Should I force my 16-year-old to go to Mass?

[Michie]

If we force a child to go to school they will grow up hating learning, said no parent ever.​

we force a child to go to school they will grow up hating learning, said no parent ever.​

Submit all questions to @askkatrina@aleteia.org

Dear Katrina,


Our 16-year-old son refuses to go to church with the family and says he’s old enough to decide for himself if he should have to go. I am afraid to force the issue because I don’t want him to grow up hating the church but it saddens me that he doesn’t want to go anymore. Should I let it go or persist?

Julia


——————————

Dear Julia,


You can’t force a person to love something but you can force a person to do something, especially if that person is your child living under your roof. If your 16-year-old son came to you today and said he wanted to quit school because he felt like he was old enough to make that decision for himself, would you be afraid to force the issue?

Continued below.

Forcing teens to go to Mass

If we force a child to go to school they will grow up hating learning, said no parent ever.

aleteia.org

 

[JimR-OCDS]

My parents made the rule, :you life in our house and so go by our rules" so, going to church on
Sundays and Holidays was mandatory.