In the service of life, one of the primary tasks of the family is to teach children the truth about human sexuality and to prepare them well for marriage. John Paul II insists that in accord with the principle of subsidiarity, schools must respect the principle that parents are the first and foremost educators of their children and that all sex education must be education in chastity. Moreover, parents must be attentive to the three states of marriage preparation. Remote preparation takes place in the home as the child from a very young age observes how his or her parents interact.
Proximate preparation takes place as young people learn about the various sacraments and vocations.
Immediate preparation is that which takes in the months and weeks prior to the wedding ceremony as the couple come to appreciate how their marital relationship must be lived in a Christian way. Given that so much dysfunctionality in our culture comes from divorced households, preparation for marriage assumes a very great importance, for intact households give children the stability and self-confidence they need to be leaders in solving the world's problems. If a man and woman are planning to achieve, avoid or postpone a pregnancy, the Billings Method, developed by Drs. John and Evelyn Billings of Australia, will help them to accomplish this. It will also help the woman during all the stages of her productive life, irrespective of whether her cycles are regular or not, during breast feeding, during the time of the menopause and so on.