I know that Noelle is just at that stage, but I'm seriously in need of some advice and help with church behavior and nursery. She won't go to nursery, and I mean WON'T. We try to leave her in there crying but after 15 minutes of it they bring her to us. Today it was less than five minutes later. I am in the primary presidency and right now we are really busy getting ready for the program next week. So lately Michael has been taking care of Noelle. Well today Michael was sitting in priesthood and the teacher from nursery came in with Noelle (during opening exercises no less) handed her to him and said "This is just not working." We just don't know what to do. She is very clingy to us when we try to leave her with people that she doesn't know very well. We're trying to get her more involved with the other kids, outside of church as well. Does anyone have any advice for us? Please?
Church doesn't start until 1:00pm for us. This has proven to be a horrible time for Noelle. We have priesthood/relief society first, then Sunday school, then Sacrament meeting. I know I can't expect wonderful behavior from Noelle but what can I do to keep her more occupied? We try coloring, that lasts for maybe five minutes. We try books and bring her very favorite ones, but that doesn't last very long either. It seems like the only thing that will keep her occupied for more than five minutes is a sucker or a box of raisins (random). What are some good, reverent activities that an almost 2 year old can do? Or is this just how she is going to be? Sorry to complain, it's just been a long day.
6 comments:
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Sundays are so hard for me too. I wish i had some fabulous advice that would make it easier. We do A LOT snacks. I also got some magnet books. I bought stuff that was only for Sunday so that they aren't playing with the same things they do during the week. I hope things get better for you and she will go to nursery one day, it just might take awhile.
I suggest talking to the Primary President and the nursery leaders about letting Noelle stay in the class for the whole two hours, even though she is screaming. Or at least more than 5 or 15 minutes.
Right now she knows if she screams, she goes back to mom or dad. So, she needs to stop screaming before she gets back to you, so she learns mom and dad come back even if I calm down.
Yes, it is a pain for the leaders to have a screaming child. We have one in our ward, too. He just stays in the class, and is gradually getting better.
Also, when you drop her off make sure you are happy and not worried. Emily does better when I leave her when I don't worry.
Have you ever tried having Michael stay with her in nursery? That's what we ended up having to do, just stay with her and at first she always had to have us right next to her playing, then eventually as long as we stayed in the corner she was ok, then a few weeks after that we would tell her that we were staying until snack and then leaving, then we'd stay until some other time, then we'd stay two minutes, etc., until she got used to us not being there. If you haven't tried that, you might consider it...
It can be so hard in sacrament meeting when they are young and so tired! Hallie used to be so good in sacrament meeting, then one Sunday all of a sudden she just started yelling and wouldn't stop, and now she occasionally will just start yelling and we have to take her out. It's aggravating, irritating, frustrating, and we don't know why she's doing it or how to get her to stop. So I spend a lot of time not in sacrament meeting, and I hate that, but teaching her appropriate behavior is more important than having her bother everyone else in the room with her yelling. When I take her out I don't let her play with toys. She has to sit quietly, and if she doesn't I take her to a corner and make her stand in the corner with her face in. Mean? Oh yeah. But she's making me miss church, and if she has a circus out in the foyer why is she going to want to go back in?
That is a HARD schedule. I don't think my kids would do well with Sacrament last.
As for Nursery I agree with talking with someone because one Sunday of her crying the whole time and she will be done. I have served in nursery A LOT. I always tell the parents to just go. I have had kids cry the whole two hours but that was it. The next Sunday NO big deal. Is there like a baby doll or special toy she would gravitate towards?? Hopefully she can find one leader to cling to.
I hope it happens for her and you soon.
As for sacrament....I have a special church bag that has books and toys coloring stuff that we don't use during the week so it is kind of new to them. I am always searching the dollar bins for new stuff. Sticker books are wonderful my kids love them.
I am really kind of strict and we do something starting at 18 months and it has worked great so far. If the boys are acting up we take them to the car and put them in the car seat and then we say a prayer or read scriptures until they calm down and are ready to sit in church. I swear it works it sounds mean....it works better when Jeff does it but our 3 and 5 year old sit through churh really well. The 2 year old has to be taken out almost every other Sunday but he knows we just say do you want to go to the car?? And usually it helps. Hang in there Sundays are SO hard and I always feel like as soon as we get a certain time and routine figured out thats when we change it up.
You are an awesome Mom. Hang in there!!
I know I don't have kids yet, but I would do what the other people said and talk to them about keeping her in there, even if she is crying. There was one girl that took a couple months of crying Sundays and she would cling to me the whole time, but eventually she was fine. That's just part of nursery, some kids have a harder time. But I think your friend Rachel is right, if she screams and they take her out, she knows she'll get to go out. Having Michael stay with her a couple times isn't a bad idea either, but in the end they'll just have to let her cry for a while, she'll get used to it.
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