how sad that some parents . . . .

Yeah, we sometimes attend Sunday worship services too. Bad too bad my son is not allowed to enter the Sunday school since he is just two and he would need a companion to go along w/ him. We do not have a helper so we wont be able to hear the pastor's sermon if we are to go along w/ him so we bring him inside the worship hall. No problem though, good thing church goers understand. I used to get mad at these kids too back when I am still single, but now I understand how hard it is to contain them. You cannot really control them and ask them to sit in one place. But saying nothing at all is another thing, we are at least doing something for them not to disturb other people who wants to hear the good news.

It is really easy to empathize when you are in that situation. Yeah I agree Staria, I think we should instill in our kids that there are some places that require proper decorum.

Luckily, my child when she was still a kid could be told to just sit and sing with the choir. I think maybe because she's a girl and girls seemed a lot easier to handle than boys. I have attended Born Again worships and i have observed them to have those Sunday schools. Nice of them to have that. But i was informed in some Catholic churches, they also have Sunday schools for children. That's good. I wish everybody will have that in their parishes.

i just misunderstood and i got your point guys. i was just trying to create active discussions and not really insisting on how i believe

The problem is it distracts people. Having them behave inside the church is not making them like dogs. It's to discipline them and to let them and you be sensitive to others. The reason for going to church is to worship God and to hear his word. If the purpose of your children for attending mass is different, then don't bring them at all. It's not wrong to bring kids to Church. I know God loves children and their innocence, but please not at the expense of other people who are attending mass. The church is not a play ground. It should be respected because it is the home of our Lord.

Let me give my opinion, the church specially when a mass is ongoing is not a place for the kids to run to and fro, much less eat their stuff. It would be better if they play outside where they can't distract the parishioners attending the church. Sometimes, we as parents would get annoyed that we will be perceived as nonchalant to their children doing that. Hence as knicnax have said, we should not bring them anymore to church if it will be the case. Let's not perceive the opinions of others as something not good, because we are here to participate in the discussion and not persist on what we think.

if you want it to be solemn then do pray inside the confines of your own room. As a parent, i bring my children to Church but i cannot make them stay put at all times, but i still stress it out that they need to listen but as kids they wont! kids are kids. But it does not imply that i am a bad parent.

Not that I'm telling you how to raise your children, but I'd like to mention that when I was a kid, my parents did not let me and my siblings run around and eat inside the church. Sure we talk with each other but not run around and all. We were disciplined early on. The reason kids are kids aren't used in our household. The church is a place of worship and though I can pray in my room, attending mass and hearing God's word is something I'd like to do in the Church as well. Also the kids can also play and eat in the confines of their homes. Right? The problem we have with kids running around is that it's distracting us. Parents who bring their kids to church should be sensitive enough as to not their children distract others.

I totally agree with you knicnax .

I agree. Parents should discipline their children properly. Some parents do not know how to discipline their kids, and when their kids turn out to be a ill-mannered and a wreck when they grow older, they say that they don't know what happened or that the kid got in on the wrong types of friends, etc.

" parents not saying anything to their children do not know what they are doing"? that is like an assumption hardworkinggurl. Just because some parents do not tell their kids to stay put, or to tell their kids to sit down when in church does not make them irresponsible parents, it does imply that they do not know what they are doing. There are parents who are lenient just so they believe that they let their children be, it does not mean they are not disciplining their children. Its a whole different thing. I let my kids run in church, so what? i mean Jesus or God will not get mad at me, Christ wont bring lightning and thunder on me if i let my kids be. The bible did not say so..or did the bible indicate that we cannot let our children run in Church. The Church is the home of Christ, of every christian. If you want something solemn, then pray in the confines of your own room where it would be solemn. Christ still love me even though i was running in Church when i was a kid.

In my Catholic Church or shall I say since my kids were very little I did not allow them to run in church. I wanted them to learn how to pay attention in church so that when they got older they were somehow paying attention in church. But yes in my Catholic Church it is not allowed for the children to run, not because of what God would say or if he would not love them or not. But the members would not be able to hear the mass in church. If other churches allow that would be okay by me but the way I taught mine was because my children attended Catholic Schools and they attended every Friday mass with the school and then again with the family on Sunday. I knew when mine were little that they were going to go to Catholic Schools so I somehow prepared them when they were little to sit and pay attention. When I and the other parishioners attend our Sunday mass if the children would run around and play as big and huge as our church is how would the members be able to hear the mass. I understand how you feel and I am not saying you or anyone should change your ways but I merely place how it is in our Church and how I raised mine and in all honesty in our Church if the children were to run around the priest would actually announce to make arrangements with the church day care which our church also provides. Since the service is provided I would think it would be okay to send down to the daycare and play while the grown ups prayed. When the priest says let us hold a moment in silence how would have that been possible in my church if we had allowed our kids to run around. I also believe that I related my response to the discussion starter because it appears that it was a problem in her church based on her topic and if you notice I did not say all the parents in all churches. How would have I known it was okay in your church otherwise?? Since she is annoyed by the behavior in her church then I take it that it is not appropriate by her opinion and it is not okay in mine, so really I am not sure why you thought I was addressing all parents, especially if it is allowed in your church?? Anyways God loves everyone and we are expected to love all.

True. Children are children, but we should always try our best for them to behave accordingly. If the first time they do something like that, then it would be nicer if we bring along somebody to tend to them outside, while the parents attend the mass. Or perhaps we could just leave them at home. That way, we don't distract others who came to attend the mass.

I agree with you. There are those who really try, and those who just let their children do whatever they want to do. Some kids are really tough to handle while some are really obedient.

I think, if we experienced that our children are that unruly when in church, then the next time around we should not bring them anymore to attend the mass.

yup the parents should be responsible. though hard. but there are those who really tried but since they are kids, controlling them is a hard thing to do. there's a difference from those parents who really do nothing and just "let them loose".

Thanks for sharing my view. Am sure you will be a responsible parent too in the future!

In some parishes, the priest would stop and ask the parents to get their children and pacify them. In our case, we were at the backmost and since the priest is in front, i guess, he cannot see the two kids running to & fro anymore. But i was wondering even more, what's the use of those women from the CWL, standing to monitor the proceedings of the mass?

Not being catholic I don't know about the CWL women. In our church the very young children often have a tote bag with special sabbath toys in them to keep the young children still and quite. They are not running up and down the isles.

CWL, means Catholic Women's League. It is a church organization for women. They assist in the church whenever there are masses. They would stand by the one giving out communion or they may go read the readings among others. Nice for others to have those things for children to keep them from being unruly.

Thank you for sharing the same view as mine. We want to concentrate on the mass, and anything that can distract is a no-no.

Thanks, D....I learned respect early and I learned it well. I think respect is a lot of what is lacking in the world today; in politics, in every religion and in the day to day interactions between and among the common population. So much hurt and grief has been precipitated that I don't think we will ever get back to a general common decency towards others.

Very well said Yoyo. From your answer one could surmise that you are a good disciplinarian. If all parents could be like you, we could be assured of our children growing to be good citizens in the future.

That's one thing that we should not do in church - spank them for misbehaving. Perhaps the best would be is, accompany them outside , where you can also hear the ongoing mass. God will undertand you.

Indeed. It is just a matter of a little cajoling to the children. But should they will still misbehave , then it's time to let them just play outside with the one of the parent in tow. The mass could still be heard outside.

Perhaps God will understand you for that. I salute you for thinking of the welfare of the majority at the church.

I guess as adults and a regular church goer, one must already very well know what are the dos and don'ts in the church. That being so, they should be a model to their children, because children emulate whatever adults do. But in the case of children who are unruly and couldn't be stopped from being such , i guess it would be best to go outside with the children. There, you can have them play while you listen to the ongoing mass. But i think, no one can concentrate hearing the mass if you keep on looking at where the children are running to.

yes, parents should explain to their children well, the significance of behaving well in church.

I salute you for that! You are a responsible parent and at the same time a concerned parishioner.

Very, very true Jaiho! Parents need to sacrifice in respect to the majority. I like that ! very well said.

Correct. Kids should be taken outside if they don't want to behave and eat their food. Let's all learn to do things in the proper places.

Nice of you to have experienced Sunday school. Now, you have grown up to be a nice person.

Yes, the church is a sacred place , so we must do our part in maintaining it that way at all times. It is our duty as parents to tell our children to behave while in the church.