Fussy babies during church services?

[steve-in-kville]

Vote and discuss. I have no agenda here.

[Josh]

Do we need a separate poll for how fathers should handle fussy babies?

[steve-in-kville]

Do we need a separate poll for how fathers should handle fussy babies?

Good point. We should

Give me time....

[barnhart]

I make little attempt to hide my parenting, both successes and failures from church family. Partly because I want visitors or people less connected to the church to feel empowered in their own parenting struggles. It can get a little noisy at times. My three year old is in a phase where we go out for corrections at least once every Sunday morning. Since this isn't my first child, I recognize this as temporary, he will grow out of it. In the end I don't put a high priority on silent services.

[mike]

I have no problem with babies making noise during church services. Sustained crying to where you can't hear the rest of the service gets pretty distracting, so I think there's a point where you (mother or father) need to take the baby out of the meeting as a courtesy to others. It's also nice to have audio techs who keep the volume up so folks can hear well.

What I really don't like in the service is the next stage above baby-hood, say 1 and 2 year olds, when children are disruptive and disobedient in church services as a matter of lack of discipline, and parents don't take corrective measures. That gets old pretty fast. I really hate to see when parents routinely cannot participate in services because of a child not being properly trained. And I have been there, but it's a battle you have to fight. And win. If you can't win the relatively minor battle of training a child to sit still in church, it seems the much more significant battles to come may already be lost.

[Neto]

In the MB congregation's church house of my growing up years, the back few rows of pews were reserved for parents with small children. (They were labeled that way.) It made it easier for the older people to hear, who generally sat up toward the front anyway. It also allowed for parents to more discretely take a child out when necessary. When I was a child, I was sometimes taken out. And back then, 'out' was outside - the foyer was small, and there was no 'Sunday School wing" on the church house yet. The 'in service" correction usually consisted of a pinch on the leg by my dad. That usually did the job.

[Ken]

Just curious. Is there any Biblical support for bringing infants and small children to church? What was the custom in the early church? I don't actually know the answer.

Having raised three kids I'm pretty relaxed and tolerant of other parents struggling with toddlers. And happy to help out if appropriate. There should be some sort of accommodation for getting disruptive toddlers or crying babies away from the service if necessary. Whether that is a formal nursery or less formal space I don't think much matters and depends on the size of the church and style of the building, etc.

[mike]

Just curious. Is there any Biblical support for bringing infants and small children to church? What was the custom in the early church? I don't actually know the answer.

What would the alternative be?

[Josh]

Well, many Old Colonists leave children at home and don’t expect attendance until you’re 12 or so.

Sunday mornings are quite rowdy with gangs of children roaming about at home.

The Catholic position was that children are full members of the church and should be present at Mass.

[Ken]

Just curious. Is there any Biblical support for bringing infants and small children to church? What was the custom in the early church? I don't actually know the answer.

What would the alternative be?

Early Christians met in homes not church buildings. I expect most homes have places where children can hang out, play, or occupy themselves away from the actual service and adult activity. Or for that matter, out in the street and neighborhood with little kids being looked after by older kids, etc.

When I was young and my parents had adult friends over us kids would just be chased away and left to our own devices. Today's parents are more obsessive about structured supervised play than previous generations. But that is a recent modern development.