…they all walked sedately into the church. The first clang of the bell rang out when they were on the steps.
After that, there was nothing to do but sit still till the sermon was over. It was two hours long. Almanzo’s legs ached and his jaw wanted to yawn, but he dared not yawn or fidget. He must sit perfectly still and never take his eyes from the preacher’s solemn face and wagging beard. Almanzo couldn’t understand how Father knew that he wasn’t looking at the preacher, if Father was looking at the preacher himself. But Father always did know.”
–From Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder¹
A hundred and fifty-ish years ago, this is how children were expected to behave in church. I love a good sermon, but I’m not sure even I could meet those behavioral expectations, and, these days, I certainly wouldn’t expect my children to. But fast forward from the 1800’s to 2015, and think about how you may have seen some children behave in church. It’s quite a bit different from Almanzo’s experience, wouldn’t you say?
I don’t think we need to dial things back a hundred and fifty years, though. A little fidgeting, a Bible dropped loudly on the floor, a few seconds of wailing while you frantically search for the lost pacifier, a bit of jabbering, none of these things are a big deal. But neither should a toddler be allowed to run up and down the aisles of the sanctuary for the bulk of the sermon. Eight year olds do not need to be crawling around on the floor between the pews playing with toys. Twelve year olds can reasonably be expected to stay awake, sit still, and pay attention during the service. We expect our children to obey us (and other adults) and behave properly in a variety of places: school, the grocery store, restaurants, on their sports teams, at scout meetings.
Why, when the worship service is far more important than any of these, would we not require them to act appropriately in church? And when we require them to behave themselves in all these other venues but not in church, what are we teaching them about the importance of church, reverence, God?
But, if you’ll determine in your heart to train your child to control himself and behave appropriately during church, you might be surprised at all the blessings and benefits you encounter along the way.
What is appropriate church behavior?
That’s going to vary by age. Obviously, a three year old isn’t going to sit perfectly still for thirty minutes and take sermon notes. But, believe it or not, you can start (and I would strongly recommend) training your child from infancy that church is a place where we sit still, sit quietly, listen when it’s time to listen, and participate when it’s time to participate.
How do I train my child?
The first and best way to train your child is by modeling proper church behavior yourself. Does he see you singing enthusiastically during the worship time? Are you checking your makeup or Facebook during prayer? Are you visibly paying attention during the sermon? Constantly talking to your husband or a friend during the service? Your child will imitate what he sees and take his cues from you as to what is acceptable behavior.
Otherwise, you train your child in church the same way you would train him in any other situation. If you were at a restaurant, and your baby was crying incessantly, you would tend to his needs at the table, or, if you couldn’t, you would take him out to the lobby or outside until he calmed down. The simple act of doing so begins to plant the idea in his mind that a certain level of behavior is expected in that venue.
If your school aged child won’t sit quietly in his seat at school, the teacher administers the appropriate discipline, and, possibly, you do too, at home.
It’s the same way at church. You let your child know what is expected of him behavior-wise at church, praise him when he does well, and administer discipline when he disobeys.
A few helpful hints:
Infants and toddlers:
If your church offers a nursery, there’s no shame in making use of it. As a stay at home mom, I well remember the days when church was the only opportunity I had for a small breather from my children, adult fellowship, and hearing God’s word without interruption.
But if you want to have your infant or toddler in church with you, that’s great! Be sure your diaper bag is well stocked with anything you might need to keep a little one relatively still and quiet. Bottles, pacifiers, small snacks that won’t make too much of a mess, some small, soft toys (such as stuffed animals or board books- maybe even a special one that’s only for Sundays) that he can quietly play with in his lap.
Try to choose a seat on the aisle near a door in case you need to make a hasty exit. Also, try to sit somewhere where any noise your child might make won’t be picked up by the pastor’s (or other) microphone.
Older children:
Sometimes well meaning Sunday school teachers serve sugary snacks or other foods/drinks that might make your child jittery. If so, it may be more difficult for him to sit quietly during church. Check out the snack situation in your child’s class, and serve him a breakfast that won’t give him the fidgets.
Make a bathroom/water fountain pit stop before the service a weekly habit. If your child would benefit from running a lap or two outside before the service to work off some energy, make that part of the weekly routine as well.
Dress your child appropriately, yet comfortably for church. I still remember the scratchy lace on some of my childhood Sunday dresses. And sitting up against the back of a pew or chair wearing a dress that ties in the back? Absolute torture when that knot dug into my spine. It’s kind of hard to sit still when your entire outfit is conspiring against you.
Get them started on taking notes during the sermon. Give your preschooler some crayons and paper and help him listen for something in the sermon he can draw a picture of (a sheep, Jesus, an angel, a garden…).
Lower elementary aged children might enjoy taking “tally mark” notes. Make a brief list of words your child is likely to hear during the sermon (God, Jesus, Bible, Love…) and instruct him to make a tally mark next to the word any time he hears it during the sermon. Some pre-readers can even attempt this if you draw a couple of small pictures instead of words (a heart for “love,” a cross for “Jesus,” etc.) Before church starts, try to guess with your child which word will get the most marks. After church, count up the marks and see if you were right. You may even want to do your own tally mark sheet during the sermon to model for your child what you want him to do.
Some churches offer a fill in the blank sermon outline in the bulletin. This is a perfect note taking activity for older children and tweens. They can also be encouraged to turn in their Bibles to all the Scriptures the pastor mentions, copy down a verse from the text of the sermon, or write down any questions that occur to them as they listen.
And, speaking of questions, another fun activity is for each family member to write down a couple of questions, and their answers, from the sermon. Then, in the car on the way home, each person gets to ask his questions. Whoever gets the most correct answers gets to pick what’s for lunch (or bragging rights, or something else fun). It’ll keep EVERYONE paying attention, and it’s a great way to reinforce and discuss the sermon.
Attend church every Sunday. Not only is it biblical to attend faithfully, but children thrive on routine, and it will be easier for them to remember how to behave if they’re learning and practicing those behavior skills weekly instead of in a “hit and miss” fashion.
Training your child to behave well in church isn’t easy at times. I know. I have six children and we have raised all of them in church. But if you and your husband will invest the time and effort, everyone benefits. Your pastor will be able to preach uninterrupted. Your fellow church members will be able to worship undisturbed. Once your child begins to behave himself better, you will be able to focus more on the service and be less frazzled. But most importantly, your child will develop the skills necessary for hearing and paying attention to the proclamation of God’s word, and that will be the best blessing of all, now, and for the rest of his life.
What are some things that have worked well to help your child behave in church?
¹Laura Ingalls Wilder, Farmer Boy (New York: Harper Collins, 1933), 90-91
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Michelle, having never had children, I cannot add anything of any substance to this post from a mom’s perspective. From a spectator perspective, I think this post rocks. I well recall one of the first churches my husband and I attended after we married, we sat behind a couple with a toddler. A toddler who really had no discipline in his life. The more he misbehaved, the more M&Ms mom crammed in his chubby little fists. It was a disastrous cycle of misbehavior on both the child and mother’s parts. I think your post should be required reading for all parents who take their children to church. Bless you for linking up with us at Grace & Truth!
Thanks, Leah. Glad you liked it :0)
The is a great post. I love the idea of having children “tally mark” notes during the sermon. My daughter is 6 and she behaves in church daily mainly because we model appropriate behavior and help her be an active participant in the service. During the sermon, she sits try to pay attention as much as a 6 year old can. I am going to try the “tally mark notes starting tomorrow. Thanks so much! I am glad I found you on Grace & Truth.
I’m so glad you found it helpful, Erica. I’d love to hear how the tally mark note-taking works out if you find you have a moment to come back and let me know! :0)
Great post! My son (10 yr old) likes to turn his bible to the texts that the preacher mentions. He also likes to draw the sermon as he pleases. With my daughter (6 years) it is coloring that works. Being interested in the kind of stuff that is preached makes a big difference. That comes by discussing the same kind of stuff as a family, like you have mentioned. Thanks for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it. It does make a difference. I think it also teaches them that the stuff you learn at church isn’t just for church. We’re supposed to take it with us and apply it to our lives :0)
Love it! We have one (5yo) child in particular who has trouble being “quiet” during worship. He has a hard time figuring out how to whisper, and even his whisper is a bit on the loud side. So, we’ve spent the last few Sundays leaving for some discipline during the service. I have noticed that not only does it benefit him, but when we return his other siblings seem to be more careful in their behavior as well. 🙂 It’s a work-in-progress for us, and thankfully our congregation is fairly understanding of childishness. We have children’s bulletins at our church that parents can pick up in the foyer, and that helps, too. But, I do want them to participate in worship, so when the announcements are done and it’s time to sing, they put their coloring down and stand with the rest of us.
Jen 🙂
Sounds like you’re doing great, Jen! Keep up the good work! :0)