Kid At Mass

[Faith1960]

With all the threads we read here about babies being allowed to scream during Mass, kids acting up, playing and eating during Mass and parents who feel their kids are entitled to do all the above, I was very pleased to see a man at Mass with his two young sons, old enough to take Holy Communion. They behaved so well, knelt when they were supposed to, held their missles and or hymnals and were quiet. No eating, no playing with toys, no talking, no wrestling each other etc.

Then they went to Communion and one of them carried the Host with him back to the pew (they were right in front of me in line, next to me in the pew) and held it in his hands, not eating it.

His dad’s head was bent in prayer and didn’t even notice. I tapped the boy’s brother’s shoulder and told him to get his dad’s attention. Yes, I disturbed him while he was deep in prayer, and told him what happened. To my surprise, he spoke to the boy, made him consume the Host and then he thanked me for letting him know. Maybe more parents could learn from this father’s example.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

You were both good examples! The boys will learn from the example of their father and people around them like you. Let that be a reminder to all of us, that we should always be the best example of Catholic Christians we can be!

 

[thequeen]

You were both good examples! The boys will learn from the example of their father and people around them like you. Let that be a reminder to all of us, that we should always be the best example of Catholic Christians we can be!

You said it Mrs Sally and I hope that I will continue to be a good example for the youth in our Parish.

 

[Irishmom2]

Reminds me of something that happened to my sister and I at church MANY years ago.

There were a couple of kids sitting behind us in mass that kept kicking the pew we were sitting in. We turned as if to see who was kicking the pew (even though we already knew.) It didn’t help. We did it again, even more obviously, a few times. The children, as well as their parents were oblivious. Finally, it came time for the sign of peace. My sister turned around and said to the mother very sweetly, but with a coldness too, “Peace be with you–and also with your children.” I don’t honestly remember if it worked or not, but I thought my sister was so clever at that moment.

 

[ConstantineTG]

7 year old kids are expected to behave in church. What appalls me is people who expect toddlers to behave. Even God doesn’t expect the impossible from us, why do we expect the impossible from our fellow men.

 

[ataylorfam]

I also hope this post is only referring to older children! My 8 year old behaves beautifully at mass, and does her very best to follow along (we are new to this after all). But I also have a 2 year old little boy - who is a 2 year old little boy. He acts exactly how he is supposed to. Of course we do our best to keep him quiet and behaving appropriately, and if it reaches a point that we deem to be too distracting to those around us, we will take him out and talk to him and when he is ready to behave come back in. But I do find it very rude, and very uncharitable, when people glare at us for bringing him. The parish actually offers a nursery for young children during the mass, and I know there are some who think all the little children should just go into the nursery so as not to disturb everyone else. But my son has every right to be in the presence of Jesus as anyone else. And I think its important he learn from a young age about the faith and the mass. The earliest memories root themselves deep within us, and I want some of those for my children to be having attended mass.

 

[Like]

I also hope this post is only referring to older children! My 8 year old behaves beautifully at mass, and does her very best to follow along (we are new to this after all). But I also have a 2 year old little boy - who is a 2 year old little boy. He acts exactly how he is supposed to. Of course we do our best to keep him quiet and behaving appropriately, and if it reaches a point that we deem to be too distracting to those around us, we will take him out and talk to him and when he is ready to behave come back in. But I do find it very rude, and very uncharitable, when people glare at us for bringing him. The parish actually offers a nursery for young children during the mass, and I know there are some who think all the little children should just go into the nursery so as not to disturb everyone else. But my son has every right to be in the presence of Jesus as anyone else. And I think its important he learn from a young age about the faith and the mass. The earliest memories root themselves deep within us, and I want some of those for my children to be having attended mass.

Amen!

In MHO I believe you are doing the right thing. God bless & welcome home!

 

[MissRose73]

I praise all parents who bring children to Mass as I remember Jesus’ words “let the children come to Me” and to accept the Kingdom of God like a child.

I just have the issues with parents who do not attempt in good faith to keep their child reasonably quiet at Mass. Infants and toddlers, I generally don’t have an issue with as they can usually be kept quiet with a bottle & a quiet toy etc, and can be removed to the back if they cannot be calmed down.

Preschoolers and older (ages 4+) should be taught and modeled good Mass behavior by their parents and older siblings (if they have older siblings), and even those around them in the congregation. Many of them are much smarter than we give them credit for, and I can say that as an auntie to 2 pre-teens if you show them the right things to do, they will pick up on it fast.

 

[Faith1960]

7 year old kids are expected to behave in church. What appalls me is people who expect toddlers to behave. Even God doesn’t expect the impossible from us, why do we expect the impossible from our fellow men.

I don’t expect toddlers to always be on their best behavior, but I do expect their parents to do something about their toddlers disrupting everyone else.

 

[Holly3278]

I certainly don’t expect toddlers and infants to be totally quiet or to behave at Mass but it sure does send a shrill down my spine when one of them screams really loudly. I am not saying that I get angry although maybe I do get slightly annoyed though I shouldn’t. What I am saying though is that I am sensitive to loud noises and a child screaming at the top of his lungs has a tendency to send a shrill down my spine.

 

[Faith1960]

I certainly don’t expect toddlers and infants to be totally quiet or to behave at Mass but it sure does send a shrill down my spine when one of them screams really loudly. I am not saying that I get angry although maybe I do get slightly annoyed though I shouldn’t. What I am saying though is that I am sensitive to loud noises and a child screaming at the top of his lungs has a tendency to send a shrill down my spine.

Not to mention it’s really hard to hear the priest!

 

[zab]

I don’t expect toddlers to always be on their best behavior, but I do expect their parents to do something about their toddlers disrupting everyone else.

I trust that the parents have their hands full and are trying to do the best that they can even though it may seem to us that they could do better. I expect more from the grown ups who don’t have to handle the little ones.

 

[Barb3]

I emember many years ago the first time we took our boys to Mass – I’m not sure how old they were but they must have been around 2 or 3. At any rate, those were the days when they had the altar rail and you knelt for Communion. Of course, we left the boys in the pew and when my husband and I came back from Communion everyone around the boys were laughing – of course, they NEVER told us why the people were laughing.

 

[runningdude]

The masses at my church always have lots of young kids. Its a once in a blue moon event for one of them to cry, and I’ve never seen a parent not remove the child when this would occur.

 

[Faith1960]

The masses at my church always have lots of young kids. Its a once in a blue moon event for one of them to cry, and I’ve never seen a parent not remove the child when this would occur.

I wish the parents at my church would be more like the ones at yours.

 

[dconklin]

My kids are good at Mass. My daughter has always been a little angel in church as she grew up and then eagerly became an Altar Server. Yesterday she served as a lector for the very first time and she ‘nailed it’.

 

[Faith1960]

My kids are good at Mass. My daughter has always been a little angel in church as she grew up and then eagerly became an Altar Server. Yesterday she served as a lector for the very first time and she ‘nailed it’.

That’s awesome!