I am learning to gauge when Colm is done with Mass. I was very proud of him today, he made it all the way through the homily. That’s a first, folks. He has adopted Liam’s Bible and was very busy with it most of the time…mostly scanning the pages for pictures of bad guys or people who were crying. He wanted to know why each person was crying. It got to be a little much after a while, so I told him I would tell him later. Anyways, when Colm is done, he is done. There is no bribe or threat that will get him in line and it is in everyone’s best interests if you know how to handle it. So, as soon as he gets that way we leave. I don’t try to bribe him or get him in line because it won’t work and he just ends up getting worse and disturbing the people around us. I am not going to punish him, he is three and I don’t want him to think of church as a boring place where Mom and Dad get mad at him. Most three and four year olds have a hard time sitting still for an hour or more; it isn’t really developmentally appropriate for most children that age to sit in one spot quietly for that long. I also want him to know, however, that he can’t misbehave in church. It’s a fine line. Children eventually learn to sit through church and listen, but it takes a while. So, we go the the foyer so he can blow off some steam and walk around and I can still participate in Mass.
Blowing off Steam
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
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