Church Behavior

you never will...at that age they should not sit still unless they have a problem..you should thank god you have a healthy baby that runs, plays, and does not sit still at 18 months.

You can't - he is 18months ..lol. Finding a different church with daycare facilities is probably easier lol..I am not suggesting you do by the way. You may have to take him outside a lot or just find coloring for him to do..or snacks to keep him busy. I bring my son's toy truck when he was that age

It's not fair to expect a child that young to sit still and/or stay quiet. If the church is so small that they do not have a nursey, they will just have to be OK with you being in the back of the room, pacing with your toddler or sitting in a corner on the floor with some toys and snacks so you can hear the sermon. If there is a nursery but you are just not comfortable yet with leaving him/her there, try staying there with him/her a few weeks in a row, then if you feel comfortable try leaving him/her there. You may be pleasantly surprised that he/she will be just fine and will really enjoy some play time without you there

You are not alone! Anyone who has ever had a toddler in church has been through the same situation. I commend you for taking your child to church. Even though it is a struggle, it will develop a good foundation for your child and your family.

Personally, we sit in the back and just take her out when she gets too loud. Sometimes my husband will stand in the back with her, and sometimes he has to take her out to the lobby and lets her run off some of that energy they all seem to have so much of. Raisens, cheerios, juice, milk, maybe even a pacifier all seem to work temporarily. Books and a doll and blanket are staples in our diaper bag.

But one thing I've noticed seems to work better than anything else is to let her sit with someone else that she enjoys. There are a couple of other families at church that my daughter loves. When she sits with them she is so well behaved and quiet. I must say, it frustrates me a little, but children seem to push the boundaries more with their parents than with others.

Just don't give up. And while we try our best to be sensitive to others around us, you just have to ignore that grumpy old lady who gives you dirty looks when your baby squirms. Trust me, her child probably did the same thing, she just may not be able to remember those times!

Enjoy your toddler. They will be grown soon and you will miss these little challenges.

Very best,
R.

KEEP TAKING HIM!! Since your church doesn't have a nursery just take things to entertain him and snacks. My grandpa is a pastor and he always says he doesn't mind crying babies because they are a blessing and at least they are in church! So keep taking him!
My church back home didn't have a nursery either so sometimes I would go to the back of the sanctuary and let my babies walk around so I could still hear. i'm sure no one minds! And if they do, they're not there for the right reason!

If there is no nursery to take the baby to, I would start leaving him at home. Until the baby is old enough to understand direction and appropriate public behavior and has some reasoning skills you really shouldn't bring him to church services. You are probably better off leaving him/her at home until they turn 3.

C.,
If your church does not provide a nursery then they probably are already aware that little ones are little ones and Jesus did say, "Suffer the little children to come unto me." Also, "Unless we become as children we cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven."
Take some grapes in a baggie or other fresh fruit for one at a time, or veggies even. a pencil, crayons and a coloring book or writing tablet. some some toys in your diaper bag, or the things the child enjoys. You may have to tip out sometimes and the congregation is aware of this. I feel that your whole family should be in church and there is no age limit. Do not leave your child at home, and then again, there are those who say, no, not until the child is older. The child will become used to going to church and eventually, some behavior will slough off. If anyone says what a disruption your child is, tell them Christ turned no one away, even the little ones. He knew they were little and how they would behave. Christianity is a reality, not a religion and little children are also a part of that reality.

Best wishes!
Jen

You should check to see if your church has a nursury or children's church. The church we attend has both. They have an area for babies-2 year olds, then they have classes for 3 and 4 year olds, and a children's church for elementary school aged children. It is WONDERFUL!! We drop them off and can actually concentrate on the message rather than on trying to keep them still. In the nursury, they give you a pager in case they need you, so you know everything is ok.

Maybe you can bring little toys to keep baby busy. If your church has daycare or a nursery, maybe you can put her in there while you're in church.

I don't have the answer for you.. but not taking him isn't it. Try to sit on the end of an aisle so you can exit discreetly when necessary. Take small quiet handheld toys or coloring books and 3 crayons or something like that. Small books. By the time our son was 3, he would stay quiet (not necessarily sitting) almost the entire service with just one or two small toys (one was a spiderman action figure with like 38 joints).
Some of it is the disposition of the child. Some of it is how much you expect your child to listen to what you tell him...
He is only 18 months, which is very young to expect a lot. But talk to him before the service, and take him out into the hall or whatever if you need to to remind him of things. But don't just stay home.. he'll never figure it out that way.. and in the meantime, you are missing out on strengthening your own faith, which comes in handy dealing with a small one... lol..

p.s.
You might try practicing at home what "quiet" is versus "noisy". That way, when you whisper to him "don't bang the toy on the pew, it's too noisy".. he'll know what you mean. I have plenty of patience with parents trying to instill right behavior in their little ones, but much less with those who are seemingly oblivious that their child is banging their toys all over the backs of the benches making so much racket that you can't HEAR the service. When they get too loud, that's when you make a discreet exit, talk to them outside about doing "quiet" things and then come back in, after removing the "noisy" toy and replacing it with a quieter one. My daughter was only 3 when she knew that you can write with a pen or pencil in a quiet way AND a noisy way, and which one was NOT appropriate during church. No one expects your little one to be perfectly quiet.. but there are acceptable levels of noise and unacceptable levels. As long as you remember that, you should have nothing but sympathy and smiles from the rest of the congregation..
One other tip.. I found in my personal experience with my kids, that requiring them from an early age to participate in the parts of the service that they are ABLE to (i.e., standing, sitting, kneeling, holding a hymnal even if not singing, closing eyes during prayer, etc at the appropriate times, letting them drop the offering in the plate for our family) really helped them to 1) be distracted for part of the time, and 2) learn to follow the service and listen to the sermons at an earlier age.

I have a bag I bring to church/dinner/other places where quietness is encouraged with "quite" toys and snacks. Crayons, markers, books, and other toys that don't make noise. I love that travel sized aqua doodle pad. We always start out in the church and go to the nursery when my son has reached his limit.