EWTN's Debbie Cowden, co-author of The Prayer Book for Tired Parents, joins the Catholic Morning Show to introduce EWTN Parents, a new Instagram initiative helping Catholic moms and dads raise saints in a social media world of perfect-parent highlight reels. Debbie takes on the common excuses that keep families from daily Mass, confession, and adoration, and offers realistic, judgment-free ways to grow in holiness as a family. She also explains her viral advice on ditching the "Mass bag" so kids can learn to truly worship.
Debbie Cowden, senior manager of social media for EWTN, joins Deacon Mark Campbell to talk about EWTN Parents, a new Instagram initiative she launched with EWTN colleague Caroline Perkins that topped a million views in its first month. A lifelong Catholic and working mom of four children under ten, Debbie co-wrote The Prayer Book for Tired Parents (EWTN Publishing) with her husband, Dave, and brings that same real-life, Mother Angelica–inspired humor to EWTN Parents.
Debbie explains why there's no one-size-fits-all program for raising saints, whether you homeschool or use Catholic schools, have a child with special needs, or have teens drifting from the faith. She calls out the excuses parents make ("I can't take my kids to daily Mass," "I can't get to confession without childcare," "I don't have time for a holy hour") and shares practical alternatives: a weekday confession time, bringing the baby into the confessional, a "holy fifteen minutes" in front of the Blessed Sacrament, or trading nighttime doom-scrolling for the daily readings. She also shares a painful story of her family being sent out of Mass by an usher and why welcoming young families matters.
Debbie unpacks her most controversial reel: leave the big "Mass bag" of snacks, toys, and fidgets at home (with appropriate accommodations for children with special needs) and give kids a worship aid, like a toddler missal or a First Communion missal, instead. As now-Blessed Fulton Sheen put it, the greatest love story ever told is contained in a tiny white Host.
Follow EWTN Parents on Instagram at @ewtnparents and send content ideas or questions by comment or DM. Find The Prayer Book for Tired Parents at Tired Catholic Parents.
Heard on the Catholic Morning Show, weekdays at 7 a.m. Central on Iowa Catholic Radio. More at IowaCatholicRadio.com.
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