Quiet Time With A Not So Quiet Toddler

qui-et : (adj) making little or no noise; carried out discreetly, secretly or with moderation
            (n) absence of noise or bustle; silence; calm
            (v) make or become silent, calm, or still

Quiet can be used to describe or name many things. However, most parents don't find themselves using this particular word to describe their child or the time they have to themselves. Many moms and dads probably know all too well about the bathroom escape - you lock yourself in the bathroom to have a minute alone only to see little fingers and hands under the door trying to raid you like a zombie apocalypse. So you're wondering if I can't use the bathroom, if "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" can't keep them entertained, if their attention span is shorter than the cheese stick they are begging for, how in the world can they be quiet long enough for a quiet time and much less understand the purpose of it?!

BUT (the greatest word in the Bible) parents, rest assured, if there's a will there's a way!! There are three specific areas to focus on when developing or instilling quiet time with your toddler. These will not only help your toddler become familiar to the idea of time with God but also hold you as the parent accountable to set aside your own time with God. I don't know about all my readers out there, but I know that even I struggle sometimes in setting aside my undivided attention for Him.

Routine
How many of you brush your teeth everyday? What about locking the door on your way out of the house? Don't forget to charge your cell phone! All of these things are necessities for our everyday living, whether it is for safety, hygiene, or just being prepared. But all of these to-do's are established with a routine. As kids, we all cried and screamed our way out of taking a bath, making our bed or doing our homework, but our parents made sure to instill those things in us to make us better, responsible, well rounded adults. Quiet time has this same importance. If you can begin to establish a routine with your child, as small as a newborn infant, you are helping that child develop a love and longing for time with Christ. For little ones under the age of one a simple prayer before bed time can go a long way. As they get older and their vocabulary gets bigger, then you can begin to incorporate questions or story time. The biggest point is to do it consistently! Same time, same place! After talking with other parents, night time tends to be the best time to incorporate devotions and prayer. Once they are awake in the morning, they are full of energy and giggles so the chance that they will sit still long enough to repeat a prayer isn't likely. At night, prayer tends to help calm them to sleep. Just imagine your little one falling asleep while praying to God. What a sweet thought.

Short, Simple Points
Around the age of 2, you may feel like your child is ready for a little something more in their quiet time. Stories, questions, verses; whatever it may be, make sure that you can sum up that nights devotion  in a couple of words or a short sentence. With their minds acting as a sponge and absorbing all that's around them, the more you try to give them in one setting, the less they will retain. A great devotional book that I would recommend is called "One Year Devotional for Preschoolers". (Click here to review product or order) There are two different volumes, in which both are great. They give a short, short story, a prayer and a verse. You can easily distinguish what the main point is in each devotion. I would also suggest you talk about each point throughout the following day. Just keep reminding them what they are learning.

Interactive Learning
Sometimes children of all ages learn best by hands on. Maybe your child needs a color sheet or picture to visually understand what you are learning. There are many devotionals and coloring books out there to aid your child in focusing on learning about Christ. One that I had growing up (thanks to my momma) is called "God and Me" (Click here to review product or order). This particular book comes in a variety of ages for boys and girls, starting at the age of 2. You will find a verse, short story,  questions (depending on age) and on the corresponding page will be an activity for them to do relating to their devotion that day. Some of my favorites that I remember doing were crossword, word search, color by number and connect the dot. Each activity is catered to their age group.

Take some time by yourself or with your spouse and check out your local Christian bookstore and just browse some of the children's devotionals. There is such a wide range and variety of products out there. Just remember to pick something that your child will enjoy and be able to understand. Establishing a quiet time with them at a young age can help them, know more about God and the importance he has in each of our lives.

If you have any questions or would like some more recommendations please comment below or email me at buildingbiblebabies@gmail.com

"Mommy Will Be Right Back"

You sign in your child to the church nursery. Make sure to give them hugs and kisses as you pass off their bag to the nursery caregiver and in return they suffocate your leg, begging you to stay. Separation Anxiety is real and can be rough for children and parents alike. Maybe you are a first time parent with a ten month old. You want them to be included in the nursery events each week but just cannot stomach the thought of dropping them off with a complete stranger for 45 minutes to an hour and not be with them. Separation Anxiety occurs when one person becomes upset or overwhelmed at the absence of another individual. As a Nursery Coordinator, I see this first hand each week. However, I am here to say that parents, there is a way to overcome the crying and worrying.

Routine

A routine is vital in most children’s lives. Feeding routine, sleeping routine and even a drop-off routine. As we all know life can be chaotic, but the more of a routine that is establish with your child, the less anxiety they will develop when they are dropped off at the nursery or daycare. The first part of this routine is probably the most important, and that is consistency. The more consistent parents are each week in taking them to the nursery, the more adjusted they will become. It’s almost like your child is your very own accountability partner, who is banking on their parents to go to church each Sunday morning. What more can we ask for? The second aspect of routine that you will want to keep in mind is the way in which your child is dropped off. The less dramatic and exaggerated the goodbye is, the less likely they are to get upset. By doing this they can focus more of their attention on what is going on with the rest of the class. A simple “see you later”, kiss goodbye or whatever is special between you and your little one will do the job. Sometimes it may even help at first to have the teacher help with the transition. 

Something Borrowed

A sure fire way to help your little one adjust to time away from their parents is to leave behind something of yours; a scarf, blanket from home or even a sweater or hoodie. Why, you ask? Well, if your child starts to get upset and cannot be calmed down this is an awesome technique for the nursery caregiver to help soothe them. An item they can cuddle with that has a familiar scent of their parent(s) will help them feel a sense of your presence with them. This is especially great for those under the age of one. This approach also works well for parents. Surprisingly, for moms and dads who return to work from having a newborn, packing a small babies blanket for your rough moments can be soothing.

Keep in Touch

For parents, any way that you can keep tabs or check-in on your little ones, helps you feel a sense of security. In our church nursery, we offer a service to the parents, especially visiting families, where they have access to text the nursery to check in on their child at any time during the service. Some churches or daycares may offer a text update or even a pager system, where they contact the parents via text or pager if there is an emergency or just to let them know how their little one is adjusting. An open door policy is always a key point to look for when dropping your child off. The opportunity to sit in with your child, should always be an offer that is on the table. This, in my opinion, is a form of security for you and your family.

For any parent and child, being away from each other can be rough and sad at the same time, however, the key point to remember is the purpose behind the separation. Your child is learning about God on a level that is best suited for his/her age while Christian morals and values are being reinforced. Let’s not forget your purpose for taking your child to the nursery, you are allowing yourself to be free of mommy/daddy duties so that you can be more attentive to the Holy Spirit, the message and what the Pastor is speaking about.

So the next time you take your child to the nursery or contemplate if it’s worth the anxiety it creates, don’t allow the enemy to deprive you and your child from experiencing an amazing church service. When you and your child are ready, God will lead you.

#buildingbiblebabies 

#separationanxiety

#mommywillberightback

Welcome to Building Bible Babies

My name is Courtney Lovelace. I am a 25 year old daughter, sister, aunt, friend, roommate,  girlfriend & more importantly a Christian who is also a Nursery Coordinator. People tend to describe me as creative, enthusiastic, whimsical, organized, and for lack of better words, someone who has "got it going on".

I recently started the endeavor of jump starting the Nursery Ministry at my church, New Life of Excellence in Spartanburg, SC (check us out www.newlifeofexcellence.com). With little resources in which direction I should go, and tons of help and motivation, I started out on a mission to create a space and environment open to children under the age of 3 that motivated and encouraged them to know and learn more about my God.

Six months in, I am loving it and thought I should have something to document this purpose in my life as well as help other Nursery Coordinators or new Nursery Ministries.

I plan to blog on just about everything. From lesson plan ideas to field trips and even snack ideas. Sometimes we may have a two year old melt down, and not everyone knows the best way to handle that, so I intend on blogging about that as well. Anything that is closely related to the Nursery, and that may benefit anyone, whether that be in preparation or a laugh of the day, I plan to blog about it.

We are called to train children and prepare them to live a life glorifying God and that is what you will read about here, "building bible babies".

I am really look forward to reading comments and receiving feedback from all readers. I believe in constructive criticism and food for thought. Ways that you can leave feedback is by commenting on the actual blog at the bottom, or if you follow Building Bible Babies on Facebook you can comment there as well. A final avenue would be through email. Simply click on my profile to the right and you will have access to email me at your leisure.