any toddlers actually make it through church?

JuliaKL · November 2010

we haven't made it through mass in months -- the only thing in the world DS wants right now is to get down and run around. toys, books, etc, only keep him happy for maybe 30 minutes if i'm lucky. i've spent the second half of every mass letting him run around the lobby. anyone with any magical tricks?

aniemerg · November 2010

Nope! Last week we made it to the homily. And then we went to the lobby, tried to go back and sit down, and ended up in the cry room for the rest of the mass. That's pretty typical for us lately.

egsquared · November 2010

DD is hit or miss at mass. Last week she did awesome and made it all the way through communion. I usually give her a snack trap and that keeps her pretty busy. Sometimes though she only lasts ten minutes and we end up in the lobby. And sometimes DH and I go to separate masses while the other stays home with DD. It's not ideal, but I feel like I get more out of mass that way.

Soap1 · November 2010

We have a church nursery for the little ones, and for a long time DS would only make it through half of the service in the nursery before he started crying for me. Then we spent the rest of the service in the lobby. He's slowly getting better though!

jessicaclare · November 2010

We take DD2 to the nursery (DD1 is in Sunday school). We want to start taking DD2 with us eventually so she learns to sit through the service, but it would be too much right now. We're thinking of trying in a few months.

JoannaJes · November 2010

When DS was around your LO's age, he did the same thing. We usually spent the last half of mass back in the greeting area. (Our church doesn't have a cry room). Thankfully, he has grown out of it, and we can make it through mass now without having to leave.

jnk062602 · November 2010

She stays with us thru the beginning music and worship. Then as people greet each other I slip out and drop her off at the nursery for the sermon. She would make it about 1/3 of the way thru the sermon with snacks, but then I would have to get up during it to drop her off, so this way works better. Plus, since she is not in daycare, I like that it allows her to play with other kids a bit.

lbaby08 · November 2010

Prior to moving, DD always went into the church nursery (since about 8 months, prior to that she would sit/sleep through the service or I would nurse in the nursing mother's room) and loved it. Since she isn't in daycare I think it is a great way to get some additional social interaction with kids her age. We just moved and are still looking for a church. For now she sits through most of the service but that is only because she will draw for hours. Once we find a church we want to attend regularly we will transition to the nursery - this takes me awhile to feel comfortable with especially somewhere we are absolute strangers.

Magical tricks for us - snacks and drawing. Nothing fancy!

macchiatto · November 2010

There are a few toddlers at our church who make it through a whole service fairly well ... and a lot who don't. We have a nursery, which I am VERY thankful for since I am on my own with two toddlers! (DH is one of the pastors-he's not the one who preaches, but he's usually busy during the service with various things.) Lately I've experimented with taking one at a time with me into the service for the music and they actually do great, but I don't think they'd last more than 5 minutes during the sermon. Too active and too loud!

ETA: Like some of the other moms said, I do love that the nursery gives our boys a chance to play with other kids! If we didn't have a nursery and I only had one toddler, I think I'd bring in magnadoodles, board books, tiny cars (Will loves running those up and down things) as well as snacks and sippies.

Carmeltopher · November 2010

No tricks here! We usually make it about 1/2 way through before we have to make a trip to the cry room. Once we are in there for a few minutes she usually wants to go back in and then we can make it to the end.

nic326 · November 2010

Nope, we went when he was really little. As soon as he started getting mobile he wasnt able to make it thru mass. Our parish doesnt have a place to take little ones either (a baby room or daycare) so it is that much harder. I am nowhere near expecting DS to make it thru mass anytime soon

Pecas13 · November 2010

Today was the first day in a long time that DS made it through church without pooping or getting too loud. DH and I got to stay the whole service!

kiwi443 · November 2010

Today, yes! He napped for most of service due to an early wakeup.

We do not have a staffed nursery, unfortunately. One of us usually ends up taking him out about halfway through the service. He has discovered that he can escape by climbing under the benches. Not fun.

suscq · November 2010

You are all making me feel so much better! DD makes it through the first half, but we usually end up in the back for the rest (which I hate because there are no speakers in the back and I miss the service.) Our church has no nursery. I thought I was just a failure as a mom that we couldn't make it through an hour.

CalinsBride · November 2010

My magic trick is the church nursery.

hisaak · November 2010

Sorry no tricks here! We last through music and coffee time and then head out to the lobby. For a long while bananas and wallets worked during the sermon, but now DS likes to "talk" to the pastor who is preaching ... needless to say, we don't stick around for long at that point!

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