It’s time once again for Heather from Family Volley to share with us some Parenting Tips
as part of her “Parenting Tips Series with Heather Johnson” here on The Idea Room.
Here’s Heather in her own words…
–Amy
As a member of the LDS church, our family spends 3 hours each Sunday in church meetings. Regardless of your faith, or if you go to church or not, we all take our children to activities and places where they need to sit quiet and fairly still. Although these tips are directed towards church, they apply to all of us, church go’ers or not. First, let me make it clear that everyone has different expectations of their children in church, or in public settings. Personally, I expect my children to sit in church, quietly. I don’t plan on spending 3 hours chasing them in the hall. We all have different expectations. That is okay. Church (or any situation where children need to stay relatively quiet and still) is hard. It is really hard. I know. I have had plenty of Sunday’s when half way through church, I wonder why I even bothered to shower and do my hair for the day. I am sweaty, tired, feel like I have been through a wrestling match, and can’t remember what the lessons were about because I didn’t hear a single thing that was said.
Take them into an empty room, sit them on your lap, and explain that is where they will stay. No exceptions. It will only take a time or two, and they will want back into that meeting. I can’t emphasize how important this is for changing behavior. No child is going to sit quietly when they know that with a little noise they can be running and playing in the halls. It has to be better in the meeting than in the halls or they will always act up to get out.
2. You will have to put in effort to get your toddlers to sit quiet for that length of time. Take a good mix of distractions and realize that YOU will have to put in effort, a lot of it, to get through the 3 hours. Or even to just get through Sacrament Meeting. Pop up books, coloring pages, picture books, and things with different textures work really well. Last Sunday went fairly smooth for our family. Minus a few loud whines from our youngest. With our 3 year old, we went through a few books, and colored in a coloring book. We looked for familiar items, we looked for Noah’s animals in a pop up book, we traced shapes with our fingers. In between we lead the music like the conductor and searched the congregation for all the kids in our daughter’s nursery class. We practiced folding our arms when prayers were said, and at one point, I had her put her hand out flat and I traced around it with my fingers. Then we followed the stitching on her shoes with our fingers. We also have a little pouch that zips open and closed. Today we took the little pouch and put a toy in it. Then we practiced zipping and unzipping. Makes me tired just thinking about it all. With 15 minutes left, and ideas waining, we took an old tootsie roll wrapper and quietly tucked it in the pages of the hymn book and then practiced "carefully" turning pages to find the treasure. The point. I don’t have the liberty of sitting back and expecting her to entertain herself. Eventually yes, but right now I have to put in effort if I want her to sit quiet with me in the meetings.
DO YOU EVER FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH A WAR WHEN CHURCH IS OVER?
JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER
Would you like more Recipes, DIY, Printables and Organization Ideas?
Subscribing to the newsletter will enable us to periodically send you creative content exclusively for Idea Room subscribers.
*View our Privacy Policy here.
Laura says
I’m so glad there is someone else out there who doesn’t think kids should run around and play when they are taken out of the chapel! It is hard being the only parent who is making their child sit still on their lap while sitting in the foyer watching other kids running around. It makes it sooo much harder!
I am also of the agreement that food isn’t necessary. It just makes a big mess anyway. My 22 month old has to sit down or is taken out. No getting up and moving around, climbing under the bench, etc.
I find it interesting that the teens in my ward can’t make it through a meeting without going out for some reason or another when my kids aren’t allowed to get up for anything.
Heather Johnson says
Laura, I am with you 100%. No running around the meeting house. It makes church better for all of us.
I am just like Laura in regards to taking my kids out. I make them sit on my lap and they can’t get down. Tell them that we can sit out here with them on my lap or we can go back in and they can color or look at a book. I have stuff that is just for church and then I have a separate bag for when I have to go to doctors appointments or other places where there might be a wait. It really helps out a lot and they are so happy to see these “new” toys. Thanks for reminding me to practice sitting still. I need to do that with my 18 month old.
Amanda, You are so right about the church toys being new. I even switch the new toys out now and again to keep things really fresh. Sitting still is a great thing to practice. Plus, it gives us quiet time with our little ones. :)
I have been struggling with this lately, so thank you for your excellent words! With a 2 month old, 20 month old and 3 1/2 year old, Sundays aren’t much fun these days but I realize it’s just going to be more work for a while.
Jennifer, you have your hands full. I am glad the post was helpful. It sounds like you have a great attitude. Remembering that it is about helping our children so that they can learn how to act and how to listen, makes it easier on those days that seem impossible. It gets easier. Then we miss the craziness. At least that is what everyone tells me. :)
I LOVE this post. All of your ideas are spot-on. It’s exactly what we did with our daughter and it worked wonders. People always comment “oh, she’s so good in church”. Well it didn’t just happen that way, though I wouldn’t have been able to put what we did into words as nicely as you did. I think that having expectations of our children are one of the greatest gifts we can give them, and church is a great place to start. Thanks again for a great post!
Jenna, thanks, I am so glad that you have seen success. You are right, it doesn’t just happen. We have to work at it, a lot. I love that you expressed the power of expectations. Children are capable of great things, and we should expect that of them. They will live up to our expectations.
I have a serious question. I’ve seen tips on another LDS blog for keeping toddlers entertained during church because they were too young for nursery. How old does a kid have to be for nursery? Our church nursery will take any child. Infant and toddlers. That’s who nursery is for. The older kids are expected to stay in the sanctuary.
18 months old.
18 months is the age when we send our children to Nursery. Nursery is a less structured learning environment for kids between 18 months and 3 years. They have toys and snacks and a lesson, but are not expected to sit quietly in their seats. They can get up and move, wiggle and talk. Once they turn three they have classes where they spend the last two hours singing, or learning in a much more structured manner. Children under 18 months stay with their parents and are considered too young for even the small amount of structure in Nursery. It is the parent’s responsibility to keep those children with them and happy.
Luckily I am in a fantastic ward where the women are fine with the “play group” on the back row. It’s where all the mom’s of toddlers and infants go to let them collectively play with each other and each other’s toys as well as share snacks (usually fruit loops or cheerios) brought by one or more of the moms. I think there should be a “parent-of-pre-nursery-kids class… a class where a teacher teaches a lesson for the adults while the younger children are playing and it is perfectly acceptable. :)
Laura, thanks for your question. Just like Pam, and Corina said, we spend the first hour and 10 minutes together as families. In a large congregational meeting. After that we split up and children 18 months to 3 years go to nursery. Pam explained its structure. The rest of the children go to different classes (by age). Adults go to adult meeting. Nursery is not offered during the large congregational meeting. And babies under 18 months remain with parents for all three hours. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. :)
Awesome post. Thanks for sharing. I don’t have any kids, but so many of my friends do. This will be helpful for alot of parents.
Thanks Christy. I hope you were able to share and that they found it helpful.
Children in the LDS church stay with their parents during the main worship service (referred to as Sacrament Meeting), regardless of age. After this meeting little children (3-11) are excused to Primary. Nursery is the preparatory “class” for babies aged 18 months to 3 years. Infants prior to age 18 months stay with their parents throughout the course of the day. It suits us to have our children with us since we believe we are their first and most important teachers about religious matters as well as life in general. They learn by being present, observing our demeanor and attitudes in our classes. Nursery is an age appropriate time for instruction about basic gospel principles (Jesus loves me, Heavenly Father made the earth and the flowers and animals. . .that kind of stuff). . .not just a time to play though there is a good deal of that as well sine they are so little.
Thanks for answering Laura’s question. What a great explanation.
On behalf of the Protestants and the Catholics, WOW!! Three hours is a long time – like airplane trip long time. A tip of my hat to you all.
My kids always stayed in the chapel, and it’s not always pretty. I’ve walked out of church mortified, angry, upset, laughing, you name it. Particularly mortifying were the goo-goo gaa-gaa laa-laa years that about 9 toddlers in our church experienced at the same time. Suddenly the santuary was the site of some ancient toddler chanting ritual in the round – oh the horror. Sometimes out of respect for others you just had to bail, but a sense of humor helps and some realistic expectations go a long way.
I applaud you for setting standards and sticking by them, especially when it means that the service is completely lost on you and your little one. You WILL walk out of church with NO IDEA what just took place, you will laugh at Pastor’s jokes simply because that’s what everyone else is doing, and at times you will find it a total waste of everyones time since neither YOU nor your wee ones are getting ANYTHING out of it. But sooner than you can imagine, your “little one” will be serving as an acolyte, or singing in the choir, or reciting the Lord’s Prayer from memory, or whatever rituals take place in your church and you’ll realize that you’ve successfully passed the faith on from one generation to another.
Stay the course and keep smiling.
Love this! So true! If it is important enough to you…you will teach your children that this is what we do on Sunday. You may not remember much but in time it will be so worth your efforts! I loved the way you worded this! I believe this rings true for all of the churches and denominations like you said!
Well said! Thank you for this.
Thank you so much for this comment. That is our ultimate goal isn’t it? “To pass on our faith to our children. A good sense of humor can help us get through the worst.
Thanks for the great post! One of my daughter’s favorite things to do during quiet times is to go through my (or anyone else’s!) purse. So we put together a purse and wallet just for her with empty make-up, paper, used gift cards, etc. It occupies her quietly for quite a while!
Jenny, what a great idea. Don’t you love activities that help them stay reverent for more than 2 minutes. :)
GREAT article!!! One doesn’t have to keep shoveling food into little one’s mouths to keep them quiet. My little ones and I used to play “boat” with the marbled paper in the front and back of our hymnal-our finger was the boat trying to “travel” from one end to the other end without running aground on the marbled “islands”; this would keep the kids occupied for a good 30 minutes at a time.
Diane, love it. We use our hymnal all the time to help stay quiet. Our little one loves it when I hide something flat in the book and then they have to find it. Or else we go on a number hunt. It helps us practice our numbers too. Song books aren’t just for singing. :)
Thank you so much for this! My husband was just called to the bishopric and I will be on my own with my four kids (8, 6, 3, and 2) and I am terrified! I will definitely be using the tips to help me.
Amanda, big changes for you and your family. I hope the tips help. You can do it, and if all else fails, laugh.
Such a great post again Heather!! I look forward to your wisdom and insights each time your share with us! Thanks so much!
Thanks Amy, I love being here on The Idea Room. What a great site you have created. Where women (and men) support one another.
What a great post! I currently have a 14 month old and she sits in the pew with us. She loves jewelry, so we bring her a purse with a few necklaces, bracelets, and rings in there. She loves to put them on herself, and sometimes on mama and daddy! We also try different things like coloring, foam shapes, and stickers. I only pull out one thing at a time, that way when she is bored of the current object, I have something else to turn to. There are some days when I just want to give in and let her play but I know that will mess all the good times up!
Lindsay, way to stay strong. I have those same thoughts. Sometimes I think, “I just want to take a ton of food and treats and let the kids just sit and eat”. Then I think about how hard it will make the next week and I leave the food at home. You make such a good point. Giving in today will make tomorrow much harder.
Good reminder! One of our new found activities for church is beads. I have little 2 oz containers and I fill one up with beads (ones big enough that he can handle them, he’s 3). Then he puts them on pipe cleaners. It’s beautiful because the pipe cleaner keeps the beads from falling off all over the floor AND it takes him quite a while to fill up the whole pipe cleaner. Super quiet, and time consuming and you only have to buy a small amount and just reuse it. Another great one for littler children is taking a big empty water bottle and having them put those little craft puff things in them (kind of like a cotton ball, I have no idea what they’re called). Again, time consuming and quiet and the kids love it for some reason. You just have to have skinny fingers to get them out, or cut open the bottle.
I LOVE the idea of practicing at home. We need to be better at being consistent!
Pom Poms :) Fun idea!
Melissa, thanks for these great ideas. They are fantastic. I have a feeling we are going to start seeing a lot more pipe cleaners and beads at church. :)
I love all these ideas, even though my youngest is rapidly approaching 3 , it’s still a long time for those little bodies to sit still and quiet. I just wanted to mention that even though we are often feeling like a side show or that our kids are distracting everyone from the meeting, most often most people are sympathetic and remember being in that position themselves. Several times when I’ve been packing up our church bag after the meeting and feeling like I’ve lost the wrestling match and my children were the most horribly behaved in the room, I’ve had someone pause and compliment me on how well behaved my children are. We are all just trying our best. And if anyone makes you feel like you’re not trying hard enough, offer to let them sit with your kids next week while you sit where you can pay attention to the speakers! :)
Haha, Chrissy, love this. You are so right. It usually isn’t as bad as we think, and there is nothing wrong with asking for help.
Love this article! When my boys were younger I used every single one of these tips, and we spent very little time out in the hallway. That being said, last Sunday three of them were pretty darn awful. And they’re old enough to know better (7, 10, & 13.) When we got home I informed them that since they weren’t reverent during sacrament meeting, they had to do “reverence practice”. I set the timer and they had to sit on the couch for 10 minutes folding their arms. We’ll see how this Sunday goes. ;)
Kara, love to hear success stories. Practice makes perfect. :) I would love to hear how this Sunday goes. Keep us updated.
You punish your children for not being able to sit still for 3 hours? I just don’t understand this concept. I realize that you said your kids are over 7, but the people who expect 2 and 3 year olds to sit still for 3 hours are really not rational. I am in my upper 50’s and can’t sit still at work for 3 hours. How can you expect toddlers to do this?!
Oh no! There must be a misunderstanding. We don’t expect our kids to sit still for 3 hours all in one stretch. That would be torture for all parties involved. The meeting is 1hour 10 minutes. We have 3 meetings altogether that total 3 hours but only the sacrament service is when kids need to sit quiet and still.
This is great! My parents were always pretty strict about what we could do during church, and we all grew up being quiet and respectful in church. We’re training our toddler the same way now – he is expected to sit and read or color quietly, and he knows that he will not be taken out to run around. He is turning three in two weeks and does great in church, because we’ve expected it of him all along. Meanwhile, there are families in church who are constantly up and down and in and out, and bring full meals for their kids during church… and then they wonder why their kids don’t sit still. To be sure, every Sunday is not perfect, but I think expecting kids to behave from the very beginning is the key to training them.
Nicki, such a great point. We should have high expectations of our children. They are capable of doing great things. And starting early can make things much easier.
Thanks for the excellent post. Those of you with small children, remember that this too shall pass, and all too quickly! I’m now a grandmother of 9 adorable children, but back in the day, I had four kids (ages 7, 4, 2, and an infant) and a non-member husband so I was on my own. Don’t get discouraged! It’s worth the effort.
Patti, what an inspiration. You really were going it alone. Thank you for the reminder that the day will come when we miss the Sunday struggles. It is worth the effort to help our children.
Nice ideas. We always have a church bag packed with little quiet games, and it’s fun to learn the kinds of things other people put in their church bags. Love new ideas!
We’ve had an especially hard time with church with my boy– he has Autism. Most people don’t realize it because he’s high-functioning, so we’ve had our fair share of mean looks and well-meaning parents giving us “advice”. Most people think that at 7 he’s too old to be playing and should be sitting still better and listening, but with the autism comes the sensory processing disorder–the sound of the organ and people talking into microphones and all the bodies together are too much for him and sometimes he has to block it out or just GET OUT. So here’s a friendly reminder to all you parents out there that you just can’t know in all situations what a child (and their parents!) are dealing with, so please withhold your judgment on their lack of parenting skills. Sometimes it’s more than just laziness, it’s a disability you can’t see.
Thanks!
I second Bree’s thoughts! We too have a son with special needs. Church is a very hard adventure for us. We have received many dirty looks and nasty remarks after a rough meetings. We are so thankful for the many great Primary teachers that love him through his challenges. I would just remind everyone that children are all different and while these are all great ideas they may not all be right for every child. Know your children, set limits and expectations that are developmentally appropriate for them, and try not to judge others. We are all learning. :)
Bee, thanks for this reminder. It is important for all of us to remember not to judge. We have no idea what other families are going through or struggling with.
Bree, I just wanted you to know that I am right there with you! Our two youngest children are autistic. Our 10 year old daughter has gotten to point where she can still quietly and read the Friend magazine or draw during Sacrament meeting. She has come a long way…when she was a toddler the congregation singing would make her cry, it was just too much noise. But our 5 year old son is still a real challenge at church. He does a lot of echolalia (reciting things he has heard or read) and speaks loudly, and no amount of shushing or asking him to be quiet helps. When people start turning around and giving us “the look” I know I have kept him there too long! I would love to hear suggestions from other parents with special needs kids, because the suggestions here don’t work for some children.
I think it is important to remember that many moms/families are missing that stage and they WANT to help. Not to be nice, but because they want little hands back in their hands. So share. Why sit there stressing out when others WANT to help. Let them. My kids have adopted another Aunt and my 4 little kids love her 5 kids older kids and her kids love them. We sit together and the kids are free to sit quickly by a verity of people. They don’t play with as many toys, the make less sound and I even get to listen to a talk once in while.
Maggie, what a great suggestion. There are always people willing to help, and it is okay to let them. Sounds like you and your kids have made some dear friends.
There’s nothing better than when the old ladies sitting around us start busting fun things out of their purses for my kids to play with. I could bring a necklace, but since it’s coming from mom, it’s boring. If the lady behind me brings one, it’s the highlight of church. When my kids are grown, I want to be that lady that stuffs her purse with toys to help out the other families.
Clear lip gloss works wonders. My daughter played with it for an entire stake conference once.
haha! Love that so many women who have been there before are there to lend a hand rather than a judging glance! I want to be that old lady too ;)
I wanted to add a couple of ideas to this great post! First of all, a mom with 9 kids shared one of her tricks a few years ago. We’ve used it since then and love how it works for us. Husband and wife sit side by side, and older children are divided on either side of them. If they have a baby at the time, s/he sits on mom or dad’s lap. It keeps up reverence and each child is always within arms reach. Plus, I feel it teaches kids that mom and dad sit together. If you’re flying solo for whatever reason, dividing the kids up still has the same benefits.
Another idea to consider is reducing the toys/entertainment brought to church. Some people bring half their house with them and kids then develop the expectation that they will be entertained during church. A few picture books and drawing items should be sufficient for sacrament meeting. Even my 2 yr. old will draw quietly for a while.
Finally, a funny story. My mother-in-law practiced sitting still with my husband, the youngest of 6, every day for a few minutes. Eventually, after sitting quietly, he would just go to sleep. While it was great at the time, I sometimes wonder if it stick a little too well, as he still tends to fall asleep in church. ;)
Amanda, what a great idea. Love the suggestion for seating arrangements. It is nice to be able to sit by our spouses also. Your story about your husband was hilarious. His mom taught him REALLY well. Haha.
Thanks for the post and all the great tips!! I often feel like I’ve been put through the wringer after church. I have 3 kids, 5, 3, and 2 and the 3 year old has some sensory processing and motor issues. They are all very active. Even my five year old that is relatively quiet, has never been able to be still (since she was a baby) for very long. I felt like I had been doing a decent job at trying to teach them proper behavior while in church (I too don’t believe in running around in the halls, but that has just meant that my 2 year old screams at the top of his lungs in my arms outside or in a classromm for 30 minutes) but after finishing sacrament meeting in tears the last few times out of frustration/embarassment/etc. I know I need to do something different. In talking with a friend she had suggested the “practicing at home” thing too and I think this will be important. But how do you get your kids to even sit still for 5 minutes? They don’t sit still for story time even. I think I may have to start with maybe 1 minute and work up from there!! Baby steps, right?! And I think we gotta go cold turkey on the snacks too. What used to help them be still and quiet has now become a source for fighting and screaming. I do really like the pom pom idea though I’m going to have to think of a different container as my kids can make a heck of alot of noise with an empty water bottle!! Thanks again!
Joan, yep, just start with one minute and stay consistent. Then gradually add minutes. They might not be able to just sit there quiet on there own. You might need to sit next to them and practice the quiet activities that you deem acceptable in church. Sit with a paper and pencil and draw an object. Something simple like a tree or a house (the best you can). Have your child whisper to you what you have drawn. Two pictures and you have already made it through one minute. Their little bodies will start to train themselves. You can even practice whispering at home. We have had to do that with all our kids too. Your first few Sundays without the treats will be hard, but after that, things will get much easier. If it helps, on Sunday, remind yourself that there are thousands of other women fighting the same fight. We can all think and pray for each other. :)
Thank you for posting this!
My husband and I do not have kids, but I was raised by the number 1 thing you mentioned. Being taken out and sitting in a room. I actually remember the one and only time I did that with my mom when I was younger. It taught me that it was more fun in the meeting where I could have toys to play with rather than having to sit on my mom’s lap and be extra quiet.
One thing my mom did while I was growing up was not letting us have snacks BEFORE taking the sacrament. She felt we needed to be focused on why we are taking the sacrament rather than getting the snacks first. Once sacrament was over and the bishop let all those to sit with their families we were able to have snacks.
HI Tedi, sounds like you had smart parents. :) Good suggestion to wait until after the Sacrament.
Thank you! I linked this article on my blog. I think this is something ALL parents need to read.
I know how it feels to go to church for 3 hours and not feel like I got a single thing out of it. I was complaining to my mother once and mentioned that I just felt like “ditching” church one Sunday because it felt like not even the kids were learning anything. She told me something I have never forgotten. She said, ” If you ditch church when your kids are little it is teaching your kids that going to church isn’t important. The time to teach your children that church is where they need to be and that it isn’t really an option is when they are little.” Since then I don’t feel so discouraged when I’m sitting in the hallway with a wiggly noisy toddler.
This is life-saving post!! We are just entering the world of toddler-hood and I scramble to get as many ideas as I can. Thanks for the post and for the commentors, great ideas!
I have a question though, my little guy has just started nursery and it’s right at nap time. He’ll play and then cry – he is so tired! Moving his nap time back right now is just not an option (he wakes up at 7am, church is at 10, nursery at 11 = naptime) Have any of you guys ran into this problem of nursery and nap time? What have you done or what can be done? Any suggestions would be GREAT!
** And thanks for reminding me that I need to enjoy these busy moments in sacrament meetings – I know that they will go way too quickly!**
bring a blanket for them. Having been in the nursery during normal nap time it is not surprising to see a kid lay down with a familar blanket for a while. Otherwise it will be over before you realize it and I know it is hard to get through and feels like forever, you will all survive and be fine soon.
Great suggestion.
Hi Michelle, Liz’s suggestion was great. And…your son will start to adjust to the new time. Their little bodies are really good at doing that. It seems that the more kids we have, Church is always during someone’s nap time. :)After a month or so, everyone learns to role with it. Be sure that he has a full tummy before church though, so that he isn’t tired AND hungry. That will also make things easier.
These are great tips. It is nice to have the reminder about practicing. I had a 3 yr old and a 1 yr old and my husband was over seas for a year, so I had to do it on my own and these things are the only thing that helped me survive, (I do bring snacks for little ones.) during the Sacrament is when I am the strictest. I only allow my children during that time to look at materials that help them think of Christ. I helps break up the time of sacrament meeting and helps teach them what true revrence is.
Liz, two little ones all by yourself brings all sorts of challenges. So glad to hear that you survived. :) Great suggestions about the types of materials to bring for our kids.
Thanks so much for this post! I have been having some struggles with my youngest 2. My husband is currently unable to sit with us so I am going it alone with my 4. The older 2 do great, but my little girls are a little more problematic. We do the sitting on the lap thing, but it’s much harder with 2. I think they are learning from it though because we are starting to have better weeks. I have found though that less things in the bag is better for my crew. That means less to fight over which is always a good thing. Anyway, thanks for the post.
So many of these ideas are things we try to do already, but hearing from another parent in the thick of it is encouraging. We practice “reverent minutes” during the week when I think about it and those Sundays are always calmer and quieter! Thanks for the “hang in there”!
I am one of those “bad” moms who brings food and lets her 18 month old run around the halls, but I like the idea of providing structure and I want to work on that.
To those of you commentators who turn your nose up at the parents in the halls that bring snacks for their kids: please stop. They’re just doing what they think is best.
Honestly, I wondered if there was a better way to do things, but didn’t know what it was, so thank you for wording this in a non-judgmental way.
No one wants to be told how to raise their kids, but being let in on a good secret to success is a different story. Thanks again.
I know I’m a bit late in posting this but THANK YOU! I have a 3yo and 4yo and my husband is inactive. For a while I just found it easier to go and sit in the foyer for the entire sacrament meeting. They are pretty good at staying with me but I haven’t wanted to “risk” the chapel. Now with these tips, I think I will! Thank you again!
I found your website while I was searching for quiet activities for my little ones after a particularly hard few weeks. Thanks for the reminders. I feel like a “good” mom most of the time, but I end up feeling judged and energy-depleted after church. I have a few good reasons (brain tumor/epilepsy so I can’t drive and I’m there with the kids longer; husband is the 1st counselor, so he’s on the stand). But I got great reminders from this post, about other peoples’ attitudes, and some wonderful ideas, like practicing sitting still during the week. Thanks so much!
Very good ideas. I would just like to say don’t judge. Some comments put others down but I think it’s important to remember each family has a unique situation and different holder with unique needs. It is not our place to look down on anyone for how the choose to handle their children. This is now how God would want us to behave. Until we walk a mile in their shoes it’s not our place to criticize what others do. Thank you.