NFP Lessons: Learned, Lived, Shared

“Personally, I’m just glad the school is taking care of it, so I don’t have to”Though the incident was twenty years ago, I vividly recall witnessing a parent (who happened to also be a school board member) stand up and proclaim this at a meeting introducing parents to the new “sex ed” program the school would be using to teach our kids, in an attempt to shut down concerns other parents (ok…me) were expressing about the program.

I have never forgotten it, I guess,  because I was shocked a parent would so flippantly abdicate her responsibility as primary educator of her children, especially on this crucial subject.

I admit, there are a few subjects I could make this statement about, in clear conscience (quantum physics and playing the tuba come instantly to mind). However, certainly NOT among them would be understanding what it means to be created male and female, in the image and likeness of God, and to understand themselves as unique, beautifully and wonderfully made, in the context of the  significant physical and emotional changes they are experiencing as they mature.

Perhaps the reason that mom wanted the school to handle it is that she felt about as equipped to educate her child on the physical, relational, and emotional nature of human and sexual development as I felt to teach my son advanced physics or how to play the tuba!

Of course, all parents are intimidated by the task of articulating such personal and core truths to our children. NFP using parents, however, will find the lessons they have learned and lived essential as they transmit their knowledge, values, and experiences to their children.

1) I Understand My Body. Parents who use NFP can answer the REAL questions kids have, often better than their doctors! How do I know when to expect my period? What is this white discharge I am having? Why do I skip a period some months?  

2) I Know and Embrace Normal. Not every cycle is the same; not every discomfort is pathological; nature is sometimes inconvenient;  not every urge needs to be acted upon; emotions change; understanding my cycle is empowering; I must respect myself if I expect others to respect me.

3) I am Worth Waiting For! The wife who has experienced the generous and self sacrificing love and respect of her husband as they cooperate in their NFP use will be an authentic witness to her daughters that they too are worth the wait.

4) Self Mastery Is Worthwhile and Attainable. Who could be more inspiring to sons struggling with the intensity of their passions then a father who can model putting the good of his beloved above his own physical desires?

5) I Must Take Responsibility for My Own Health. Fertility is not a disease, but a delicate gift to be preserved, and the choices I make now can have lifelong implications.

6) Life Begins at Conception. Only those ignorant of biology could think otherwise, and NFP users are NOT ignorant of biology. This insight, instilled in children from the beginning, could save a life.   

7) Life is a Gift—Always. Every child is a gift from God, whose value is not dependent upon the circumstances of conception. Our dignity and worth are not a reflection of how “planned” we were

8) Don’t Wait til the Last Minute To Go the Bathrrom & Wipe Front to Back. Go ahead, laugh, but hey, some important lessons are more practical than profound.

What would you add to the list, that you learned from NFP, and have, through word or example, shared with your children?