proactive." 

Feedback from the sons:

  • "Talking about it with my dad was the best part."
  • "Good hearing experiences of others."
  • "This setting made it comfortable to talk about some uncomfortable issues."
  • "The one-on-one talk with my parent was a very special moment."
  • "It is very true."
  • "It was good at shedding some light about the true world."
  • "I learned a lot in this lesson."
  • "Sex isn't something you just do."

 Feedback from the moms:

  • "Our son talked! He never talks to us...but he talked!"
  • "Good, open, honest discussions."
  • "I think more discussions will follow."
  • "Well directed...realistic...infused learning with laughter and reflection."
  • "Mature talk to teens."
  • "It was very helpful looking at different kinds of relationships."
  • "It broke the ice with my son. It was very helpful."
  • "Great! Nice to share and laugh. Well done!"
  • "Helped me reassess my own (relationships) and improve them."
  • "We had a good conversation about her relationship with her boyfriend."
  • "This gave me strength to continue what I have been doing."
  • "This gives me more to reflect on."
  • "This frank discussion will help open up more communication."
  • "Outstanding! I felt all of it was beneficial."
  • "Thanks for giving me this time. We need to make time for this in our busy lives.
  • "Gave me good info. for my parenting job/role."

 Feedback from the girls:

  • "It makes a lot of sense."
  • "I have a new perspective on L.I.F.E."
  • "The lesson helped me learn why you should wait.
  • "It was comfortable. The part about sexual abuse was helpful."
  • "A good experience with my mom."
  • "Helpful. I will use this whenever I am pressured or curious."
  • "The talk with the parents thingy was helpful."
  • "I liked being alone with my parent."
  • "Sexual abuse, it's not your fault......

 Feedback from L.I.F.E. Facilitators:

  • I facilitated all six sessions at my parish.  We had at least 90% attendance.  It was generally a very positive experience. 
  • The comments from parents and students alike were very positive, with parents often demonstrating a sigh of relief that someone had given them the tools to speak to their children about relationships -- both healthy and unhealthy.
  • I enjoyed doing these sessions very much.  It is such an important ministry. 
  • I have learned that it is helpful to reinforce to the parents how wonderful it is that they are devoting this time to protect their children and give them the repetition they need to learn important material.  This seems to diffuse the annoyance of some parents who feel that they have “done this already.”
  • I love the LIFE program because it is focused on relationships of all kinds: how to pay attention to my feelings and what is going on inside me; how to establish boundaries; how to know if boundaries are broken; understanding that I am valuable; knowing that I must care for myself. 
  • I believe programming like this would be better attended and easier to promote if it stood on its own without the “mandate” dragging it into negative, fearful thinking.
  • We are getting a very favorable response to the program in our parish.
  • I was disappointed in the attendance.  The numbers were not nearly as high as had been anticipated.
  • The biggest issue is that the kids are getting the majority of their education about relationships from the media – which teaches them that exploitation is acceptable in a love relationship.  The LIFE program teaches them the true meaning of love and that exploitation is not what God wants for us.
  • I have found that parents value the opportunity to openly talk with their children, and the conversations continue long after they leave a session.
  • This program is truly a process of formation and development that is invaluable to our families, to the Church, and to the world.
  • Before we got started, we assumed that parents would say that their children are getting all this in school.  But we found that because God is do much a part of our presentations, the LIFE curriculum sets itself apart from the public school curriculum.
  • We cannot say enough about the LIFE program.  It has been a huge part of the transformation in our family program this year.
  • Getting the people here is an issue.  I’ve talked to other DRE’s who have experienced similar difficulties in “filling the seats.”
  • My favorite moment is when I ask the parents to talk with their own child about what I have just covered.  You can see unguarded and open discussions happening between the parents and children and you can FEEL the love in the room.
  • Many of the parent feedback sheets expressed an appreciation for the sacred space and the language to talk to their children.
  • My favorite part of the teaching materials is explaining the “I” and “F” lines to the kids and saying that God designed those lines for LOVE.  Once I place the heart around the “ST>SI”, I see a light bulb go on in the kids’ heads, as though they come to an understanding of WHY the church teaches abstinence until marriage.
  • I think the book and the program are fantastic.
  • We are always saying that parents should be the primary educators of their own children.  This program makes that possible.