Why would you NOT want your kids in Sunday school?

mauceddie

I just emailed my friend who is catholic but doesn't attend church. I suggested she attend church with us, and bring her son who could go to Sunday school with my dd. She responded that she may start coming but that she'd prefer her kids go to mass. I can't figure out why on earth she's say that?

amiamish

Maybe they won't behave, she doesn't want the stress, or she doesn't want to "force" religion on them...? Or maybe she wants it to be her time alone.

ETA: Oops, I read that wrong. I thought you said she DIDN'T want them at Mass. I'm not catholic, I didn't realize Sunday School was for the kids while the parents were in Mass. At our church, there's sunday school (that I go to with DS) and then we go to church afterwards-all together.

veloelle

Well, for us, DD got sick every single time she went to the church school on Sunday and on the days I went to the mom's group.

goodheartedmommy

A lot of people want their child to be a part of the community worship, and to also learn to be respectful and behave during the service.

DandelionMom

Church is family time for me so I like to keep the kids with me. And she may not want to send her kids with an adult she doesn't know (I'm assuming she doesn't know the Sunday school teacher). 

eclaires

I feel the same way, probably because I was raised in a Catholic church where if you went to a certain mass, there was no Sunday school and that's the mass my parents went to.  We were expected to behave in mass from an early age.

I do the same thing with Jackson.  I wouldn't send him to Sunday school; he needs to learn how to behave in church and participate in mass.  That's a big part of our faith.

Also, I went to Catholic schools, so it's not like I was missing out on age appropriate religious education.

Basically due to my experience, I don't get Sunday School and wouldn't send my kids either.

cristiana

Some people want children to get used to going to mass early on. At our church, Sunday school is at a separate time from mass. They have a nursery, but that's just a daycare with the mass televised in the background.

EliseB0323

I've got nothing against Sunday School, but my son wouldn't do well being dropped off in a class with a teacher he doesn't know and kids he doesn't know.

mauceddie

Thanks for the replies. I guess I just figured that's what it's there for... My dd learns so much more in Sunday school than she would in mass (IMO). I also have really fond memories of Sunday school so I guess that colours my opinion too.

 

mauceddie

EliseB0323:

I've got nothing against Sunday School, but my son wouldn't do well being dropped off in a class with a teacher he doesn't know and kids he doesn't know.

DD is very shy, but she knows her Sunday school teacher. It's the same kids every week too.

KellyGreen

Maybe she's afraid of her children being molested.  Maybe I read too much Jodi Picoult, though...

AnnapolisLari

I would go with the "family time" thing. The church we go to has Sunday School after the liturgy. Kids sit with their families and receive Communion with the rest of the congregation.

susan1017

Maybe she is uncomfortable exposing the kids to a religion that isn't Catholic. We tried a non-denominational church a few times but left DD with her grand parents. They were very eager to have her in the Sunday School and were using it as a 'selling point' of the community. I didn't want her getting attached to going before we made up our minds. We didnt join that church and I think we did the right thing by keeping her out of it.

mauceddie

susan1017:

Maybe she is uncomfortable exposing the kids to a religion that isn't Catholic. We tried a non-denominational church a few times but left DD with her grand parents. They were very eager to have her in the Sunday School and were using it as a 'selling point' of the community. I didn't want her getting attached to going before we made up our minds. We didnt join that church and I think we did the right thing by keeping her out of it.

It's a Catholic church.

I asked her why, and she said that she thought the point of Church was to actually go to Church and that's the way she was raised. Which is weird to me considering she hasn't attended Church in over a decade.

hopefulmom

The only reason I would not want my child to go would be because of illness...but he goes to preschool...so what is the difference.  There are more parents that would bring a sick kid to preschool or daycare (because they are paying) then to Sunday school where they are not paying.

The church we used to attend would have the kids sit with the parents for the first 15 minutes (music and announcements) and then have a "kid chat" where they all go to the front and sat on the steps and the pastor talks just to them.  Then they go to their class...where they play, listen to stories and do a project.

The church we attend now...we just drop off the kids in their respective classes and they love it.  The teachers are always the same (if you attend the same service each week) and the kids are too (so it's not a group of new kids and teachers every Sunday).  The younger kids do the projects, have story time, snack time, and play.  The older kids have bands some in and a youth pastor.  I've seen parents with their kids in service.  Quite frankly the parents are getting very little out of the message because they are constantly entertaining their child to keep them quiet.  And they are there every week and every week it is the same.

I grew up going to a Catholic church and quite frankly I was bored out of my mind during Mass.  One time I literally picked my Rosary apart bead by bead and folded ever page of my Missal.  Was I getting anything out of the mass...nope!  I would have loved to have gone to a class of my own age group and listen to someone I could relate to because they were speaking to my age not to 35-80 year olds!

hopefulmom

As far as kids being molested...I suppose that could be a possiblity even though (hopefully KellyGreen was kidding) most churches have more than one adult in the room at the same time.  In our church their are 1 way windows so we can look in at anytime to see what the kids (and adults) are doing.  They are sort of in a fishbowl.  It's fun to watch your kid play and interact with others without them knowing you are doing so.  lol

penguingrrl

Every church I've gone to had religious education (either Sunday School or CCD) at a separate time from church service.  Children were expected to attend church with parents then get religious education at a different time.  Maybe she would prefer that setup so children also attend church.

npeacock

I would go with the family time assumption too. For us, we chose not to send DS to Sunday school yet because he's in preschool all week, and we didn't want to have one more organized activity. This way, if we want to skip a week or attend a later service, we can easily. (At our church, you sign up for your Sunday School class, and that's the one you are in the whole year.)

kevschickee2

I keep my kids with me (we are catholic) in church and they will start CCD in kidergarten.  I want them to learn to be respectful in church

Mrs.JDD

I'm not trying to stir up trouble, and I don't intend this to read as rudely as it does, but why are you emailing your friend and suggesting she go to church with you and then being weirded out by/judging her not wanting her kids in Sunday school?  Religion is a very personal issue and I think, as a non-practicing Catholic, that I might be a little annoyed if a friend got involved in my family's religious views.

kevschickee2

Also my church doesn't do Sunday School they do CCD during the week

mauceddie

Mrs.JDD:

I'm not trying to stir up trouble, and I don't intend this to read as rudely as it does, but why are you emailing your friend and suggesting she go to church with you and then being weirded out by/judging her not wanting her kids in Sunday school?  Religion is a very personal issue and I think, as a non-practicing Catholic, that I might be a little annoyed if a friend got involved in my family's religious views.

We actually baptised our kids together and she's their godmother. She has talked about going to church again. It never actually occurred to me that she wouldn't want her child to go to Sunday school. I'm not judging her either- I really, truly just don't "get it". Hence my post.  

ETA: part of it was selfish because I thought it might help with dd's shyness if she had a friend with her at Sunday school.

Mrs.JDD

I understand.  The "NOT" and "why on earth" made me think it was a little more judgemental than you intended, I guess!  It makes sense, though, if you guys baptized your kids together.

mauceddie

Mrs.JDD:

I understand.  The "NOT" and "why on earth" made me think it was a little more judgemental than you intended, I guess!  It makes sense, though, if you guys baptized your kids together.

The "why on earth" was me being flabbergasted because I can't imagine why someone would prefer their 3yo sit though mass than attend sunday school. They attend mass when they are in grade school.

Zenya

mauceddie:

Mrs.JDD:

I understand.  The "NOT" and "why on earth" made me think it was a little more judgemental than you intended, I guess!  It makes sense, though, if you guys baptized your kids together.

The "why on earth" was me being flabbergasted because I can't imagine why someone would prefer their 3yo sit though mass than attend sunday school. They attend mass when they are in grade school.

I think your reaction is weird and OTT.

kevschickee2

mauceddie:

Mrs.JDD:

I understand.  The "NOT" and "why on earth" made me think it was a little more judgemental than you intended, I guess!  It makes sense, though, if you guys baptized your kids together.

The "why on earth" was me being flabbergasted because I can't imagine why someone would prefer their 3yo sit though mass than attend sunday school. They attend mass when they are in grade school.

IMO Sundays are for mass and they can attend CCD when they start kindergarten

mauceddie

Zenya:

mauceddie:

Mrs.JDD:

I understand.  The "NOT" and "why on earth" made me think it was a little more judgemental than you intended, I guess!  It makes sense, though, if you guys baptized your kids together.

The "why on earth" was me being flabbergasted because I can't imagine why someone would prefer their 3yo sit though mass than attend sunday school. They attend mass when they are in grade school.

I think your reaction is weird and OTT.

Why? They offer Sunday school at my church for a reason. There are very few kids in mass that are sunday school age. 

 ETA: As I mentioned, the reason I posted was to understand the "why". I now do, even if I don't agree with it.

mauceddie

kevschickee2:

mauceddie:

Mrs.JDD:

I understand.  The "NOT" and "why on earth" made me think it was a little more judgemental than you intended, I guess!  It makes sense, though, if you guys baptized your kids together.

The "why on earth" was me being flabbergasted because I can't imagine why someone would prefer their 3yo sit though mass than attend sunday school. They attend mass when they are in grade school.

IMO Sundays are for mass and they can attend CCD when they start kindergarten

What is CCD?

kevschickee2

You are Catholic and you never heard of CCD?  It is the classes you take from kindergarten to 10th grade.  It prepares you for the sacrements of 1st pennants, 1st communion and confirmation.  It teaches you the basic roots of the faith.

mauceddie

kevschickee2:

You are Catholic and you never heard of CCD?  It is the classes you take from kindergarten to 10th grade.  It prepares you for the sacrements of 1st pennants, 1st communion and confirmation.  It teaches you the basic roots of the faith.

 I went to catholic school from K-12. We call that religion class.