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SeaStar
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| Posted: Oct 20 2006 at 8:44pm | IP Logged
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I'm just wondering what the majority of you do... I know you all teach religion at home, but do you still send your kids to CCD? Does your parish require it? What about for the sacraments- can you/do you prepare at home, or does your church require classes?
Thanks-
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organiclilac
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We are so very blessed to have a homeschool coop for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, so that will be our religious ed. I actually haven't spoken to our priest about it, since ds won't be ready for Holy Communion until next year, but I don't forsee any problems with him doing this instead of CCD.
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Tracy, wife to Shawn, mama to Samuel (4/01) and Joseph (11/11), and Thomas (2/15)
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Mrs.K
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We don't participate in CCD classes and we do all sacrament prep ourselves at home. We purchase our own materials.
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rm4mrfrus
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We too do it all at home. So far we have not had any questions or comments from the DRE or our pastor. We do have some of the other parents comment about not seeing our kids at CCD, but just in a quizzical kind of way, not unkindly. When we moved here and I was briefly telling the DRE that we do Catechism at home, she did not seem put off by it and just said that if I wanted to use the books that they did I was welcome to it. (which I don't-they use Faith First and we use Faith and Life and CHC books-I like ours much better! ) I also found a video about Catechesis of the Good Shephere in the CCD area last week so I did ask the DRE if I could borrow it and watch. I would love to see that in our parish, but do not feel up to being the one to start it. I would have the kids participate in that if it became an option. We did in our old parish and it was great!
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Hollee married to dh in 94,
ds(96), dd(97), ds(00), ds(02), ds(03) and dd(05)
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mellyrose
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| Posted: Oct 21 2006 at 2:59am | IP Logged
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I do send my son to our parish's religious ed classes. Not that he's learning much of anything, though . . . it's more of a social thing for him; he's 5.
He came home the first day and said "Did you know that nobody else knew the Hail Mary? Or the Our Father?" He was amazed, and then said "I bet they don't know the Apostles Creed then, either?"
We do a lot of faith building and catechesis at home, and always have. At the same time, I believe that the classes help him build community within our parish and that's important. I just don't count on them to provide him much instruction -- I know that's my responsibility. If I felt that they were presenting things incorrectly, however, he would not continue. As it is, esp. at this level, they just don't present much at all.
Our parish totally supports families who choose to do all their religious ed at home -- and does not give grief over the sacraments (or at least I've not heard any stories that they have, and I know a few families who do it on their own.)
Melanie
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lapazfarm
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I send my 5yo dd for the social experience, but was pleasantly surprised to find she is learning much also. They use Faith and Life, so I feel comfortable with it. I do not send my other children though and my Priest is fine with it. I told him what we were doing and he was pleased and said we must be doing something right as all my children have such a strong faith and love for the Church.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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saintanneshs
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No CCD for us here.
We do religious instruction and sacrament prep. at home with no guidelines from the DRE at all. I WAS asked at the beginning of CCD registration (last year) to sign my name up as a homeschooler, just so the DRE would know who we were when it was time to rec. the sacraments and our pastor said he'd like to talk with us about how we're preparing our children. Since then I haven't heard a thing from the DRE's office and our pastor has really come to know us well and doesn't seem the least bit interested in setting up an appointment to make sure we're "following through." Other than attending the organizational meetings (info. for parents with First Communicants), which don't come until spring, I've been told by other homeschooling moms that that's it. 
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Michaela
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We do send our children to the religious ed. classes. It's mainly for the social aspects, especially for Nathan & Olivia.
They honestly aren't learning anything that they don't already know ...... even if Nathan insists on telling their instructor (our parish DRE) otherwise.  Nathan loves to tell me what he learned & that his teacher taught him FIRST....like the sign of the cross...umm, he has known that for as long as I can remember, but he insists his teacher taught him first.
Because of the rap song used to teach it. I certainly cringed when they showed me and had second thougths about letting someone else teach them. 
For the Sacraments, our parish have the children to come to a one-time class for two hours, get books, and the four questions to study for that will be asked at an interview a month or two later....they even supply the answers to the four questions  . So, every family homeschools their children to receive the sacraments (even if they are public or private schoolers).
Nicholas is actually learning in his 5th grade class.
The socialization in that class is the problem. He has told me he has never seen children disrespect an adult the way many of his classmates act in class.
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Michaela
Momma to Nicholas 16, Nathan 13, Olivia 13, Teresa 6, & Anthony 3
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Oct 21 2006 at 7:16pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for all the input. I'm pretty sure my parish will require CCD, esp for the sacraments, but it sounds like it really just depends on where you live. Also, it sounds like some of the programs are very worthwhile- hope we get one of those!
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krygerzoo
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I've done sacrament prep both ways. Oldest son was prepared exclusively at home. Our second child (also prepared at home!!) went through CCD and received Sacraments with her class.
Hubby prefers they go with their peer group and CCD. I prefer the simple reverence of receiving First Communion without the "parade" and "show", personally! Although I do love to see all the kiddos together on their big day. We gave our third child the choice. He opted for home instruction only and just joined us at the Lord's Banquet 10/1 
We did get inquiries from a few folks about his receiving the Eucharist "early" as opposed to the rest of the group in the spring.
I think our priest would've rather CCD just to "close the gap" with home schoolers and public schoolers. I just didn't want ONE more thing on our commitment list.
Blessings, Katherine
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graciefaith
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Yes we do. But i will be doing CGS with them at home as well. Today dd's teacher was so impressed with her because she was the only one in the class to know the Our Father. Dd is only 5yo and enjoys it so she'll be staying in it. Her kindergarten book is Faith First.
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ALmom
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We generally do not do CCD and teach exclusively at home. We do take one of the grade level versions of the Diocesan religion test when our dc fall in that category. He has requested that everyone take the test and everyone offering RE must offer the test. Our administrator thus offers the test. However, if someone misses that CCD class, they do not have make-ups so it is pretty much up to us. We use our own materials, etc. but in Sacramental years, we do make sure we look at whatever our parish is using and whatever things the bishop has given (ie he wrote a Handing on the Faith which covers a sort of minimum at each grade level - so we do make sure we have addressed those things).
Confirmation year is the one year that the parishes can seem pretty adament about doing their classes. At our previous parish, Father just OKd us for the Sacrament, asked us to do the interview and practice. At our current parish, we were asked to attend the class which met once per month for about 2 hours. The DRE taught it, had some helpful resources but with 75 kids in one room and starting with snacks it really was a waste of time for us to be there. I wish I could have just gotten her lectures taped, and her handouts and skipped the "Community Picnic Club" which was my dd nickname for it. It was not particularly harmful (we did do our own retreat instead of the overnight one) and was worth showing a willingness to cooperate and not just insist on our own way.
We always do our own preparation for First Communion and ask to join the kids who have to make-up for missing the original one. This shows that we are not trying to be stand-offish from the parish, while still avoiding the Children's Liturgy and the photographer in their face - plus all the emphasis on the pageantry (more of a show)rather than the awesome and reverent moment that it is. It does get uncomfortable to always feel like you are asking for special favors but this is one time we feel it is essential - especially at that tender age.
Janet
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Alcat
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We don't do CCD even though my dear mil is the DRE for both parishes in our area. We did do it up until Thanksgiving of last year, but it was just too hard for me with a toddler to hang out for an 1&1/2 hrs after mass.
We found we weren't having any time together as a family... I didn't feel like cooking our traditional Sunday morning brunch and by the time we got home from church it was about an 1hr before kick off (yes, I am a football Sunday widow ) Our Sundays are much more peaceful now, but the younger dc do miss "school".
My ds 8 just made his FHC today and it was sooo wonderful. It was so special and peaceful. He was torn about making it with his class back in May, but he didn't like going to class. After much discernment we decided we would postpone his FHC until he was really ready (read "hungry for the Eucharist"). I couldn't be more pleased with the way things turned out.
We might to CCD again someday, but not at the cost of family life. Our dc, like yours, have religion everyday, we try to go to daily mass at least once a week, we work hard to live our faith... and that is FAR more effective than ANY once a week CCD class could ever hope to be.
God Bless,
Alison
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teachingmom
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We did all it all at home for many years. When we moved to our current parish, I started sending my preschoolers to the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Atrium. My current kindergartener and 2nd grader each spent a few years attending and loved it. Now my 2yo just started and has the same teachers my other girls had and it has been just as wonderful. She comes home singing the songs and talking about the prayers and activities.
From kindergarten on up, the girls have daily religion lessons as part of our homeschool.
Now this year for the first time, we are sending one of our school-age children to religious ed classes. Right before parish classes started in September, my oldest dd (7th grade) asked me if she could attend Confirmation classes with her best friend next door. When I looked into the class, I learned that they use Faith and Life, the teacher is a wonderful woman who I know and trust to teach the faith fully, and they have classes for boys and girls separately in middle school (great idea!). We agreed, and the DRE was nice enough to make room for dd in the class of our choice at the last minute. Since I hadn't intended to do this, I told dd that she would still be expected to complete at home all that I had planned for her in religion this year. She agreed without complaint.
So far it has been a great experience. I am completely impressed with the teacher. She sends detailed notes of the lesson via email to parents each week. It seems like a wonderful way to catechize the parents who are either nominal Catholics or who received poor faith formation.
By the way, our pastor and DRE are VERY homeschool friendly, so there is no pressure to attend religious ed classes, even in sacrament preparation years.
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~Irene (Mom to 6 girls, ages 7-19)
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Kristen in TN
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We don't do CCD right now. We did for my eldest son's First Communion year. It was a smaller parish, with a wonderful priest and a wonderful CCD teacher. With my second son, we had moved to another state and we are in between 2 parishes. The parish that we like better, and now belong to, has a Catholic school attached to it and we are the only homeschoolers. We felt we needed more time to let Fr. (who is wonderful!) get used to the idea of homeschooling. So, while at the other parish that is kind of lax (long story!) we got permission for our son to make his First Holy Communion at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, AL (Mother Angelica's place) with Fr. Robert J. Fox (of Fatima Family Apostlate) who says Mass everyday at noon. It was simple and beautiful, with out all the pagentary. We have antoher year or so before we have to worry about the next one. In the meantime, we do goto daily Mass frequently. Fr. lets my boys serve when there is no school and on Wednesday nights, and some Sundays if they make it there before others get there.
God bless,
Kristen in TN
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Tina P.
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Here's my story:
We registered the kids for CCD, found out that we would have to drop off and pick up kids 3 or 4 different times and days, Jacob would have to go during mass  , found out that the First Communion teacher does *not* like homeschoolers ~ I guess they think we're elitists, is of a liberal mindset (even though our pastor who inherited this church is very traditional), and is just plain mean, and decided that not ONE of our children needs CCD. The CCD Coordinator got a little huffy with me when I told her. "Well, don't you want your son to be recognized in church?"
"No," I said, "Those who are important to us know that he is getting his First Holy Communion."
"Well, don't you want to go on the retreats and go to the special masses?"
"It's not necessary."
"Well, don't you want him to receive his First Communion from Fr. Eric?"
"Yes, that would be nice. But it is not necessary. I teach my children their catechism five days a week. If I am not allowed to have his First Holy Communion here, we'll find a parish where we can." I spoke to Fr. Eric afterwards. He loves homeschoolers. He doesn't want to rock the boat too much with people who've been doing CCD longer than he has been a priest. But he told us he'd sneak us in.
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vmalott
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We've done CCD for as long as we've been homeschooling. DH is a catechist and has taught 6th and 7th grades in two different parishes. Our former parish wasn't as welcoming of homeschoolers, even though the DRE was wonderful and a close friend of ours. Our current parish is wonderful for homeschoolers and doesn't have a problem with those who wish to do sacramental preparation at home either.
Every year, we've given the kids the choice to do "church school" or to just do religious ed at home (which we do anyway). They always choose CCD even though that means rising earlier than normal on Sunday mornings. I think they enjoy the social aspect of the classes. Since DH teaches, he takes the 3 oldest children with him in the morning and then, after class is over, we meet up with the youngest 3 and attend Mass.
This parish seems to be taking sacramental preparation more seriously, letting parents know that the children need to know certain prayers, etc. by certain dates. What we like most, though, is that the children are visited frequently by the Dominican Friars and Novices who are in charge of the parish.
Oh, and DD's 2nd grade classroom has such a beautiful miniature Mass kit on display! I'm hoping that the CCD teacher will be able to use it for instruction. The bonus is this is the same classroom that our 3yo takes his classes in, so he is getting that early up-close exposure. 
Valerie
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Valerie
Mom to Julia ('94), John ('96), Lizzy ('98), Connor ('01), Drew ('02), Cate ('04), Aidan ('08) and three saints in heaven
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Do you send your kids to CCD class?
