I had a preview of Holy Week today, and it doesn't look good. So, it's time to get real. How do you survive Holy Week with kids? You just do. You go to church, your child screams or runs or is generally distracting, people glare, you retreat to the narthex for some "discipline," you say a little prayer for patience so as not to kill said child, you return to the nave, and you repeat the process until you get a miracle or the service ends and you go home.
Yes, I'll still be bring the church bag full of quiet distractions, the snack, the blanket, the and pillow. I'll even hope that some of it works. However, whether it works or not, we'll be in church a lot, and somehow we'll get through it. It helps a bit when someone offers a few words of support and encouragement or a little prayer.
So, this is my Holy Week cross to bear, and although I'm not happy with it, I know that the journey to Pascha truly adds to the joy of the feast.
I'm sorry. I'm still there myself. I have to brace myself before every service (starting last night) for this conversation:
ReplyDeleteMe: It's time to get ready for church.
Pickles: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (accompanied by shrieking, wailing, gnashing of teeth, falling onto the floor and kicking, etc.)
He's not too bad when we get there...for the first fifteen minutes. Then he starts wiggling. His favorite thing to do is to jump from one section of the oriental rug to the next, kind of like hopscotch. Sigh. Hang in there. It won't always be this bad. For everyone giving you a dirty look there are fifty more who are in your shoes across the country.
yes- it is easy BUT it gets better! My kids are 11, 10 4 and almost 2. The big girls are gems and the 4 year old boy is getting better (I hope he will be at the altar next year)...it is just the almost 2 yearold- she is a challenge
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