Let's Quit Saying Parents are "Sacrificing" to Send Their Kids to Our Schools!

Language matters, and over time, it shapes our thinking. That’s why I advocate that we ditch using “sacrifice” to describe what parents do when they send their children to Catholic schools. “Sacrifice,” in simplest terms, means “to sell at a loss” or to “give up something.” If we tell parents they are “sacrificing” to send their children to us, we are telling them, literally, that they are doing charitable work to send us their kids, when in fact, they are doing exactly the opposite: they are INVESTING in our schools for something of great value for their children. 

Do we praise parents for their “sacrifice” in purchasing a nice home for their families? Do we extol parents for “sacrificing” to buy their kids a car? Do we thank families for “sacrificing” to take their families on vacation? Of course not. These are value propositions. We judge homes, cars and vacations as worthy of our money.

By using the language of “sacrifice” we unwittingly devalue our schools, projecting ourselves as weak and puny, beggars for our parent's charity. Here, instead, is our value proposition:

Catholic schools provide a first-tier education for their children, within the context of a joyful, practicing community of faith.  

 

Catholic schools help students discern God’s will for their lives, which leads to their life-long happiness.

Catholic schools help kids get to heaven!

The truth is, paying to send their children to our schools is the best investment a parent can ever make! 

Let’s get our swagger back!