So.....yeah, I'm going to talk about this. I realize that I am wading into controversial waters here. I realize that some moms come in on Sunday morning and the baby classes for young children help her to actually hear something that may encourage her to keep on keeping on in the following week. When I write this I must let you know that this is what has worked for me. This is what I am comfortable with.
A couple of disclaimers:
1. The women who teach and organize the classes I do not use are wonderful and talented people and are doing a wonderful work!
2. I believe that children do and can learn at young ages!
3. In my post I am mostly talking about why I do not use classes for my children when they are younger than two.
4. Just hear me out. You do not have to make the same decision but let's at least hear one another out and be mutually appreciative for the blessing of choice!
This has become more of an issue in the last decade. I never had to decide anything about this for my 11 year old son. However, it has had to be a discussion and decision in our family with my 7 year old and possibly at some point my 9 month old.
When I was a child, I grew up in the church. I started bible classes at about two years old and I believe my mother attended with me for a short period of time. I have fond memories of early bible classes! Yes, I still remember some of them from around 3 or 4 years old. I loved my teachers, I loved God and the whole institution was a positive one for me! My parent's were new converts and it was an aid in teaching their young child and bringing me up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord when they themselves were just babes in Christ.
Somewhere within the last decade we have began to implement younger and younger classes. These start Godly instruction at a young age and also provide a break for the mother to possibly hear a portion of the bible study they are apart of. I get it. I really do. Sundays and Wednesday nights are hard. Sometimes just being able to hear a small snippet from the word is a lifeline.
But.....I do not choose to send my babies to bible class. I start my children around two and even then at their own comfort level. Why, you ask? Well, you didn't but it's my blog so I am going to share. :)
Reasons I do not participate in a baby class:
1. My baby is just that for such a short period of time. They need their mommy and they need to be held and cuddled and communicated that this time is important and a positive time for worship and the Lord. Yes, I am teaching my baby that every time I enter the church building. Because no matter how hard it is and no matter the behavior they give me, I am showing them that this is important to me.
2. My idea of a healthy child and yours may not match. I would rather keep my baby with a runny nose from teething with me rather than with other babies and then find out later that the runny nose was actually a cold. Just my preference.
3. Babies and young children are the most vulnerable. I am very concerned about our churches today and the lack of concern, education and protocol for keeping our children safe and also our members. We live in a world where our children are prey for predators. We have some of our defenses down at church and we feel like we are with family (we are and we should be able to do that). However, we must be smart and until I see a better response in our churches in regards to this, I prefer to keep my children with me until they have a voice. Just my preference.
4. This reason is just a question, Are we expecting babies to grow up too fast?
5. I hate to hear my baby or any baby cry just because they do not want their mommy to leave them with strangers. (not that they are strangers to me but to my baby, it is not ME!)
6. Hannah waited until he was weaned and possibly about three years old...".24 After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull,[e] an ephah[f] of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. 25 When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, 26 and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord.27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.28 So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to theLord.” And he worshiped the Lord there." I Samuel 1:24-28
7. Most churches already have a teacher crunch. I like to not teach when my baby is young so a baby class in my opinion is usually putting a strain on needed teacher resources for other classes.
Again, these are my personal (very personal) reasons. If you find that you gain encouragement and a much needed breather from the baby class than by all means please continue. I just thought I would share these thoughts as my reasoning process. May the Lord continue to bless us as we seek to grow in the Lord and help our children to do the same.
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