“Do I have to go to church this morning?

It’s boring!”

 

 

Have you ever heard this from your child? As parents, we’ve probably all heard this from our children as we’re trying to rush them out the door.

 

When my kids were little, my basic response was, “This is what we do as a family on Sunday morning. What do you want to do this afternoon?” Most of the time this worked, but sometimes we have to strategize further.

 

Have you considered how important attendance is? If they are in religious education classes most weeks, your children will get to know the other children in their group, get the flow of the curriculum, rituals and songs, and get to know the adults in the community.

 

Many of our adults make it routine to go out for lunch with their friends after the service. Maybe a family outing that just happens to occur while you’re already out and about after church might make coming to church easier.

 

We are not a neighborhood church; children come together for one hour on Sunday morning, not just from the borough, but from surrounding communities. Many of our children do not know other Unitarian children in their school or on their streets.

 

Some planning on your part – such as taking your children and their church friends on a picnic lunch, having them over for a Saturday night sleepover, etc. – may begin a friendship with another child in his/her class. A child who wants to visit with friends at church is more willing to come.

 

If you’re not already involved, consider helping in the RE program. Church school is one of the few places left where your children can have you as a leader in their group. And many children love to help their parents get organized or be leaders in the activities planned.

 

Discuss with your child why she or he doesn’t want to come. Once you determine what is making church a dreaded place, we can try to work on that together. For example: maybe a child doesn’t like to do crafts. Maybe we could find something else he or she could do while crafts are being done. Maybe there’s a particular child your child has difficulty with. We can make sure they don’t sit near each other.

 

If you are able to figure out what your child’s concern is, let’s work together to find a solution. Let the RE Committee know if you have suggestions to make our program better for your children and others.

 

 

Adapted from “Reflections for Parents,” by Barb Wallace, Director of Religious Education, The First Unitarian Church of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada