Other families thinking we are crazy, my mom telling me I am being cruel, people telling me I am missing out on food for me because I have to correct him... I can deal with all that, no problem.
This kid? This kid makes me want to run to the nearest nursery and plop his sweet tushy down!
You don't believe me?! He looks so sweet? HA! Just this Sunday alone he threw a whopper fit towards the end of church. Granted it was fairly quiet with only a few whimpers leaving his lips, but he was throwing his body all over the place!
It is getting a little better. Here are some of the things I do to prepare him for Sunday.We practice during the week. At home. It's easier to correct something immediately at home then in front of people. Almost every morning we have Circle time as a family. We read a Bible story, illustrate it, then do memory work and read a short story. Except for when he is illustrating a story with the other kids he has to sit in a chair right beside me. If he does not he is corrected immediately and put back in the chair. Or quieted down.
We also have family Bible time at night. He sits right by me or daddy and is expected to sit nicely and quietly. He is 2 so we don't expect him to sit perfectly still. Sometimes in church I will give him a banana to eat or a book to look at.
If he cannot sit nicely and quietly he is corrected. Immediately.
When we started taking our kids into worship with us our oldest boy was about 18m old. I used to have to take him out every service and correct him. But he quieted down a lot quicker then Jonathan has. Usually one correction was enough for Adrian. Not so much for Jonathan. :)
When I do have to take him out I correct him. Then we sit for a few minutes. He has to stay in my lap. I will not let him down to play as that is what he wants and he would pitch a fit every Sunday just for that. :) From about 14m - 2.5 years are the hardest for me. I know it seems like forever, but persistence has paid off for us.
Jonathan is finally getting to a point where he can sit in the chair by himself with his little toddler Bible and be happy during church. We sit in the back so that I can take him out if need be. My DH supports all of this. I take him because Dh is the spiritual leader in our family so we think he should be the one to get to actually listen to the sermon. LOL.
Some people go to church to be fed. I spend time in the Word every day so I don't need the feeding so much. I go to worship God. I believe my way of worshipping right now is to show my children how to worship! There will be time as they get older that I can sit back and enjoy the sermon. Our preacher is a gifted man. Fortunately we now have a podcast of his sermons on our website so I get to listen throughout the week.
Now, however, is my time to train my children. That's my worship and ministry.
I posted this in response to someone asking me about it. I think it was Michelle.
I hope this helped. We are not perfect. My five year old (the oldest boy mentioned above) has just decided recently its ok to talk during the service. NO, we don't know where he got that idea. LOL. My oldest is huge fidgeter. To the point of being distracting. My youngest daughter likes to turn around so far in her chair she sometimes ends up on the floor.
Our big secret is we do a lot of training at home during the week. It makes it so a quick tap or look can straighten up just about any of our kids.
Above all we pray. We just ask God to work out any problems ahead of time. We believe this is what God has called us to. To worship in church as a family. We believe by being obedient that God will bless us.
Be Blessed!
Thank you very much for your thoughts! I did practice church at home with my oldest (now 2.5) and he's pretty good now. My littlest is just a fireball and he'll take a little more effort. Me being a human with fleshly laziness, I don't want to put forth more effort : P But I'm just gonna have to suck it up and do it.
ReplyDeleteThanks again!
Ah, those days. You are so right about your calling. It is your children. I always respect a mother who teaches her children to behave in church. The only way to do that is to DO it. He will learn!
ReplyDeleteThis is such great advice! Thank you so much =) We don't go to church, but now that we are settled we will be looking for one and we aren't the type to send our kids to a nursery, even if it is at a church, so this was fantastic for me to read. =)
ReplyDeleteHi, This made me smile! I grew up in church, and my mom trained us how to act in Gods house. There were five of us (close in age) and all it took was a look or a finger snap from her and you would freeze. She let us be kids but NOT in church. We raised our son the same way, and it works. He's now 22, and a wonderful Godly man. It starts a home, just like you said. Good work MOM!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this post.
ReplyDeleteSeveral of my friends and family thought we were crazy for not putting our daughter in the nursery or Sunday School. We had practice times at home, sat in the back at church and taught her how to be quiet the whole time. We have a fabulous relationship and she trusts and loves us completely. And she can go to weddings, funerals, graduations, or any other place where being still and quiet is requested with little difficulty.
Keep up the good work!
You are doing the right thing Julie! Don't give up! One of the previous pastors told us that "parenting in the pews" is one of the hardest thing to do, but it is the best thing in the world for the little one. We don't allow our children to go to "children's church" and we get a lot of guff over it. Just be sure to get your "food" during times with God yourself. You HAVE to be sure and fill the 'vessel' in order to 'feed' your family. Don't be faint-hearted - your trials, in this season, will have grand rewards in the next! Love ya!
ReplyDeleteBy the way - where are you moving to? Are you homesteading also?
Michelle, my youngest is a fireball as well. LOL. It is a constant struggle to be consistent but I just keep telling myself it's only for a season. Soon he will sit pretty good like the rest of my kids and I can go back to just listening.
ReplyDeleteBren, thanks for the encouragement... as always! :)
Stacy, the ultimate joy of looking down the row and seeing your little family is so rewarding. I can't imagine not haveing my family together for this!
Anon, thanks for the words of edification. I love to hear of others who grew up this way and are happy.
Dot, that is one of the other rewards. Having children who know how to sit quietly when needed. Even when we are not at church.
One of my friends asked me what exactly my kids were going to get out of this. I just said, God's Word does not return void.
Lori, I take extra care to make sure I spend a little time everyday with God. Listening to the podcasts of the sermon helps a lot as well.
We don't know where or when exactly we are moving. We have a two year plan and yes we plan to homestead.
How exciting! Maybe you could move to Ohio, by us ;)
ReplyDeleteTake care of each and every chance you have to learn something new! I had no idea things that I was learning five years ago would be useful in the future. He prepares us slowly - things I thought was just a passing fascination with me I am about to put into effect. We just got our first bee-hive. I have to admit, I'm a bit nervous about this one, but where God leads, He provides! We will order our first colony of bees this winter!
Oh, he is such a sweet looking boy!! I have been there and we are going to start again in August! I have six that sit in big church and three in nursery or tiny tots. My 3yr. old will be joining us in Aug. She will be four and that is when they join big church.She is a hand full, I am already preparing myself!! I think we will be moving towards the back of the church for a few months BUT it is all worth it in the end. A mothers calling is the highest calling :-)
ReplyDeleteLori, thanks. I am learning the gardening thing now. Its really hard but I know it will pay off in the end...kind of like parenting. LOL
ReplyDeleteMamabear, it is the highest calling. I love it. Thanks for the encouraging words.
Shaunta, kids are funny that way. They will behave well for other people better than their parents sometimes. We keep our kids with us because after searching the scriptures we could not find why we would seperate our family during a time of worship and teaching. We want to encourage our family to be close together so we do just about everything together.
Voddie Bauchman has a book called Family Driven Faith that I would strongly recommend. He says it oh so much better than I do!
What a woman!!! Our church isn't integrated and when my husband and I said that we were going to try keeping Joshua in church with us I think everyone thought we were daft. We have sent him to the kids room a couple of times but it just doesn't seem right. Joshua isn't the most placid of children, is any 15 month old boy placid? Anyway, this is the first post I have read and I know your blog is one I'll return to.
ReplyDeleteLaura, should I tell you about the yelling fit my baby pitched in church service yesterday. I was appalled! LOL.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you stopped by. I hope I could encourage you in some ways. Right now is the hardest time with your little guy in church. At 15m he is still learning self control and its hard for him. Thats why training and practice at home is so important.
I have four other children in church with me and I can testify to the fact that worshipping together as a family is one of the best choices we have ever made.
Don't worry about the naysayers. We are the only ones at our church who does this. No one in my family thinks its a great idea either. But they are my children. Dh and I have to do what God has called us to. My mom, aunts, friends won't be held accountable for the way these children were raised. We will!
I love your blog. Your baby is adorable!! :)