Ever since Teagan started walking we have discovered that as long as he can wander around he is exremely happy and well behaved (if he is in a child proof environment of course). Now we are facing the time when we have to decide what to do with him during church. On Sunday I took him out because he was being wild during sacrament meeting. While we were out we were joined by at least 5 other parents taking out their kids. Teagan was the youngest and the oldest was 3. They all ran around and played and had a blast and then it hit me....I FELL INTO THE TRAP.
Zac and I always told ourselves we wouldn't be the parents that let their kids run free when they were being bad in church ( now I COMPLETLY understand why they do!!!). Then our kids would learn that if they are bad in sacrament meeting we'll take them out and they can run through the halls. We would be teaching them that it is okay to behave badly.
I believe that my brother Brian used a method with his kids that worked fairly well. While in Sacrament meeting they could color, play with toys, and walk around within their own pew. If and when they misbehaved he'd take them out and slice off a finger. They seem to do pretty well now. hehe jk No, he would hold them on his lap and not let them go, even if they were screaming (in a classroom or something). Eventually they must learn that it is better to be in the meeting than alone with dad.
I want to implement something like this eventually to teach Teagan that he simply must behave in church, but I'm not sure if he is old enough.
What have you tried, oh ye wise ones? When did you start teaching your kids that they have to be quiet in church? If you are the family with all the children quietly sitting in a row coloring or even listening PLEASE share your wisdom. I know Teagan is a baby and babys are babys, but I want to teach him to be well behaved. Now is your time to brag about your excellent parenting skills. :)
Veggie Smoothies
16 years ago
7 comments:
So I dont have kids, but my mom did the same thing as your bro. If we were not being good then we had to just sit and not play or have any fun, fun we were good we could color and read. I think kids are very smart and I think they learn really fast, so even though he is small he already know what to do!! Good luck!!!
the age that teag is can be really difficult at church. we did the exact same thing that your brother said and it really is best to teach kids by letting them make the choice. you give them option A and option B. they get to determine the outcome.
another thing that i think helps behavior in church is to try to keep your kids off the floor and not to let them lay down in sacrament meeting. we have them sit by us or on our laps. it is very important for children to learn young to be reverent and sit quietly through an ENTIRE meeting. there are way too many disturbances in sacrament meeting... kids, and adults both. this method is a little rough at first, but quickly learned through CONSISTANCY. consistancy is key to raising behaved kids. good luck!
We do it a lot how your brother does it and it works really well for us. We rarely have to take Benson out now and when we do it is just a short period before he is asking to go back in.
Another thing that we do that makes a world of difference is that we sit near the front. There don't seem to be as many distractions and he can't see out the doors to the hallway. That way he doesn't constantly want to go out there and play. We've always done it that way. If we are out in the hall there is no playing, just sitting on a lap. Good luck!!
lol, the comment above is from Katrina, not Taylor. I didn't realize that I wasn't on my account. :)
We also do it the same way that Brian and Elise do it. It's super hard sometimes, but I keep telling myself that it'll be worth it one day. (I will say that it worked with Easton; he caught on to the way we did it in the hall and things got better after awhile) Now that Easton is five we try and have him sit on the pew...he can still color and do things like that, but he's got to sit on the pew, not on the floor. It he's on the floor, he's EVERYWHERE. He fights it a lot, but is pretty good most of the time. All I would say is, be patient and be consistent and everything will work out...EVENTUALLY! :)
I don't think Teagan is too young at all to do that! We did that with Kate and only had to do it once and she knows now. I am so happy for you that Teagan is just a peach now that he is walking! Yea!
I too make my kids sit on my lap if we go out, they like it for about 1 second! It doesn't take to long to realize it is way funner in the meeting.
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