How can I do this?

[Guest Guest]

We will be in church meetings that go for about three hours on Thursday night, Friday morning and Friday night, Saturday morning and Saturday night, and Sunday morning. I have a one year old who can't sit quietly, and putting him in the nursery is not an option due to a certain illness that has been going around. I don't expect him to sit still...I just want him to sit either on his part of a pew, or on a chair, or on either mine or my husband's lap. Is this doable? I'd love to hear the ideas.

[trc123]

Child dramamine or take pity on the young one and alternate with the hubby and stay home with that precious bundle of joy!

[Guest Guest]

Staying home is not an option either as we are traveling to attend the conference. So he'll be upset about that too, he doesn't like sleeping away from home. Poor little guy.

[deafnva77]

crayons and coloring book seem to keep them busy. AT this age, They love to see crayon mark things (which why they write on walls) . Sit at the back of the pew too so others don't get distracted.

give them a lollipop so they can be busy sucking on that than babbling. although it can be messy (sticky everywhere)

[Guest Guest]

I can imagine a very sticky mess with my one year old and a lollipop...he's only just turned one, I haven't tried him with crayons yet...that might be an option but I was afraid he would put them in his mouth!

[deafnva77]

he probably would put it in his mouth. I just take it out of his mouth everytime I catch him doing it. I think they make crayons for his age now. Fisher price make them I believe.

[HappyChristian]

At that age, it is going to be very hard to keep him happy! You may not care for the idea of food in the sanctuary (many people don't, understandably), but you might want to include some little snacks that can occupy some of his time. Little board books that he can look at without ripping the pages. A coloring book is a good idea, with, as mentioned, just keeping an eye out for putting crayons in the mouth (maybe remove the paper because he will try to...or maybe leave it on and let it occupy him! ). For the evening services, maybe you could bring a small blanket and let him sleep. Those are long hours for a little one, and if he sleeps he will be less likely to be cranky.

[Guest Guest]

I don't mind giving him snacks, just not a sticky lollipop as I can imagine it going all over the pew, his clothes, and the clothes of whichever one of us is sitting next to him. He hasn't taken much of an intrest in his board books yet, but maybe I can work on trying to make him interested in the next day or two. HAHA. The colouring book and crayons might do the trick simply because it will be something new...maybe I could make him a "quiet time bag" or something...

[deafnva77]

http://www.crayola.com/products/splash/ ... /index.cfm I found it, it was crayola, not fisher price.

I agree with H.C. I would keep a bag of cheerios and it is not as noisy .. they seem to love it and seem to be fascinated by cheerios. I think it is because it's round..and eatable.. and sometimes crunch and sometimes dissolves.

[Guest Guest]

I'll try to find some interesting snacks...no can do on the Cheerios...he's allergic to wheat. :-( But there are some snacks that I know he does like.

[HappyChristian]

A quiet time bag would be great - a few different things in it could keep things fresh so he can change what he's doing sometimes. Maybe if he doesn't care much for board books, you could try some of those plastic books that are usable in the tub? They're soft and squishy, so just holding them and squeezing them can be fun for a little one.

One caution on snack ideas: even if you give him grapes and things that size at home, you may not want to chance it in a meeting (unless you cut them up smaller) - grapes (and hot dogs) are tops on a list of things that choke little kids. That wouldn't be a fun thing to have happen in the middle of a service!! :eek

[Guest Guest]

I just get him some prepackaged wheat free snacks.

[HappyChristian]

I just get him some prepackaged wheat free snacks.

Good idea - easier to mess with! Hope you all enjoy the meetings.

[Bakershalfdozen]

Is there a way to find out ahead of time if the meeting place has a "cry room"? Usually, these are rooms in the back of the auditorium with one-way glass where a parent can take a fussy child and still be able to see and hear the service. I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but having 4 children of my own, I can guarantee you that snacks and crayons will not keep him quiet for 3 hours unless he falls asleep. Children at that age need to be active...

[Guest Guest]

No they only have a nursery. We have been there for a few meetings before, that is how we know what it is like. At first I wanted to have him in the first half of the service (while he was still fresh) because we are trying to train him to sit in church, and then put him in the nursery after the ten minute break time. But with the illness thing we can't.