Parenting happens best on a Thursday: Tip #2

I understand you parents have been counting down the days until Thursday to read this new parenting tip.  Well, the anticipation is over.  Thursday is here, all day long.  Have a Happy St. Patrick's Day.  If you are not wearing green right now, consider yourself pinched.  And a bit of St. Patty's Day trivia, pinching someone who is not wearing green is apparently only an American thing.  If you pinch someone in Ireland today, you'll probably get punched.  Take heed my warning. 

Now on to the main event.

Tip #2:  Sit together as a family in church.




Hmmm. That doesn't seem like much. And those of you who do not attend church are probably thinking you can mark this one off your list. But pay close attention (and get to church people!!!).

This has always been huge in the Wright household!!!! We have had our kids sit with us through the entire church service ever since they were teeny, tiny toddlers. We are not big fans of children's church.  We've always encouraged (please translate that to the appropriate word "made") our kids sit with us in church.  I think it does several things:

1.    Trains kids how to sit in church.   It is really only an hour or so.   A young child should be able to do this.  Period.   Sure, when they are really young, bring paper and crayons or whatever to help pass the time, but a kid needs to learn to sit quietly in a worship service without causing interruptions.

2.    Trains kids how to behave appropriately in church.  I watch some teenagers text or play games on their phones during the church service and I want to stand up, walk over and slap them on the back on the head.  Should you ever see any of my kids doing this, you have my permission now to do exactly that to them.  And then, when they appropriately turn the other cheek, slap that as well.  Children should act with respect in church, to those up front speaking or leading worship and more importantly with respect to God.

3.    Trains kids to listen to a pastor.    Sure they may not understand everything when they are age three, but they should get some of it.  And get more of it the older they get.   Always ask your kids what they heard or learned in church every week on the way home from church or over Sunday lunch.

4.    Shows kids that families do important things together.  Like worship.

5.    Allows us to worship together as a family.  I want my children to grow up worshipping God with me.  I want that memory to be burned into their minds.  And I want them to decide one day that they want their kids to worship with them as well.

This past Winter (yeh I am calling it Spring now), there was one Sunday when I was away and Lisa and Rachel were working in the nursery, so Patrick and Nicholas sat by themselves in church, up in the front where we always sit.    Lisa heard some comments about how well behaved they were and I thought, well why not?  They know how to act in church.   No one should act surprised when a kid sits through church paying attention and not causing a disruption.  That should be the norm, if we train our kids properly.

We occasionally let Daniel sit with his friends when he was a junior and senior in high school (again please translate that to the appropriate word "rarely").   Rachel as a sophomore this year has lately been sitting more with some of her friends than us and I am allowing it more, although I grumble slightly each time it happens.   Maybe I allow it more often just because I am getting older, but moreso I think it is because Lisa and I did train her well and she does act appropriately and show respect in church as a teenager.

Do I sound like a harsh or too demanding parent?  Hopefully not.  I just have some things that are very important to me as a dad and this is one of them.

So that's the tip of the week.  Sit together in church.  

Now go and enjoy the day.