Feeding my (almost) 1 yr old daughter "puff" snacks at Mass?

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LionHeart777

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Hi, I’m not Catholic but strongly considering becoming Catholic, hence me going to mass. It was the first time last week that we attended as a family. My wife and I gave some snacks to the baby. Is this wrong? I myself don’t partake of the bread and wine but I still fast an hour before going. Is is ok for my daughter to be give snacks?

is this offensive to the congregation?

thanks,

Nick
 
I’ve seen people do this with their young kids, and I don’t think anyone else has ever had a problem with it.
 
thanks, how about breaking arule of the Church or something like that?
 
There is no problem with feeding infants or very young children at Mass. Older children (say, about age 4 and up) and adults should not eat at Mass as an act of courtesy and respect even if they will not be receiving Holy Communion. Of course if it is medically necessary, such as for a person having a diabetic reaction, anyone may eat at Mass. Such medically necessary eating would not break the Communion fast.

Also, if parents do feed young children at Mass, they should choose non messy foods and make sure all crumbs are cleaned up before they leave church.
 
No food may be eaten during the Mass, but you may certainly take your baby outside to feed her, and you may feed her either before or after Mass. Persons who have not yet received First Communion do not need to fast before Mass, though there is nothing against it either.
 
There is no need to remove an infant from mass to feed her! Whether she is nursing, taking a bottle, or quietly and neatly eating Cheerios, she can inconspicuously do so in the church!
 
LionHeart - please be ready, this is a very VERY hotly contested topic on this forum at times. Maybe it won’t become one this time, but in the past it has really gotten out of hand.

There are those who feel it is perfectly fine to feed children in Church, and those (like myself) who feel it is utterly inappropriate and disrespectful. It cuts to the core of how someone chooses to raise their children and how someone views certain activities in Church. It can get very contentious. 😉

Welcome to CAF! Hope your first discussion here is a good one!

~Liza
 
thanks. I think the motivation for feeding bher is so she won’t fuss and make noise. when she made too much noise I took her out.

I live in waterford and grew up in Troy btw:)
 
When our children were small, pre-school, my wife was church organist. For weekday masses, usually funerals, she would put sneakers on ,so they didn’t make any noise, and settle them by her in the choir loft with peanut butter sandwiches.
 
Don’t most (if not all) churches have a “cry room” where people with small children can go so the if the children make noise, it won’t disturb everyone else (but they can still view / participate in mass)? Perhaps until the child is old enough to not be feed during mass, the parents can use the cry room???

Just a suggestion.
 
I dont care if they are eating. I just don’t want them to BE LOUD.

Why do some parents just let their kids cry excessively during mass?
 
regression said:
Don’t most (if not all) churches have a “cry room” where people with small children can go so the if the children make noise, it won’t disturb everyone else (but they can still view / participate in mass)? Perhaps until the child is old enough to not be feed during mass, the parents can use the cry room???

Just a suggestion.
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Cry rooms are hideous (and not every church has them, Thank God). They are all the way at the back of the Church in most cases–you can’t see anything. Separated from the rest of the congregation by glass–I always felt like I was watching Mass on TV. Bad sound. Badly behaved children and parents…Bad all around. Best to avoid the cry room, unless absolutely necessary.

It’s best to teach children to sit in the main area of the Church. The ages from about 12 months to about 36 months can be tough, but very doable. If puffy cereal is needed and can be done neatly, I don’t see a problem. We did this when our first child was little. As we added children, however, food, toys, drinks, books, etc, became more of a hinderance than a help. We banned all these things at some point and never looked back. However, in some circumstances, dry cereal can help…fed one at a time to the child and not in a crinkly bag or loud container :p;)

I also recommend sitting up front so the toddler can see what’s happening–action is always a good thing. If the toddler is getting too noisy, walk back the vestibule with them and hold them until they can be calm again and then try going in again. Repeat as needed. It’s a process and it won’t happen overnight.

As a former convert, I know it can be scary sitting up front 😉 Try to get as close as you feel comfy.

To those who have a problem with offering dry cereal, I’ll ask: which is worse-- a crying, super wiggly toddler, a distracted quiet toddler fed a bit of cereal, or parents who don’t attend Mass (or won’t convert) because some parishioner gave them the hairy eyeball for daring to keep their child quiet using dry cereal? I know I’ll take a bit of dry cereal and a Mass attending families 😃
 
I agree with the poster who said giving the cheerios (or small cereal snack) one bit at a time to a very young child is not a problem – just not anything they can spill or throw. I would take the child out to nurse, though.
 
yeah I don’t think they have a cry room, there is the area outside w/ glass that’s where I went, I was feeding 1 at a time (I think) and no not making a mess, I just didn’t know if there was a set rule or if everyone is supposed to fast, I’m glas I opened this thread though and thanks 4 all the responses:)
 
Feanor2 said:
I dont care if they are eating. I just don’t want them to BE LOUD.

Why do some parents just let their kids cry excessively during mass?
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Kids cry. Some are easy to get to stop, some not. 🤷 Sometimes it’s not a matter of “letting them”.
 
Feeding infants andchildren dried cereal and soft foods is alright. Especially for those children who have diabetes or hypoglycemia feeding is often done to prevent illness and the need for the child or adult to have to go to the hospital. The bigger sin would be to forbid such things and lose thousands of parishoners in the process due to restrictions put on the consumption of food. I am a diabetic of many years and as a young child if my parents would not have been able to feed me in the church pew, would have found another religion, if neccessary, so that I would be able to eat during worship, so that I would not die while my parents attended mass. When it is needed you feed.

God’s peace be with you mary1173:)
 
Appleby said:
I agree with the poster who said giving the cheerios (or small cereal snack) one bit at a time to a very young child is not a problem – just not anything they can spill or throw. I would take the child out to nurse, though.
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I wouldn’t… :rolleyes:
 
regression said:
Don’t most (if not all) churches have a “cry room” where people with small children can go so the if the children make noise, it won’t disturb everyone else (but they can still view / participate in mass)? Perhaps until the child is old enough to not be feed during mass, the parents can use the cry room???

Just a suggestion.
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I think it depends on where in the country you are. I can’t think of a single parish anywhere around here that has a cry room. (I think they’re all too old; I’ve only seen cry rooms in the more modern parishes.)
 
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