There’s nothing more precious than a sleeping baby in church. But if those days are only a memory, then you must be the parent of a toddler. It may seem hopeless, but there are some things you can do to keep your weekly worship with a toddler from becoming an exhausting workout.
Two- and three-year-olds love to pretend, so one way to prepare for church is to play church. Kids love this.
( In 4K we have been playing it for two weeks. We have had a wedding and two baptisms) Set some chairs in rows and create a congregation from your child’s collection of stuffed animals and dolls. Sing songs. Bow your heads to pray. And whisper to each other. (Whisper at other times of the day, too.) Make a game out of trying to be as loud as you can and as quiet as you can. Talk about different situations and which voice, quiet or loud, is appropriate. Soon your child will learn to whisper like a pro.
Preparation is still important. But don’t overdo it. We’ve all seen the parents with the giant diaper bag. That infamous bag of goodies used to distract kids in church leads to a big mess of cereal crumbs on the pew and crayon marks on the hymnals. It’s a mistake.
I used to think that as long as I had enough diversions, I could satisfy every whimper. It took me a while, but I learned I was wrong. Give your kids a chance to be good. Sometimes less is more.” After a good night’s sleep and a hearty breakfast, with just a few necessities: diapers, juice, a pad of paper, and crayons set off expecting the best. To my astonishment with less my boys’ behavior improved. When they knew ahead of time that there was no vast menu of treats, they stopped misbehaving in order to get them.
Everyone knows that kids will still act up from time to time. .If your child does something deserving of more extraordinary discipline, do it in a private setting after leaving the sanctuary. (And be sure to include a reminder to your child that you love him.)
The most important thing for your toddler to get out of church-going experiences is a sense of joy. Attending church with a toddler shouldn’t be an endurance test; it should be up lifting for everyone. Keep a positive outlook. Sing the songs or listen to the choir. Look at the brightly colored windows and the pictures and symbols that decorate the church. Think happy thoughts. That’s right! It may sound a little idealistic,
but that is exactly what God wants when we visit his house--happy thoughts. That’s what worship is. That’s what we came to express. So share that joy with your little worshiper.
Rewritten from Sowers and Seeds, a WELS publication for Early Childhood Educators
Written on Tuesday, 15 March 2011 17:11 by Webmaster