Sorry for being MIA! If you don't already know, hubby and I have started a vlog (found here). It's been hard adjusting to the schedule change but also my computer was infected by a virus two weeks ago and I recently got it back (minus all my files that were encrypted. Back up your files, folks!)
Anyhoo, as I was sitting in Church this past weekend, I thought this would be a good blog post. I remember taking Andrew to Church every Sunday when he was a little baby - it was always easy because I'd feed him just before going and then he'd sleep through the service.
As he got older, however, and especially once he had learnt to walk, it was extremely hard for us to take him. He was always trying to climb and escape, crying, shrieking, etc. So we tried taking him to the Nursery. It did not go well. We'd sit in there with him for several minutes trying to get him comfortable but after the service we were always told he just cried the whole time. We'd come in to find him hiding under the table or in the corner and eventually, anytime we even went near there, he's bawl. So the Nursery was out.
I'm sorry to say, this stopped us from going to Church for quite some time. We'd occasionally drop him off at my Mother's but couldn't do it every week.
Pretty recently however (I think we started this around April), we decided to take a chance and just bring him to the service. The first few times we'd have to trade off skipping most of service to walk around with him outside, but one day I got smart and packed his diaper bag strategically.
Then one day in May, he sat through the entire service! It was amazing and it made us both so happy! Here's our game plan:
- We bring one or two cars or trains (his favorite toy) for him to play with that he gets as soon as he starts getting restless (which is often after the first song).
- We also pick up one of the kid's bulletins so he can look at/ play with that at the beginning while we look through ours.
- Jesse takes him up for the Children's service which he usually does great with (though I have to kind of hide my face so he doesn't see me and get upset, haha)
- As soon as the sermon starts, we break out the snacks. This usually keeps him sitting, happy, and quiet for the entirety of the sermon.
- He comes up with us every time for a blessing during Communion.
- Then once we return to our seats I usually break out books and maybe another snack if he's too restless.
And this seems to work great with him! One small adjustment we made is bring Jesse's sweatshirt with - Andrew likes to push him trains along the chair legs and as there are spaces at the bottom back of the chairs, the trains sometimes roll off the back of the chair. Meaning the people sitting behind us get to pick up after him a few times. So the last service, I brought the sweatshirt and tucked it in all the openings on the back of the chair. Problem solved.
For us, we only go to Church twice a month (Jesse works the other weekends and it's just easier not to go), plus it makes me feel as though I appreciate things like Communion much more when we don't get it every week. It's very important for us that Andrew go to Church - when he's older we'll help him learn about other religions and let him chose what he identifies with most and allow him to attend those services. But for now, we love taking him every week to get comfortable there, enjoy the Children's Sermon, get a blessing from the Pastor (it's a Lutheran Church) and it also is a great way for him to learn to sit quietly - he's definitely getting better every time!
Well, I guess that's all for now, folks! Just wanted to share this with you guys in case anyone else had/ is having issues bringing their little one to Church :)
TTFN <3
