Some adults question the wisdom of including preschool children in worship. 

It's true that they sometimes distract those around them and distress parents by their behavior,

but as members of our family, they are needed by all of us to complete the circle at God’s table.

The younger child comes to worship with:

• A short attention span.
• Seemingly endless energy.
• A growing curiosity about everything.
• A sense of joy and wonder in all God’s creation.

While these ingredients can combine to test the patience of adults, there are several things parents (and fellow parishioners!) can do to make everyone's experience more relaxed and enjoyable:

• Sit near the front where the child can have a clear view of the altar party.
• Prepare the child for the different parts of the service explaining special events ahead of time and answering questions with a quiet whisper.
• Allow children to bring along a favorite stuffed animal, book, or other quiet toy(s).
• Allow children to be active, as long as the activity is not disturbing other people's worship experience.
• Use the quiet time of church as a chance for a special togetherness of the family and child - a time which may not be possible during the week.
• Draw attention to points of interest such as the gestures, liturgical colors, and other signs of the Christian faith.
• Model the movements for them, but remember that standing up at the right moment isn't the goal - sometimes being at eye level together is the most affirming part of participating together in a service.
• Affirm your child’s religious capacities through participation in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, linked here.

Our Older Children

The older child brings some new abilities to worship:

• A greater capacity for attentive listening.
• An increasing ability to read.
• The ability to organize and naturally memorize information.
• The ability to raise great and difficult questions about life and faith.

By age 7, children should be able to participate fully in the complete service, but that doesn't mean they'll be interested in full participation. Allow them the ability to draw, doodle, and think as they need, which often spurs creative thinking about the subjects at hand, while still asking them to respect your faith traditions.

Parents may help prepare the older child for greater participation in the liturgy when they:

• Review the service leaflet with the child and preview together those parts that the people respond to by reading, praying, and singing.
• Invite the child to follow the liturgy in the Book of Common Prayer.
• Find hymns in the hymnal and help them track the verses.
• Talk about the sermon and ask the child what he/she found intriguing and interesting.
• When you don't know the answer to a question, let them know! They will appreciate your honesty. Tell them you'd like to come back to the subject when you've had time to think about it.

Children and the Eucharist