To all the wise parents out there-
How do you manage to get through church with a 15 month old crazy little boy?
Who NEVER sits still.
Last Sunday this kid was wired, and I mean wired. (Just ask the Green's who sat behind us)
I made sure I was the one who took Ledger out in the hall, in fear my husband would never come back...
Ledger goes absolutely nuts for 3 hours,
and then zonks as soon as we get home...
Any tips/tricks/suggestions would be very much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Two Desperate Parents
I just came across an amazing blog post about that, I'm still a new mom so I'm not wise enough to come up with it myself but it works for our two year old. Here is the link, his other articles are really great too, look for the reverance plate! Good luck and keep up the good work!!
ReplyDeletehttp://middle-agedmormonman.blogspot.com/2012/03/reverence-table.html
I don't have any brilliant ideas for you except to just remember that "This too shall pass!" We've been through 5 '15 month old church terrors' (all boys) and it does get easier. Just try to laugh it off, we've all been there, wondering why even bother when you spend the entire block in the hall, but it's all worth it in the end. And it's teaching them that church is important, even when they're wiggly and noisy! Good Luck!!
ReplyDeleteI'm on kiddo #4 and I can tell you this is the worst church stage! I wish they would let them in nursery at 12 mths or as soon as they can walk. I have always been jealous of those moms that have the quiet kid willing to sit an look at a book or play the whole time but none of mine have been that way.
ReplyDeleteIt's probably not the best advice, but with my last I gave up and just asked the nursery leaders if I could just bring him to nursery if I stayed with him. I'm not sure if that works with whatever calling you have but we went to nursery for several months before he was legal! The wasn't a chance I was going to get him to sit for all three hours.
I'm still trying to figure out sacrament meeting but I can tell you one thing- by the time you get it figured out you'll have another one and the whole thing starts over! Sundays are hard and with kids, they are no day of rest!
Good luck!
Sounds like my little man. He is an angel all week and its like he knows its Sunday the second he wakes up and will not stop being crazy from the second he wakes up. You can always ask if they will let him go to nursery early if he can hold his own. I spent a good few months just roaming the halls. Unfortunately sacrament meeting is still hard. Some days are good and some days are hard. Lots of snacks, and I save certain special toys/books just for church so he is excited to see them and it keeps him entertained for a bit. We are front row sitters as well and it's doesn't help our situation, we should probably start sitting where we can box him in. Good luck, they say it's just a phase.
ReplyDeleteA giant bag of tricks!!!!! I bring lots of random items that might catch his interest (I have 3 boys the youngest is 2). I bring construction truck books, i bring my quiet book, i bring snacks, I've done stickers from the dollar store (just have them put a sticker on a blank piece of paper). And last but not least (people are going to think I'm crazy with this one) When we have to take him out to the hall we find a quiet empty classroom and have him sit on our lap for a little while, we don't run the halls we don't make "hall time" fun AT ALL. That way when we do go back in the chapel its more of a treat to be there with books, toys, etc.
ReplyDeleteSo far this has worked with my 3 boys and we have survived sacrament meetings. GOOD LUCK, and don't worry everyone has been there with there own kids, its sorta a rite of passage as a parent!
p.s. love your blog.
Personally I think 3 hours is a LOOONG time to expect a 15 month old to sit still. I would likely alternate Sundays with your husband, each of you taking turns at home with the little guy.
ReplyDeleteHey I am in the same stage right now with my 16 month old and I bring a bunch of toys and some treats and try to sit as long as we can on the bench but the trick I learned from my sister who has 6 kids that sit quietly the whole sacrament (age 5 months to 9) is that when you take them out don't make it a reward because then they will want to go out everytime. She says even though it is hard to keep a wiggle worm in your arms you have to keep him in your arms either sitting down or walking the hall the whole time without letting him get down and run around. I tried it the last couple of weeks and it worked my little boy just feel asleep in my arms it took about 15 min. but he is getting better and last week he sat through the whole meeting. So I hope that works for you. Good luck, keep us updated:)
ReplyDeleteSometimes hyper-active children are tired. I don't know what time your ward meets at, but if it's late enough you could try giving him a nap before church. Our boy takes a bath and a short nap before our 1pm church and we wait to get him up until it's absolutely necessary. We make sure we have quiet toys, Christ centered books, and some snacks that he likes. He's still not perfect, but we get him to sit fairly well most weeks. We also try to sit near other families with kids close to the same age during Sunday School and Relief Society/Priesthood. They tend to sit and play quietly when there's a few of them together. He crashes when we get home, for a very long nap, but the short nap before seems to make all the difference, the worst weeks are the ones when he doesn't get a nap.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that has made it tolerable for us with our twins is to take turns taking them to the nursery to play during sacrament. They're old enough for nursery now so the 2nd 2 hours are a lot better (not for the nursery leaders) and you're pretty close! Before they were old enough we either took turns going to church/staying home, or stayed with them in the nursery. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteSo since I am not a mom, but me mom and I take my niece she is 17 months (and she doesn't sit still), we rotate taking turns walking the hall, there is a "group of walkers" or crawlers. That meet out there, by rotating we don't have to miss all of church. We wish that they would have a 12 month-18 month nursery even if it was just parents who have kids in there and we can rotate who is in there!
ReplyDeleteHonestly for both of my kids the wigglies got out of hand when they turn 14 months old. We pretty much lived in the halls from that point until they were old enough for nursery. We try our best to keep them quiet and in the sacrament meeting themselves but I didn't worry too much about the other two hours. Our nursery was nice and let us sit in nursery a month or two early as long as we were there.
ReplyDeleteAshley! I'm soooo glad I'm not the only one! I was JUST thinking this on Sunday. I only have 1 9 month old, but she likes to crawl under the benches, wiggle, wiggle, did I mention WIGGLE? She wants to be anywhere BUT the bench. ;) I know exactly how you feel, because I sit out much of the hour too and then she crashes when we get home! What? But I have to keep telling myself that I'm not the only one and that one day it will all be worth it!
ReplyDeletemy kids are 15, 12 & 8 now, but my son (the oldest) was a MAJOR handful at the same age. It's just a long time be reverent for a little guy...lots of snacks helped us out! Still to this day as long as he's fed he's happier and more compliant! Soon he'll be through the phase and you'll start to forget...hard to believe, but really true so as crazy as it sounds...just enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteThe nursery manual specifically states that children start nursery at 18 months. It is not a babysitting service!
ReplyDeleteMy 15 month old LOVES her older sister's slinky and we only let her (the baby) play with it in church. Keeps her occupied and quiet!
Angie has some great ideas. You really want to make sure that being in the hallway is not a reward. I always had special books/toys they only played with in Sacrament Mtg. I would also rotate them so they wouldn't get bored. Also, we would have quiet time at home where we would practice for church. The children would sit on my lap and play with their toys quietly and have a snack or such. That was good too. Good luck and try not to get too discouraged. Everyone in that meeting room have had similar experiences as well!
ReplyDeleteI swear by quiet books and lacing card activities. The thing is, books are boring to this age...they don't always want to look at pictures, but if you give them a book with buttons, zippers, pockets to put things in etc it wastes MORE time. And I also LOVE the lace cards too. Give him a lace and hold the board and he has to use a LOT of concentration to put the string through the hole each time and they get fixated on it. I also have little fabric squares filled with rice and it's got a clear peek through window. You look for each item in the bag and it takes time. It's not fool proof but I feel like it buys me time in addtion to the other ideas shared such as making hallway time not super fun. You can find lots of these things on Etsy. Search for quiet books or peek a boo quiet toy. And the lacing cards are at bookstores or Amazon. Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteMy son is not quite 2.5yrs old, 3 hrs of being quiet & still in church is just not even a possibility ; ) We take him outside at home to run around for about 20min before we leave for church to burn some energy..we use all the other snack/activity ideas others have listed, and we take turns stepping out with him if need be. Our service is only 45-60 min long and he does the best he can ath this age, the idea of trying to do it for 3hrs makes me sweaty & anxious ; ) Is there a way you guys could take turns being "on duty" and maybe only have him sit thru the 1st hr or last hr of mass and then take him home? That way he gets "practice" sitting thru and you all can take turns attending a full mass every other week?
ReplyDeleteI think 3 hours is way too long to expect a 15-24 month old to handle. Is there no nursery or cry room?
ReplyDeleteAs someone who has taught nursery, I probably wouldn't be to upset if a 15 month old came into nursery and the parent would stay. But it also really depends on the size of the class. Trying to take care of 7 or more 18 months-3 years can be a challenge.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that going out into the hallway so that they can roam around, could be thought of as a treat and therefore each week could be a problem
Bringing Christ centred church books, quiet books, and soft toys and snacks are good ideas. Just make sure to keep those special books just for Sundays.
Good luck.
We are going through the same thing with my almost 2 year old! It's so horrible. I made a backpack full of stuff she only see's on Sunday. (Cheap new toys, new coloring book and crayons, an etch a sketch thing, snacks.. stuff like that.) and I also made her a church themed ABC book. It all usually works at keeping her occupied for Sacrament meeting. However she goes to Nursery after that so I guess I am no help! Haha. I hope it gets better though! Hang in there!
ReplyDeleteI just shove treats in my girls'(4 & 2) mouths every time they start to wiggle :) Super surprised they aren't chubby.
ReplyDeleteWe're approaching this with our 14 month old daughter. I'm ready to go to nursery. Our nursery leaders are great about younger kids coming early when the parent also comes. As we approach the time when we can leave her there alone, I think our very attached child will resist...so hopefully the few months of joint time will help her with the transition.
ReplyDeleteDo you remember a little boy named Treycen that not so long ago was there?!?
ReplyDeleteI realize the importance of church related books and toys at church, but at that age, all my son was interested in was tractors. So I brought tractor magazines and toys. He would at least be interested in staying within the boundaries of our bench! Still noisy, but not out of control. Now that he is older, I only take church related stuff.
Just think in a couple of months, we will have 1:00 church. Its a wonder what a little benadryl will do to a spunky little boy! NOT that I EVER did that :) Miraculously, he slept thru sacrament mtg.
Hang in there! It does get easier. Adam's philosophy was make the "going out the the hall" so miserable that they want to stay in the chapel.
We have all been there, some of us are blessed with crazier kids than others. BELIEVE ME! And just an FYI, Ledger never distracted me once.
I agree with all the moms who don't let going out in the hall be a fun time. I am on baby number 5 (she's 18 months). I have found that I have a very strict out look when it comes to church behavior. In class or sacrament meeting I have in my mind that the baby is only allowed to sit on my lap quietly or sit right next to me on the bench. As long as she does this she can draw (with pencil) in a note book or play with a few select quiet toys we only bring out at church. If she starts to squirm and squiggle or try to get down or make any fussy noises I immediately take her out and sit with her restrained on my lap in the foyer or mother's lounge until she calms down. Sometimes she will NOT calm down and that's when I know she's super tired. In that case I always bring the blankie she uses to fall asleep with (she never would take a binkie, but I have used that with my other babies). I will give her the blankie and continue to hold her tight until she calms down or falls asleep in my arms. 75% of the time she falls asleep (usually during the 3rd hour). Seriously, the first week he will scream bloody terror when you try to hold him still. Find a quiet room (empty classroom) and just let him throw a fit in your arms. He will do that for 2-3 weeks and then he'll be cured, I promise. You have to be super consistent though, if you let him get away with unwanted behavior, he will know and will fight you that much harder for that much longer. He is a smart and loving boy and will soon learn that it is so much nicer to sit quietly with mommy than be screaming in the classroom being held down. It may seem mean at first and you will feel frustration those first few weeks, but after that you will both be so, so much happier at church.
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to say that I've read your blog since Preslee's accident but have never commented. I just wanted to let you know how amazing I think you are. It is such an inspiration to me to see how much you have grown and how resilient your spirit is. Good luck with these church days, it does get better, I promise!
I think this is a trick question! haha :) You've gotten lots of great suggestions. I have a very active little girl who is 5 and does very well now in church (now), but at that age it's a struggle for all of us! Something that worked with us is consistency in rules for church. We never took our kids out and let them run around in the halls or play in the nursery because then they would think that if they act up they get to play! (Even at that age). I would bribe them. haha... If they were crazy I would take them to the foyer or a room and make them sit still in a chair. I would say, if you want your goodies and toys then you have to be a good girl (boy) and we will go back in! It may not always work when they are that young, but if you are consistent, it will make it easier as the weeks/ months go by and they learn that being good in sacrament = books, toys, etc. I remember thinking at times, "I came to church because....??" haha. But whether they were good or not, the only way they get used to church is by being there!
ReplyDeleteI also learned, because we have early church right now, not to feed them cereal or sugary stuff for breakfast! We do eggs, toast, etc!
And of course all those other good things like quiet/activity books, little toys, magnetic file folder games (worked like a charm).
Good luck!! It's such a challenge at that age. It will get easier! :)
You start a weekly countdown to nursery, and then watch it get smaller and smaller week by week. :) Seriously just adjust your expectations and be ok with going to church and sitting in the hall or taking lots of walks around the building. There will be many Sundays that you wonder why you went, but the important thing is just to keep trying.
ReplyDeleteMy little guy is 15 months now too & we're facing the same exact thing hahahaha. I laughed reading this because I couldn't have worded it better. I wish I had any break through answers but I usually end up chasing Max through the halls :) The bag full of special Sunday treats sounds like a good idea though. I'm just counting down until Max can go to nursery :) good luck!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you've tried this all! But lots of snacks, games, books, coloring and just things to distract him! If that doesn't work.. I'm at a loss for ya lol Just HOLD ON! You're almost to nursery!! :) Maybe you could beg your nursery teachers to just let him come already since he's such a busy body lol.
ReplyDeleteAs a nursery teacher myself for over 2 years, I loved having any and all children who wanted to come play. Our ward is HUGE and I already had 22+ 18 month old kids in our class... it was kinda like, whats one more! :) So I would definitely see if he could go to nursery. As for sacrament... maybe switch every other sunday with patrick so that both of you can enjoy a sacrament at least every other week :)
ReplyDeleteI asked if my 15 month old could come in early!! They said yes and it was the best thing that happened to all of us! :) It is sooo hard, my husband and I both teach at the same time so who ever got the baby was totally distrated and taking away from the lesson. My wild and energetic boy loves it, and now at the legit age of 18 months has no problem going actually pounds on the door if he bets me to the nursery! Good luck its not an easy stage at all! Before he went it was lots of treats, drinks, toys, and books...still didnt help though :(
ReplyDeleteHaha Brittany! I'm all about treats! We bring m&ms every week and suckers! Roxie loves the smartie suckers (my dad bought me a huge bin) they aren't sticky and they are life savers for me at least on the quiet part (she still wiggles) we spend a lot of time in the mothers lounge! Are you still in primary? Kash and i switch off hours but you said he can go into nursery now right? Sacrament - like I told you on Instagram....starve your kid before church (haha) Color wonder markers and pads are great for Roxie and stickers keep her attention too. She loves books that have something to move, lift, etc. Lots of different snacks. They actually have these snacks called grips I think. They are at Broulims in Rexburg, so I'm sure they are in Rigby, but they are an assortment of cheezits, cookies, etc in small ball like sizes so they are a fun snack to try! (They come in a box, but in individual bags)
ReplyDeleteAnd lots of patience! Every week we wonder why we go to church, but I hear it's all worth it :) I actually love teaching Sunday School cause it's my one hour to focus on church and the spirit without little kids and I get enough fulfillment to last throughout the week! Go to the temple to get that fulfillment if you don't get it enough at church!
LOTS OF LOVE AND LUCK!
You make a paper chain counting down the days until Nursery!
ReplyDeleteLots of snacks. Lots of snacks. Just kidding!
ReplyDeleteYou should see my "church purse" on Sunday's! I have a little bit of every thing in there... a mini magna doodle, one of those lace things where you string the string around it, cars, trucks, whatever is small and doesn't make noise. I have 4 boys 2 of which are twins who are 2!
On a side note, his outfit is darling!
The last time I took my daughter to church with my mom (she passed away years ago) I looked down and saw her sweatshirt wiggling. She had brought her pet rat to church. I yanked that child up and dragged her out of church and all the folks were saying "What? She's fine she's fine." Little did they know.
ReplyDeleteBe grateful you're not in an airplane!
Our girl was crazy too! it never really got better until she went to nursery, but a couple of things helped us!
ReplyDeleteFirst, lower your expectations. Toddlers brains aren't developed enough to sit through that much church so expecting it is just unrealistic. We chose one meeting....sacrament meeting for us, that we would try to keep her still and quiet. A special backpack of church only "special toys" was very helpful. Pull one toy out at a time and when they get order with that, pull out a if fervent one. Always leave toys inside if he has to be taken out, and never let him roam outside...for the one our sacrament meeting. Set your expectations and stick to them. He will learn and be better, it just takes time. For the rest of church, we switched off taking her to the hall and walking around. It's hard work, but it makes the 18 onto mark that much sweeter! Good luck!
Things our bishop told us:
ReplyDelete1. Make sure hall time is no fun! If you take them out find an empty classroom and make them sit on your lap with their arms folded.
2. Inside the chapel they are only allowed to do things if they're sitting on the bench.
3.It's better not to take toys-Maybe a quiet book or magnadoodle, but toys tend to make them noisier and more restless.
4. Anything you take to church should be church only so that it keeps it's novelty.
5. Once they hit nursery age you should stop bringing treats and you should avoid using treats unless necessary before then as well
6. In sacrament meeting sit on a bench where you can block them in, near a door and not near a light switch
Some of these things worked for us and I might have made a better attempt at others had I not had 4 kids in 5 years. One thing that does help us is to not allow entertainment out until after the sacrament. Nursery will definitely help-you just gotta hold on!
RAID the Target $1 bins.... find random knick knacks, books, stickers, and toys and take enough of them to HOPEFULLY entertain him through the first hour. Probably the most important anyways right? And really just don't stress it too much. There are very few kids who don't go through this! Ohhhh and I don't know if your son likes cars.... but probably avoid taking those. If he is anything like my son, they end up under the bench 3 rows in front of us! And I agree with what others said, don't make hall time fun.... but that can be harder then keeping him in a bench. Walking thru the halls with a screaming wiggly child, not ideal either. My husband and I used to sit on a bench, with a little extra room between us. Just enough so our son didn't feel so trapped (even though he was). Let him walk back and forth between you gathering different toys and stuff. Maybe bring an empty church bag.... let him dump out toys on the bench, and put them away again. Good luck! I have a 3 year old now who STILL takes some major convincing to sit still! It's just tough on little guys!
ReplyDeleteThree hours?! You would have to take me into the hall, also! My 20 month old grandson comes to church with me and enjoys the nursery until time for communion. When I bring him in he is quietly awed by the music, the stained glass windows and the hush of expectation. Usually have a cookie and milk to reward him for being patient during the wait for everyone to receive the bread and wine. He loves kneeling at the rail for our priest to bless him. At his church there is a cry room that should be called the crazy room. Don't know how those parents get anything out of the service'
ReplyDeleteOkay, seriously the overalls, could he be any cuter? How bad can he be looking that cute? haha right?
ReplyDeleteMy advice to you is...lets just really hope church in the hall still counts as going to church. :)
Keep the books, snacks, games in a church only bag. Then they don't get sick of the stuff. James loves his small cars that I keep in the church only bag.
I am working on file folder games which the kids like. Wish I was closer and we could make them together.
I figure as long as my kid isn't the one eating PB & J like it's lunchtime and not running up and down the aisles...I'm good. :)
I agree with a lot of the above suggestions also.. We started making the rule nothing can be out until after the sacreament. They can look at scripture readers, or the hymn book. Hymn book you question- I know, I know.:) We hide the program in the hymn book and they try to find the program. Take a water bottle, not a sippie or bottle if that's what you use. It usually intrigues them more and it's something different then the norm. We also don't give anything to eat before the sacrament, it's only about 20 minutes but it teaches them little by little to sit still. We take books and coloring things- no toys. Magnetic boards are great, and stickers- kids either love them or hate them at that age!:) But honestly it's just such a hard age! Just think of it the same as when you are at the end of your pregnancy- it's kinda meserable, but once that day finally comes it's the greatest reward- right?! And I do really only sacrament meeting and the other two hours I would trade off with my husband or wander the halls, or just pray they'd fall asleep!:) Only 12 more weeks right?:) Good luck!
ReplyDeleteFirst, oh my goodness, he is adorable! I absolutely love little boys in church clothes, it was my favorite things to dress my son up for church! Not sure what you have tried, but maybe these may help...for Sacrament, I am guessing you do have things for him to do...books, coloring, small toys? Maybe try some sensory type activity, like the I Spy bean bags, squishy balls, different textured things that he can use as manipulatives. I also bring special snacks for church that my kids do not get outside of church. They can eat them as long as they are quiet. For our kids, we only let them use the toy bag in Sacrament meeting. If they get too loud and need to be taken out, they have to sit on the couch, no walking around or playing. After awhile they figured out it was more fun to sit with their toys quietly in Sacrament meeting then to be bored sitting on the couch outside of the chapel. As for the rest of church...for me it is a whole other ball game once your kid can walk! I think expecting a small child to sit quietly for 3 hours is asking more than they are capable of. I do try and go to class, but when your kid is mobile, that is easier said than done. Once they get too antsy to sit with me in class, I take them to Nursery. I stay in there with them because they are not old enough and in our ward, I think our Nursery leaders actually appreciated the extra adult/help in there. My son started walking at 8 months old and was running by 9, so him sitting through Sunday school just wasn't happening...especially after he had just sat through Sacrament. Hopefully that was some help! If not, good luck from one mom with a crazy kid to another!
ReplyDeletelol this stage is crazy, right? My little guy has to be constantly busy or entertained or it gets ugly fast. And he cheers after the closing prayer cause he knows it's time for nursery (he's almost 2--it was a HAPPY day when he was old enough for nursery).
ReplyDeleteWhat works for us:
- SNACKS!
- salt shaker with big holes, filled with tooth picks. I give him one toothpick at a time to put through the holes in the lid and he has to concentrate really hard. That's usually good for at least 5 minutes. :)
- coloring with pencils or washable crayons. He really likes it when I draw pictures of his favorite animals or our family.
- hide a tootsie roll wrapper or a picture in the pages of the hymnbook and help him flip through the pages to find it, then hide again and repeat.
- love me some lift-the-flap books!
How to handle the last two hours of church is such a personal decision and depends on what your callings are, but my husband and I alternated weeks and spent most of our time in the hall. The Little Guy did okay during sacrament meeting, but could NOT sit through the next two hours.
Good luck! He's such a cutie Ash. And he looks exactly like a Phil Whightman Jr with those suspenders. :)
Hey Ashley-
ReplyDeleteIm in Jaime and Lindseys ward. Just ask about my boys:) My 4 yr old once opened the chapel doors(we were late...again) and yelled "HEY EVERYBODY!" and I just had to laugh to keep from being horrified. I have found that laughter is a good place for me to go when my kids misbehave at church. The same son is also the one that has the Primary Pres. chasing him around the primary room and he couldn't be happier about it! I am absolutely at a loss with him a lot of the time but again LAUGHTER! It gets me through the times my husband can't make the store run and I am alone with all 4 kids (9yr down to 2yr) trying to get all the things I need. I used to cry as I tried shopping with all 4 kids, now I laugh or make it a game to see who can find the object fastest! It has helped but it doesn't always work.
Your son is such a handsome little guy. He is luckier than lucky to have you two as his parents. Good Luck and don't forget to laugh;)
Brandi
Pray for a calling in nursery! Good luck - soon he'll be legit.
ReplyDeleteWe "practice" church at home a few times during the week where we sit on the couch and listen to primary songs and look at books (if the child is really young). we have 6 boys and after 3 or so weeks of "practice" it gets tons easier. We call it "primary quiet time" and my kids actually look forward to it now. We started out short (a song or 2 and then increased with time and age) Like I said, sometimes getting through one song is tough and we have had to hold a screaming, squirming child to get him to stay on the couch but only for a couple of times before they "got" it. This practice has really helped us. They see church as primary quiet time. It isn't perfect and it takes a lot of time. Our twins are the hardest and they are this age and we are having a hard time with them but I know it will get easier. Hang in there.
ReplyDeleteStickers. We stick them on our daughter it takes her a while to get them all off. We also take her to nursery early and stay. We did the same with our son. If you aren't going to be in class you might as well get them used to nursery until they can officially stay.
ReplyDeleteYou're at the worst part of it, don't forget that. Also he is learning, even if you aren't ! You are teaching him habits about what church is, and what you expect of him while you are there, so be mindful of what you allow. Sacrament is only an hour, he can do it, I promise. When my older boys were little I started out only getting treats and books and toys out after the sacrament was passed, (I did let them look at spiritual themed books during the actual sacrament...and then after all the other stuff came out, I tried to start early about the sacredness of the sacrament) and by the time they were 2.5 to 3 all of that was scratched altogether. I put my focus in making through sacrament meeting with out having to leave the chapel (and if I did end up taking someone out, we came right back in, because learning that it lasts AN hour is part of it). Second and third hours were all about making it out alive :) When he gets going in nursery it will be easier. Remember why you're there, and why he's there, sometimes he will disturb the people around you, you can't let worrying about that be your focus. Hang in there, as was said so many times before, this to shall pass. and IT IS worth it.
ReplyDeleteWhen my son was that age, it was very tough. He could not be bribed with snacks! The thing that worked for hime was a special toy tractor and train that he only saw on Sunday! I had coloring books, church board books, and a quiet book, but for him the toy tractor and train was the only thing that would keep him semi quiet.
ReplyDeleteThis may sound weird, but worked out great for me when my boys who are 14 months apart in age were little...In our ward, there is a speaker in the kitchen so you can hear everything that is happening in Sacrament while he can play and be a bit noisy and have room to run a little...It really helped me to go in there and keep my sanity, I was able to hear the meeting and feel the spirit and they were able to run a little. (I didn't let them go crazy) Try that for the first hour, the other two....good luck! My boys are now 9 and 10 and I promise, it does get better. You have almost made it to nursery, but yes I think this is the worst time for little guys.
ReplyDeleteI totally feel you! It's hard! I don't have any answers or know any magic tricks yet, sorry. I was wondering where you found your son's white shirt though? i can't find them anywhere!
ReplyDeleteI have 11 children and learned early in my mothering that the closer we sat to the front of the chapel, the better the kids behaved. I have 6 boys and 5 girls and they have always been active kids! I think they did better when we sat close because they could see better and maybe felt that they were part of the meeting. We always tried to sit on the 3rd row in the center. That seemed to be the ideal place. The magic bench! Now I only have 5 kids left at home, 4 of them boys, and we have moved to the side of the chapel, still the 3rd row. If we ever get there late and have to sit in the back or even worse in the cultural hall they are just not the same. So, we always try to get there early so we can sit close. Thank you for sharing your life with us. I have learned much from you. Blessings on you.
ReplyDelete