How to Get Your Kids to Sit Quietly in Church

If you are like millions of Americans, attending a weekly church service is an important part of who you are. People attend church for many reasons, some of which include receiving a spiritual lift to get them through the week, becoming inspired to make positive life changes, benefiting from social interaction and a conviction that they are following the will of God.

For many families with small kids, attending church each week can present at least a few challenges. While parents may feel a strong desire to give their children the spiritual foundation church can provide, dealing with an antsy 3 year old or a disruptive toddler might give many parents the strong desire to not return to church until their kids are much older.

The plain truth is you can't force your kids to sit quietly in church. However, you can teach them the correct church service behavior with a little effort and a lot of patience. There will be many church services where you will wonder why you are making the effort at all, but if it's important to you that your family worship together, don't give up. Your efforts will be rewarded.

Here are a few tips to help your children learn how to sit quietly through a church service.

Choose a Congregation that is Family Friendly

Hopefully, you've found a church that welcomes families. Some churches might have services at special times for singles or other specific groups. If you feel out of place at your church service with your children, check to see if there is service held at another time that has more families in attendance. You may find a greater support system and a lot more empathy when you surround yourself with other families. Above all, do what is right for your family.

Practice at Home

You can teach children to sit quietly for at least a few minutes at a time by practicing during the week at home. Call your time "church practice" and have a few quiet books or activities to work on while sitting together on the couch. One rule of the "church practice" game should be that if you need to talk, you do so in a whisper voice. Try this "church practice" for about 5 minutes, but don't force it. If your child doesn't want to play, you can still set an example by sitting and reading or writing a letter for 5 minutes. If your child likes to do the opposite of everything you say and decides to yell, don't make a big deal about it. Simply reply in your whisper voice and invite your child to join the game. This practice will help your child get used to sitting still in church. If things are going well, you can extend the "church practice" time to 10 or 15 minutes.

Bring Appropriate Distractions

Check with your church leaders about whether or not food is permissible during church services. If so, Cherrio's or goldfish crackers make a nice little snack to occupy your child during church. Additionally, put together a church bag filled with items that are just for church. These could include books, a coloring book and crayons, stickers or lacing cards.

Step Out As Needed

No matter how practiced and prepared you are your child will most likely need to be taken out to the hall way or cry room at some point or another. Try not to make the hall way more fun than the chapel. Don't bring toys or activities or snacks with you. Make those things "rewards" for sitting quietly in the chapel. If your little one needs to stretch her legs, take a quiet walk, hand in hand, up and down the hall a few times. Avoid letting her run wild or she will never want to go back inside the chapel. Let her know that when she is ready to sit quietly, you both can return to the service and the snacks, books and toys.

Expect Set Backs

Every parent goes through a time when most of their Sunday church experience is spent in the hall way. Every parent has wondered if it was worth it to get dressed up and come to church at all. The fun sticker book that kept your child completely entertained for 30 minutes last week may not interest her at all this week. Your kids will have their good weeks and their bad weeks. Don't get discouraged. Expect that it will happen and continue to teach and work with your child.

Eventually, your children will understand what appropriate behavior for a church service is. They will know what is expected of them and maybe even want to sit quietly. The memories of Sundays in the hallway will begin to fade and you will be able to enjoy a Sunday church service with your family.