Helping Children Sit Still in Church

Often times we are asked how do we get our small children to sit still in church. As a young mother I was too afraid to put Rachel in the nursery. (You know how those first time mothers can be.) Gradually, I just began leaving the girls in the nursery until they were about four years old. When we began Grace Community Church we started thinking more and more of the benefits of keeping the children in the service with us. It was a slow process but in the end, we think the girls will be better off.
From the beginning, if your babies are with you in church and feel your calming presence, they will be easier to deal with in the long run. You can use church for their nap times or save quiet snacks for the preaching times. Because we have regular Bible times at home this was a great opportunity to teach them about reverence to God's Word and the teaching. When there were setbacks, we could take them out of the room, give the appropriate punishment, then come back immediately. Teaching a little more each day and stretching the time a little longer will make the transition seem easier also. When the children seem to be doing well in church, praise them, but they don't need bribes every time they do something good.
Other hints:

• Cheerios or Sweetarts (unwrap them before church, then put them in a cloth so they will be quiet. I always forgot to do that.)
  
• Bible story board books ( not the ones that squeak)
  
• Take their shoes off, babies love their own toes.
  
• Have a special toy only for that time (make it a big deal that they get to have their "special church toy."

I started working on this a while back when something great happened. We had a two year old, who usually sits still without a peep, visiting our church service with his family. Near the end of the service he slipped away from his grandmother, climbed on the ottoman in the middle of the room and turned a flip. It was impossible not to notice even though we tried. We smiled, someone pulled him down and he went back to his seat with his grandmother.
Kids are going to turn flips and act like kids. No one thought this child was unruly or undisciplined. He thought it was time to play and did what little boys do - turn flips. Children love to learn and play, teach them the time to do both.