For parents with young children, on Sundays we provide a live feed to a separate room that we call the Family Room. The purpose of the Family Room is to give parents a temporary environment to train their children to behave in church (i.e., to not distract others). The following tips will help you best utilize the Family Room to train your kids.
- Have your child SIT and BE QUIET. Do not let your child distract you or others. Train them to stay in their seat and be quiet. Encourage them to stand and sing during the worship time. This will help them to expend some energy before church.
- Correct/discipline them if they talk. If your child is a distraction, discipline him. Discipline should be progressive. Begin by whispering a reminder in their ear to be quiet or sit down. If that does not work, then physically put them back in the chair. If that doesn’t work, they try a small pinch on their trapezius muscle between their next and shoulder. If necessary, take them outside and spank them, and bring them back when they calm down.
- Give it time. Do not expect easy, instant results. Be patient with yourself and your child. Training is a “war of the wills.” You must be more determined to train your child than your child is to misbehave. If you give up, then your child has won the battle, and has proven to be the leader of the family.
- Learn the art of distraction. Come up with creative ways to help your child be still and quiet. A special snack, coloring book, or quiet toy can make church more fun. And if you save these items only for use at church, your child will look forward to this special time of the week.
- Know that your child is learning. Don’t assume that your child isn’t getting anything out of church. The most important less they are learning is that their family goes to church on Sundays. They will also learn worship songs, get to know other church members, and will get a lot out of watching you sing, read your Bible, take notes, pray, and listen attentively. And believe it or not, even young children pick up a surprising amount from the sermon.
- Go to the potty before church. Go to the potty before church, and train your child to hold it until after the service. Otherwise, they will use the potty as an excuse to get up and move around.
- Get to church early. Make a habit of getting to church early and finding your seat at least ten minutes before the service starts. This will give your child time to calm down and mentally adjust to the environment.
- Use the Family Room Last. Start by bringing your child into worship with the rest of the church each Sunday, and try to stay as long as possible before going to the Family Room. Only use the Family Room as a last resort. Staying in church can become a motivator for your child to behave.
- Attend church consistently. Make it a priority to attend church every Sunday. The more consistent your attendance, the faster your child will acclimate to the environment and expectations, and the faster they will learn to behave. Sporadic attendance is like starting from scratch each Sunday.
- Do not be embarrassed. Don’t be embarrassed by your child’s behavior. At Church Acadiana we love children, and we want them here! We realize that you are in training mode, and your child is a work in progress. We’ve all been there. Every child learns and develops at a different pace.