Teach Your Children to Sit Still in Church?

Teach Your Children to Sit Still in Church? January 28, 2019

Now this piece from No Greater Joy magazine was not written by the Pearls and there is absolutely zero mention of using the 1/4 inch plastic plumbing line on the rear ends of the children. But you know it must be just out of sight in this piece by Karen Sargent on sitting practice. Apparently she believes you must β€˜train,’ and she uses the word train, your children to sit through church.

Quite frankly I don’t remember teaching the kids to sit through church ever being needed. Mine were pretty self controlled. But then again we were not sitting up front and center with the kids primed to perform either as she is describing here.

No matter what the author claims, anyone sitting right under the pastor’s nose will be involved in putting on a holier than thou performance. Training kids to sit during that seems a tad controlling.

Expecting a toddler or small child to sit perfectly still with no exceptions is unrealistic at best. Ignoring the needs of a child, the imperfect simple control, and urge to explore is frustrating for the child. It’s cruel to put a child under such pressures to be perfectly adult in those situations.

How much would you like to bet there was a switch involved?

Would like to know what is the harm in allowing coloring books, or quietly looking at a picture book? Other quiet activities while the adults concentrate on the sermon. It’s not likely those same kids are getting much out of the pastor’s sermon.


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About Suzanne Titkemeyer
Suzanne Titkemeyer went from a childhood in Louisiana to a life lived in the shadow of Washington D.C. For many years she worked in the field of social work, from national licensure to working hands on in a children's residential treatment center. Suzanne has been involved with helping the plights of women and children' in religious bondage. She is a ordained Stephen's Minister with many years of counseling experience. Now she's retired to be a full time beach bum in Tamarindo, Costa Rica with the monkeys and iguanas. She is also a thalassophile. She also left behind years in a Quiverfull church and loves to chronicle the worst abuses of that particular theology. She has been happily married to her best friend for the last 32 years. You can read more about the author here.

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