Do you make your 3 year old sit out front during the chruch service or do you take him to the nursury?

Question

Question is for a friend. He knows that if he acts up, he can go play with toys, so what should they do. I think they should make him sit out front .

we have childrens church too, but it is 4-8 yr olds, and it works well that way.

me of all people knows that a child has a short attnetion span. kids are my specailty, but the sooner they learn to sit still and be quiet the better off they will be.

Answer 1

Bringing a snack like Cheerios, or some books or very small toys for him to play with right there might work. Or, taking him someplace not so pleasant when he cries - like a bathroom or just an empty room (with a parent, of course) might get him to eventually realize that there aren't good consequences when he cries.

Answer 2

Nope! A 3 year-old doesn't have an attention span like adults. They are kids and they get bored sitting for a long time, doing nothing but listening to a preacher, no matter how interesting the message is. And if he acts out, it will be annoying to the other churchgoers who are there to worship. If the church has a nursery area, they could go there instead. If not, the could sit in back so it's easier to exit once necessary. Also, if the church has bible studies or a special worship service for children, that would be the the best place for the toddler. :-) Good luck to your friend:-)

Answer 3

We don't have a nursery at our church, so both girls (3 years and 20 months) have to stay with us. We bring quiet "church toys" that they rarely get to play with at home. A small magnadoodle is great for a toddler b/c he can draw and erase again and again. Books are great, too. And my 3-year-old can pretend play quietly for a long time with Little People or other small toys.

We've also found that by pointing out what's going on during church and encouraging them to participate (trying to sing/pray along), they stay more interested. Yes, we spend plenty of Sundays taking our younger daughter in and out of church if she's too disruptive, but usually, she just goes to the lobby area and not somewhere fun with toys.

Now, we've been doing this with our kids in the beginning, so there has been a lot of trial and error. We also have chosen to skip church if the kids are having a very rough day because we know that we'll be spending the whole time dealing with them rather than listening to the service.

If your friend decides to keep her son in church, she needs to stick with that plan and find ways to make it work. If she doesn't think he's quite ready, I think it's fine to leave him in the nursery a little while longer. However, by sending him to the nursery whenever he acts up in church, she is definitely teaching him that misbehaving gets him that reward.

Good luck to her!

Answer 4

Our service is pretty much broken in half - one half is music and the other half is teaching. There isn't sunday school or kids church during the music portion, just the teaching portion. however, there is a nursery during both.

We usually keep our son with us during the music but have him in the nursery during the teaching. We can't learn anything from the teaching if he is with us, even if he's being good. They read him stories and let him color in the nursery. He has more of a chance of learning in that environment.

If it wasn't possible to duck out at some point to put him in nursery, I would have him there the entire time rather than be frazzled trying to make him sit still and neither of us going home happy or having had time to worship.

Answer 5

I have a 3 year old and I don't expect her to sit through a church service at her age. That is what the nursery is there for. I think when kids reach school age is an appropriate time to bring them into church and have them sit through the service. Give the preschoolers a break, let them go play. There will be plenty of sitting still time ahead of them, allow them some freedom that their age requires. It's called picking your battles and for me it's not one that I'm willing to fight just yet.

Answer 6

Usually Daddy takes our toddler and preschooler to the nursery. However as the organist I had to play a night time advent service last year, just before our son turned 3. And he came with me and just sat, right there on the floor by the organ for the entire 45 minute service. He colored and looked at books... not a peep!

I figured out what the sudden change in behavior was from: He wasn't sitting next to his brother!

Answer 7

If I act up, I get to go play with toys... hmmm... Duh! They need to figure something out and be consistent with it. Either he stays in the nursery the whole time or he stays in church for the 1st part of the service, then he gets to go down to the nursery. It also helps to have quiet games for him to play with while in church. Such as crayons and paper, stickers, books, maybe some dry cereal to eat that won't make a mess.
Have they tried explaining to him why he needs to be quiet? Before they go into church or before it starts, show him the people sitting around them and tell him that when he is loud, that they can't heard the pastor. Good luck.

Answer 8

well personally i tried to take my 2 1/2 year old to services and while he wasn't terrible he didn't want to sit long. i had a few people come up and tell me there was a nursery at the church as if i didn't know. so my advice is if the nursery is available use it. i know they have lessons from the Bible they teach to them so the kids are still getting what they came for without distracting others from the service

Answer 9

I have a 3 year old and I always take him with me to hear the service.Once he starts to get a little cranky or wants to get up and run. I pull out a small snack(crackers or cereal bar nothing sweet) or coloring book(small bibical one)or a small toy he likes.This is always towards the end for me. I think its good to start taking them as soon as there born b/c they will be use to it before they turn one. I did this with my boy. He doesn't get cranky but I always have something just in case.There's nothing wrong with children being there during service and who cares if people stare where there to hear the word of god not to be judge by people.And anyways Jesus said "let the children come too me."When there three there still young and learning too understand so taking him something small but keeping him with you during service is fine as long as after service is over you ask him question about what he learn or did he hear anything that reminded him of Jesus etc... There little right now but when he's four he'll sit still through it all.Taking him to listen it'l be good.If anybody gets bother forget them, nothing to be embrassed about.

Answer 10

in my chruch we have some thing called "children's church" the kids sit out front for the frist part, then they are let out, and some one gives them a lesson. they do some fun games after the lesson but they are still learning about God, and not just playing with toys

Answer 11

Nursery