Church can quickly become an exasperating, frustrating, and embarrassing experience for parents whose children have trouble staying quiet or sitting still through an entire service. In addition to being unable to truly worship, parents also worry about their kids disrupting others.
These snacks, toys, and tips for including children in church services and handling unruly kids will help the whole family to actually get something out of religious services – even with children in tow.
Church Appropriate Snacks for Toddlers
When attending church with young children, it's necessary to bring along a snack or two to keep them occupied. But remember that too much will create a disturbance and teach the child that the primary reason for coming to church is to eat.
Good snacks for church are ones without a crinkly or noisy wrapper (re-package them in a Ziploc bag at home if necessary).Try to choose dry, bite-sized snacks like Goldfish or fruit snacks that minimize the possibility of leaving a smeary mess or dropping crumbs on the floor.
Good Quiet Toys for Kids in Church
Just like with snacks, it's important to find a good balance between not enough toys and too many. Having too many toys is disruptive, causes fights between siblings, and may end up forcing the parent to spend the whole time playing with their child rather than listening to the service! Quiet, manageable toys that encourage independent play are best for church, such as:
- Sewing Cards – Preschoolers enjoy sewing cards, which are small cardboard cutouts with holes punched along the outside. Kids can weave in and out through the holes with a shoelace or a piece of yarn.
- Drawing and Coloring – A coloring book and a small assortment of crayons (not a whole box!), or just a single sheet of paper and a pencil, can quietly keep a child busy while you listen to the service. Crayola Color Wonder markers only color on special paper, eliminating the worry of a child marking up the pew or walls by accident.
- Picture Books – Materials from a Christian bookstore simultaneously keep young children entertained while help them learn about their faith.
Ways to Involve Young Kids in a Church Service
Even though toys and snacks are practical necessities during church, don't overlook the spiritual aspect of a toddler who attends church. Kids learn a surprising amount just by paying attention for a moment or two. Parents can include children in the service as much as possible by getting creative.
Younger kids can help parents follow the words of the hymns with a finger or touch their nose when they hear a certain word or phrase in the chorus. Preschoolers might benefit from occasional 5-second summaries of the sermon from parents. Kids can draw replicas of artwork on the church walls or a picture of the pastor giving the sermon. Children who are able to read can check off a bingo card with "church" words that will probably be mentioned during the service.
Dealing with a Disruptive Child in Church
No matter how hard a parent tries to keep their young children busy in church, sometimes they will become loud or disruptive and will have to be taken out. The important thing is not to reinforce the disruptive behavior by letting them run wild in the hallways or play with toys outside the chapel.
Being taken out of church should not be more fun than remaining in church. If possible, take disruptive children to a chair or sofa and have them practice sitting with you reverently and quietly (even if they loudly protest at first) until they are ready to return to church.
Don't Give Up Attending Church as a Family
Parents of young children may wonder why they even bother to attend church services when they may spend more time in the hallway than in the chapel. But don't give up! Going to church as a family sends the message that faith is important, and it lays the groundwork for a child's future religious commitment. Even if they don't appear to get anything out of it now, the very fact that the entire family goes together regularly will leave a lasting impression.
Maybe parents won't experience a completely peaceful church service until children grow older, but that's okay. It's just one of the hazards of being a parent. Armed with appropriate snacks, toys, and techniques, parents can help their young children to successfully make it through church services.
Readers might also enjoy "Activities to Help Preschoolers Bond with Dad" and "Focusing on Christ at Easter."
Jenny Evans - Jenny Evans is a freelance writer and editor specializing in parenting and the family. She is also the Mormonism Topic Editor for ...
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