Search Results for: blog how to keep your kids quiet in church

Keeping the Peace

Any semblance of peace that may blanket your home tonight will be shattered once dawn breaks on Easter Sunday. Kids will be running around like Energizer bunnies looking for sweet treats left behind by the holiday hare, and once they hit pay dirt, they’ll be even more amped thanks to the endless amount of sugar coursing through their little bodies. However, sugar highs only last so long.  So, how do you stay calm when your kids start to crash? Say “No” without saying “No”:  Your preschooler wants to polish off an entire family of Peeps before you leave the house … Continue reading →

How to Keep Your Kids Quiet in Church

Posted on by

When our oldest child was just over two years old, we decided to try to keep him in the church service, rather than sending him to the nursery. At first, two seems like a pretty young age to get a child to sit still for forty-five minutes at a time, but we had seen other children who were younger than him do it, so we decided, “Why not give it a try?” To some, it may sound cruel that we would make our budding toddler sit through a service, but we felt that it was an excellent time to teach … Continue reading →

Top 10 Things You Don’t Want to Hear From Your Kids During Sacrament

The chapel is quiet. Every head is reverently bowed as men and women around you ponder the Savior’s atonement. Even the children seem to grasp the solemn nature of the divine gift from above. Then, suddenly, to your horror, your child makes an announcement that echoes through the silent room. Kids have a tendency to be oblivious to things that make their parents blush. They also seem to enjoy making the pronouncements in as a loud a voice as possible, particularly when everyone else can hear them. If you’re lucky, your kids won’t think to make one of these pronouncements: … Continue reading →

Top Ten Ways to Keep Up With the Smith/Young/Kimballs

Posted on by

Every ward has at least one – a couple that appears to parent the ‘perfect Mormon family’. The rest of us have eyed these people with a combination of disbelief and awe, and consoled ourselves by repeating that everyone has problems and no person or family is perfect, no matter what reality may seem to be. In the secular world, this family that everyone strives to emulate would be known as the Jones, but in our Mormon world, they are more apt to be known as the Smiths or the Youngs or the Kimballs, if not by some other name … Continue reading →

Survive the Drive: How to Get Your Kids to Behave in the Car

Are family car trips maddening enough to send you into irritation overdrive? Ever wonder what you can do to make things “run” a bit smoother? With seven children, I’ve learned some techniques for keeping things calm in the car. Depending on your child’s age, type of behavior problems, and cognitive ability, you might select one of the following options: 1. Involve the kids in an activity. It’s hard to squabble or whine while you’re having fun. Get the kids playing a game of “I spy,” or “bingo.” And on long trips, portable DVD players can be worth their weight in … Continue reading →

Managing Family Paperwork

You know, I just had a realization. This realization involved the family paperwork. I do far too much of the stuff. Our paperwork takes at least 45 minutes every day, and that’s with one child. Granted, we have some complexities, but so do all families. I have a medical condition that involves paperwork. We’re members of a number of farm shares that need paperwork-related attention. We go to church. My daughter has extracurricular activities. She goes to school. I attend classes. We have a lot of pets. I run a couple of small businesses. Oh yes, and there are the … Continue reading →

Sitting Still is Overrated

Have you ever thought about all the mixed messages we send our kids? Things like teaching them not to talk to strangers and then urging them to sit on the mall Santa’s lap and tell him what they want for Christmas. Or how about “respect your elders” and “stand up for what you believe in”? One of the issues I think we really send mixed messages about as a culture is physical activity. We tell our children we want them to be active and go outside and play, but then we are constantly telling them to sit and be still … Continue reading →

More Coloring Pages

Posted on by

If you have small children, you are probably familiar with the idea of a Sunday bag. Like most parents, we carry a canvas bag to church with appropriate quiet activities for our kids. One of my kids’ favorite activities is the coloring book I “make” by printing out pictures from the Friend. I blogged on this idea back in December, so I won’t repeat myself. However, while I was looking for something online a few weeks back, I found a great website I would love to share with you. I have found it to be very helpful, and I think … Continue reading →

What Do You Do on Sunday Afternoons?

Posted on by

Sunday afternoons are one of my favorite times during the week. Do I go somewhere exciting? Do I enjoy my favorite hobbies or sports? Not really. Sunday afternoons are for rigorously structured laziness. Our family doesn’t make plans, we don’t take trips, we use them instead, for rest and relaxation. In a society that sees church attendance as less and less of a priority, Sundays have become simply another Saturday. People go to the malls, meet with friends, work on their houses, go to parties and stay out late. In our family, Sundays are a day in which we avoid … Continue reading →

Homework Clubs

Guys, have you heard about homework clubs? Homework clubs are a way for kids to get together and do their homework while being supervised by parents or teachers. Some kids find it more productive working in such an environment as opposed to working home alone. Some clubs are sponsored by schools, libraries or private tutoring companies. If you’re interested in having your child attend one, just check around in your community or consider starting one of your own. If you decide to start your own, here are a few things to keep in mind: The location should be one that … Continue reading →