Have you ever been in the house of God, the cleric is preaching and you feel the sermon is directly speaking to you?

Then there is the unruly kid who cannot keep quiet. He keeps running about, throwing about the Bibles and howling for her mother’s phone, to make matters worse, the mother seems unbothered.

I honestly do not expect kids to act like adults in a church, but parents should be responsible enough to control their children. It is simply an act of public mannerism and parents must teach their children not to behave like spoilt maniacs. Last week, several brethren and I went were treated to a session of tantrums, noise and whinning of a disrespectful child while the parent’s looked on unbothered. 

Parents should understand that teaching children how to behave properly in church is necessary to avoid them from constantly yelling, crying and running inside the church while people listen to the sermon.

When kids misbehave in church, people will not put the blame on the kids but the parents. Disciplining your kids can also be beneficial to church goers who want to reflect on the sermon.

Take into consideration your child’s age. As much as you want your three-year-old child to receive God’s blessings, bear in mind that young kids tend to behave unruly in church, because they have a shorter attention span. It will be advisable to take your child when he turns five because he will have better behaviour and understanding by that time.

Feed your kids before the mass. Kids tend to be irritable when they are hungry, so make sure that they are full before attending a service. You can bring biscuits or bottled water or juice for your kids.

Talk to them about the importance of church. Sit down with your kids and explain to them why they have to behave well in church. Tell them that behaving well is also a sign of respect not only to the church but also to the churchgoers and God.

Another thing you can do to tame your kids, is to pray together at home. Set aside prayer time for your kids so they can practice proper behaviour during service. Let them lead the prayer or read the prayer book aloud. You can also teach them gospel songs so they can sing during worship.

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