A question for Jehovah's Witness parents of toddlers?

Question

How do you get your toddler (23 1/2 months old to be precise) to sit down and be quiet gently during the meetings? I tend to lean toward gentle discipline, and my baby is extremely hyper. (AD/HD runs strong on both sides of his family, so...) The last time I went to the meeting, I made him promise to be quiet, but I sat in the back room while he crawled around. I want him to get something out of the meeting, but I know first hand how hard it is to sit still, so I can only imagine how hard it is, with him being a toddler. I figured, at least he was quiet. He likes to pretend to give talks, so he gets some out of it. But he is just to mobile and loud when he sits at the seats. Is it wrong that I take him to the back so much so he can move around and express the energy he has? I would appreciate any gentle suggestions. Thank you!

(Trolls will be blocked and reported.)

I appreciate the answers, but I was really hoping some Witnesses would answer.

Answer 1

First let me say great job for your efforts in meeting attendence with your son. I have 3 sons, ages 15, 9 and 2 1/2. Each of them has attended meetings from birth. Toddlerhood is not easy at all. The Benefit book has some really good suggestions on page 16 about how to train children to listen. I have used these techniques over the years and have found them successful. Practicing at home really does help. I try to put on the WT or Awake on CD so that he hears a brother speaking (just like at the meeting) then I get his Bible story book out and look at the pictures with him, telling him that we need to listen quietly to the brother. Start with five minutes and just try to build up a little bit each week. Use lots of commendation. Make sure he has his own meeting books, lost and found is a great place to look for older books for him to use. Also, prepare comments for him to make at the WT study and book study. The congregation loves to hear little ones comment.
Making the meetings part of his regular routine will also make a difference .

One other thing we do is on our way to the meeting, we remind the boys how they are supposed to behave. For example, "We are going to the meeting now and we need to remember to sit still and listen." Telling them what you expect from them really is important. Additionally, I would make my children aware of the people around them, letting them know that their actions were affecting other people.

I knew one friend who had to take her daughter out during the song right before the Watchtower study began and let her run for a few moments outside, then she was ready to come back in and sit down for a while.

Just remember to be consistant. Children with ADHD need that as I'm sure you know. There are also some good articles in the bound volumes relating experiences of how other parents of children with ADD trained their children at the meetings.

Answer 2

Friend, Me personally, I did not grow up as One of Jehovah's Witnesses. But I can say I did not enjoy the Holiday's as much as other kid's my age did. Nothing ever went good. Every yr, was a complete nightmare! No Joke. So when mom said we were no longer celebrating Holiday's I was ex-static! Leaping for joy! I didn't care for the reason, and plus the idea of not having to wait for particular times of the yr. to get gifts, I get to have them all year round. Then learning God had a name was the real plus for me, Psalms 83:18. Then learning what God has in store for all of human kind, will always be my biggest reward, Jehovah could give me. Revelation 21:4, no matter what happens to us, Jehovah will take care of his people. That is the truest reward we can receive.

Answer 3

Been there, done that, sister. This helped my 2 that are very close in age but in their teens now.
As they loved the Bible Stories book for the pictures I went over a story and then let them take the book to meetings and sit there and try to find it. I got them some notebooks and pensils so they could 'take notes' also. That way they got into doing that. YES, watch that the pensil isn't eaten. LOL
Then as they would be better at sitting I'd tell them we could move another row up as long as they were quiet. That worked very well.

In the Hall I go to we have some small ones and sometimes, if you feel comfortable, let him sit with someone he's comfortable with for a short time, he'll want to get back to you but as long as he's not fussing, give him a wink. He'll think he's a 'big boy'. He will have to learn that as long as he's quiet, he can have some new things in his life. Then let him know how wonderful he did and maybe, if he's talking, let him do a one word answer in the mic.
Start teaching him to pray to Jehovah for guidance during the meeting.

This is the hardest time for our children to learn, quiet is not an easy thing to learn.
Keep in mind that you arn't the only sister that's going through it and the day will come when you'll be helping another sister get past it.
Hope this helped you some, if any.
As for you, keep praying to Jehovah for His love to get you past it.

Answer 4

I was a toddler in the 50's and I am convinced that there was a lot more emphasis on good manners and respect about in those days, as a result it affected my attitude. but this is not the case today, there are to many bad influences about today.
I can remember getting quite good at drawing and listening at the same time, but I and my hole family are good at arty type things,so it may not work with yours.
The whole format of the meetings has not changed very much since then and the governing body are all old people. The world has changed allot since then. The TV with its constantly changing and stimulating material dos not help kids develop concentration.

Answer 5

I'm not a J.W. but I can't see how a message geared towards an adult is very useful for a 2 year old. This applies to child/adult as much as new/old believer I think:

Hbr 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which [be] the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

1Cr 3:2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able [to bear it], neither yet now are ye able.

Children need to be taught the gospel on their own level not on a adult level which they're not capable of handling. Expecting children to sit through an adult service is basically denying them of the opportunity to learn something about God that they can understand. If your church doesn't give children this opportunity I'd recommend finding one that does.

Pro 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

You don't train a child by teaching him adult concepts.

Hope this helps.

"you need to discipline him properly prior to taking him to church."

Discipline a child for something he hasn't done? Maybe I'm misunderstanding.

Answer 6

I can't give you an easy fast answer because it doesn't exist. Since children are individuals, what worked for one may not work for another.

We tried various things. Trying to get them to make a mark on a piece of paper ever time they heard certain words like Jehovah, Jesus and Bible. Worked for one, didn't for the other two.

Prayer never hurts either.

Answer 7

I don't think it matters what religion you are...ask anyone with a child of that age how they get them to sit still and be quiet. It's an impossible mission. Good luck

Answer 8

you need to discipline him properly prior to taking him to church. maybe regulating his diet, in the form of less sugar, white flour, general carbohydrate intake. by the way, this is only the beginning of the terrible two's, good luck. and by the way, you can't really make an agreement with a child that young because anything you agreed on is out of his head within 10 min.