Teach Your Child To Sit During Church

          This post is inspired by a sweet friend who is where I was about a year ago. We had just moved into the new house and our interim (while we built our house) church didn’t have an evening service.  Mr3 had turned 4 just a couple of months prior and was struggling with sitting still and quiet for church until Junior Church was dismissed and even worse, evening service on Sunday night.  Mister and I have both left multiple times dragging Mr3 surfboard style out of the service.  Mr3 is now almost 5 and is doing MUCH better! I honestly never thought we’d get to this point. He still needs lots of reminders and a nap on Sunday afternoons more often than not but he is able to sit and enjoy a quiet activity. Even better than just sitting, he is starting to listen and learn from the service. Here are a few of the things we have used over the years to transition little boys from nursery to sitting quietly in service. When my children are/were young enough to be practicing these tips, I expect them to stand during song time and they can only utilize the activities during the sermon. The time during announcements, songs and scripture reading is just enough time to give them a an opportunity to practice what is expected of them.

Water and restroom prior-

Often Mr3 has a harder time if I realize I didn’t have him go to the bathroom and get a quick drink prior to service. If a little one is uncomfortable, they are going to have a harder time sitting.

Quiet Bag-

A dedicated bag of quiet activities is essential. Coloring books, notebook, crayons, color by number, stories, water pen books, etc. Having a stash of these, and rotating what is in the bag, is essential to keeping them occupied. I often get these items at the Dollar store or Renys.

Candy-

I am not a fan of dishing my kids candy but there are times when it’s ok. They can have a lollipop during the sermon or one small piece during the sermon and one on the way home if they sit well.

Treat at home-

we often have our large meal at lunch on Sundays so dinner is super casual on Sunday evenings. We have a solid snack before service and a banana when we get home.  I’ll reward good behavior with a cookie or other treat I happen to have on hand after service.

Explain why-

I like to stress why we have to sit quietly. We don’t want to interrupt other people learning about Jesus. Instead of saying, “shhhhhh” the entire time I try to say “Mommy is trying to listen, please help me listen and learn what Pastor is teaching.”

Leave the Service-

Like I said, we have taken little boys out of service more than a few times. If they aren’t able to follow their instructions, we remove them from the service and find a place for timeout. Allowing them to go into the nursery is NOT going to support the end goal, in my opinion.

Stick with it!

If you are helping a little one adjust to sitting quietly during service hang in there! Fellow church members have commented on how much better Mr3 is doing so I know he is making progress. The key is to stay consistent, address the negative and focus on the positive, no matter how small.

It can feel like a lost cause but you are teaching your children a valuable lesson.  If they learn now they will have a positive experience in church and prayerfully, keep that habit up!