We have been church training for about two and half weeks now with some improvement. The first week was...well...it was interesting. Unfortunately, I had several appointments and a home school conference, so it was very inconsistent. So, what can I tell you? You get out of a thing what you put into it. Needless to say, that Sunday morning, Caden played quietly for all of eight minutes of his daddy's sermon before letting me know he had had enough. Now, we had only worked up to eight minutes by the end of that week, so he actually did well, considering the amount of coaching and training he'd received. What did I learn? Consistency is key! Side note: The other two behaved very well, because they are old enough to understand that the doughnut refreshment during after church fellowship is contingent upon good behavior.
Week Two: Mama was on it like white on rice! We practiced everyday, building up to eleven minutes of quiet play time on my lap. Of course, the first few minutes involve lots of kicking and screaming, but he settles down and gets with the agenda. So, how did church go? Well, I could actually hear most of the sermon for the first time in three years! I only expect good behavior during the sermon. During congregational singing and prayer time, everybody is up on their feet singing, clapping, or praying, so that's his favorite time of the whole service. He fussed for the first 8 minutes of the sermon, but then calmed down and sat for the last 11 minutes, or so. Which, again, reflects the training. He was up to 11 minutes of home practice, so that's all he was able to give me on Sunday. I was also smart! I moved to the back row, which gives him room and makes me less tense about worrying about if eyes are on the pastor's wife and her loud offspring!
I'll keep you posted on any future developments.
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