OK, so after banishing myself with my squirmy (and loud!) little one year old BOY to the back of the Church, foyer and crying room during the Palm Sunday Mass…I’m looking for survival tips for the Easter Triduum liturgies, beyond the obvious going-to-Mass-in-shifts.
I’m thinking about taking these Passion Play Peg People…at least a few of them and the cross, for my 5 year old. Maybe she’ll be able to follow along with the upcoming Gospel readings. They will fall under the pews for her to climb around and retrieve, but they shouldn’t be too loud!
As for the one year old…he’s busy at home too, no matter how many toys we have around. I think I may be hanging out in the foyer alot. I’m not sure how safe these acryllic paints are, expecting that they will spend some time in our little guy’s mouth, but being the 5th kid…they might be marginally better than the other things we have rescued from his mouth.
Years ago, we were handing out our Reverence and Awe Collector Cards, one by one, to our other busy son when he was about 6 or 7. They kept him busy, looking at Church things, maybe paying attention to Mass a little and mostly QUIET. I think my one year old would just eat them though.
I’m even thinking about making my own version of a felt Mass Kit, like they sell through Wee Believers, but I expect that that’s ALOT of work…and wouldn’t really work to keep a ONE year old entertained for long.
(I still want to make a felt Mass kit though!…I’ll show pictures if/when I do!)
Anyone have any suggestions or survival tips?
I’ve never seen that Mass set. It’s pretty cute!
We are choir directors, so we either sit the kids with parishioners or we hire a babysitter. The oldest one we whisper in his ear to tell him what’s going on. Now, my kids are pretty good, so maybe I shouldn’t be talking, but I also just want to plug this idea: that kids shouldn’t be forced to do what is unnatural to them (sit still and don’t make a sound); I think that will turn them off the experience in the long run. We have a parish that is full of noisy children, and I love it. We keep them as quiet as we can using religious books, but if they peep, I don’t get upset about it. If they start hollering, we leave for a couple of minutes and come back. But I do think it’s important for churches, parishes & people to be welcoming to families w/young children!
I don’t know if that helps at all, but that’s my take!