Corfu, January 22 – The Holy Metropolis of Corfu, Paxoi, and Diapontia Islands hosted the second meeting of its Parents’ School on Monday, January 19, 2026. The event, held at the Spiritual Center, was well-attended and centered on the challenging topic of “How to talk to our children?”
Key Insights from Father Themistoklis Mourtzanos
The main speaker for the evening was Protopresbyter Themistoklis Mourtzanos, General Hierarchical Commissioner of the Holy Metropolis of Corfu and director of the 7th High School of Corfu. Father Mourtzanos opened the discussion by emphasizing the importance and difficulty of dialogue with children.
“The issue of dialogue with our children is very important and very difficult. Our children, from infancy to adolescence, have their own will, their own personality. And this is shaped according to their own dictates,” Father Mourtzanos stated. He stressed that parents should be willing to engage with their children without being oppressive. He posed a crucial question: “Is the priority the children or themselves?” highlighting the need for balance, where parents also care for themselves and their partners to maintain healthy relationships.
The Spiritual Dimension of a Child’s Will
Father Mourtzanos delved into the spiritual aspect of a child’s will, noting that for the Church, human will is a gift from God. “If your will follows God’s will, which is love, then it becomes creative. If, however, it concerns yourself, then it becomes authoritarian,” he explained. He also addressed the common difficulty many children face in understanding right from wrong, cautioning against letting emotional responses override the need for stability and boundary setting.
He further elaborated on the presence of evil in life: “When you don’t do good, then evil appears. Children today have not learned to function with love, creativity, forgiveness. When these three are absent, then there is evil.”
Dialogue: An Expression of Personality and Love
The speaker continued by defining dialogue as an expression of one’s personality. “If dialogue takes place through a spirit of authority, then there is certainly a form of violence. If dialogue takes place with love, then it has room to be fruitful,” he said. He reminded parents that they are not their children’s friends, but rather their parents, and that children have their own friends.
Acknowledging that “there are no perfect parents,” Father Mourtzanos encouraged parents not to be afraid to see the truth in their children. He stressed the need for sensitivity in dialogue to understand the motives behind a child’s behavior, while also being mindful of one’s own fears and motives. He warned against feeling inadequate, which could lead to allowing children to do whatever they please.
Techniques for Effective Communication
Towards the end of his address, Father Themistoklis offered practical techniques for communicating with children:
- Asking Questions: Encourage children to explain what led to bad behavior.
- Avoiding False Promises: Instead of saying “everything will be fine,” which may not be true, suggest “we will try.”
- Expressing Love: Ensure children feel loved.
- Mindful Demeanor: Maintain a loving tone of voice. An angry tone can make a child fearful and less likely to share the full truth.
- Listening and Asking: Actively listen and ask questions.
- Setting Boundaries: Provide guidance and establish clear limits.
- Faith and Prayer: Emphasize the importance of faith and prayer for children.
Following the presentation, a fruitful and constructive discussion ensued with the audience, moderated by Father Spyridon Triantafyllos, the head of the Parents’ School.
Metropolitan Nektarios’s Concluding Remarks
His Eminence Metropolitan Nektarios of Corfu, Paxoi, and Diapontia Islands then addressed the attendees. He highlighted the necessity of faith and the journey parents undertake with their children. “It is not easy today for a parent, with the multiple personal, family, and professional problems they face, to forget them and become a child. To be able to talk to their child,” he remarked.
The Metropolitan noted that children often express in confession that their parents do not understand them. He stressed that a father and mother must truly love their child and find a way to enter their child’s heart, so the child can understand their life’s path. He concluded by stating that the writings of the Church Fathers on parents, teachers, and children remain timeless, just like the Gospel.
His Eminence thanked Father Themistoklis, the organizers of the School, and all attendees. He then blessed the Vasilopita, wishing everyone a good and blessed year for their families and personal lives.
Source: https://www.startmediacorfu.gr/290306-2/
