Would you leave your toddler?

[Anonymous]

I worked in a church nursery for years and we had one time visitors all the time. All staff members were CPR and first aid trained and had background checks upon hire. Many had been on staff for years. Why wouldn't you leave your child in the nursery?

[Anonymous]

I certainly would not leave a toddler in a strange nursery just for one hour. My guy is 23 months old and he would freak out with total strangers. I might acclimate him to it if we were attending every week, but certainly not leave him with strangers for just a church service.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be okay with leaving my child with a strange church nursery -- but I would be very upset by a church member telling me my child is not welcome at a service.

There may be some churches that prefer to exclude babies and children from a service. Those are not the type of church I would want to attend. If someone told me that, I would contact the pastor/priest and tell them about it, letting them know how unwelcome I felt at such a place.

Even as a one time visitor?

Especially as a first time visitor. It was extremely rude if the woman (whoever she was), and I am sure the pastor/priest would want to know that people are being rude to visitors.

+1 My kids normally went to the nursery (starting around 6 mos or so) but I'd never want to go to a church that insisted on kids not being in church. The pastor should want to know that prospective members are being harassed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH and I were out of town last weekend and decided to go to church that Sunday morning. We took 14 month old DS with us, and since we were just visiting, we brought him to the service with us. He was very quiet and well behaved and actually slept most of the time. The one time he started making noise (happy noise, not screaming), DH took him right out, and a lady followed him and told him he needed to drop DS off in the nursery. DH said we were just visiting, so we preferred to keep him with us. She was adamant, and said they asked parents don't bring their children to the service. We can't understand how we'd be expected to be comfortable leaving our child with people we didn't know.

Obviously we won't be back, but - would you have left your young toddler in a strange church nursery?

Of course you DON'T leave your child in a strange place with strange people. Duh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My church used to have an elderly priestthat would say, whenever a young child made noise, "Parents, don't be embarassed ! It's a beautiful sound--it is Jesus speaking to us through the little children.". He was super sweet.

Love this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I worked in a church nursery for years and we had one time visitors all the time. All staff members were CPR and first aid trained and had background checks upon hire. Many had been on staff for years. Why wouldn't you leave your child in the nursery?

If we were members of a church and it was part of our routine, I would leave mu child in the nursery. But my 2 year old, while not shy per se, takes a VERY long time to warm up to a new situation, and she would be miserable if we dropped her off at a new place, with strangers. Knowing that she's miserable, I don't think I could really focus on or enjoy the service.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I worked in a church nursery for years and we had one time visitors all the time. All staff members were CPR and first aid trained and had background checks upon hire. Many had been on staff for years. Why wouldn't you leave your child in the nursery?

Because I don't know you (and don't know you know CPR or had a background check) and neither does my child. Have you met a 14 month old?

[Anonymous]

I would absolutely not have left my children there. Evenif I had been considering it, the woman's demanding attitude would have pushed me over the edge to opt out of the nursery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I worked in a church nursery for years and we had one time visitors all the time. All staff members were CPR and first aid trained and had background checks upon hire. Many had been on staff for years. Why wouldn't you leave your child in the nursery?

Because I don't know you (and don't know you know CPR or had a background check) and neither does my child. Have you met a 14 month old?

+1
I don't trust strangers just because they are located in the church nursery.

[Anonymous]

This is a situation in which you get a babysitter. There are lots of activities that are really for adults and are not meant for toddlers. That doesn't mean that you have to leave your kid at the unfamiliar nursery; it means you make other plans in advance. I would never assume I could take a young toddler to a church service....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a situation in which you get a babysitter. There are lots of activities that are really for adults and are not meant for toddlers. That doesn't mean that you have to leave your kid at the unfamiliar nursery; it means you make other plans in advance. I would never assume I could take a young toddler to a church service....

A church service is absolutely a place for a young toddler. Or a baby, or a child, or anyone. A church service is for everyone.

However, getting a babysitter instead of using a church nursery is a bit odd. Many church nurseries will give you a pager for a baby, to call if the baby is inconsolable. A babysitter in a vacation town is no more familiar than the people working in a church nursery, so leaving the child home with a babysitter is still leaving a child with a stranger. Just farther away.

[Anonymous]

No, I would not have left my child in the nursery. No way. Not worth it. Get your God somewhere else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I worked in a church nursery for years and we had one time visitors all the time. All staff members were CPR and first aid trained and had background checks upon hire. Many had been on staff for years. Why wouldn't you leave your child in the nursery?

Because I don't know you (and don't know you know CPR or had a background check) and neither does my child. Have you met a 14 month old?

+1
I don't trust strangers just because they are located in the church nursery.

So much pearl-clutching.

[Anonymous]

OP where you with friends/relatives? If you were with someone who goes to the Church regularly I would ask them to speak to the priest/pastor on your behalf. What happened to you is just plain wrong unless your kids was really loud for a while before you took him out.
I have an almost 3yo who has been coming to Church with me since birth.
As a small baby I kept her with me, once she got to toddler age I tried the nursery but she didnt want to stay in there by herself. As she was good in Church as long as she had snacks and quiet things to do, (like pay with stickers) I kept her with me. No one has ever said anything to me about her being in the service. We go to an Episcopal Church that has a traditional service but they are very welcoming to families and small children.
As well as the nursery there is a small room off the sanctuary that has a couple of comfy chairs, some toys, and speakers so you can hear the service, changing table etc, so that if anyone wants to take a break they can, without leaving their kid.
Now that DD is older and is aware there is a playroom she wants to stay in there, she will say 'playroom first, then Church" She comes back in before Communion.

I would not have left a 14 mo in your situation. I would only leave my child now if she wanted to be left. If not, she would stay with me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I worked in a church nursery for years and we had one time visitors all the time. All staff members were CPR and first aid trained and had background checks upon hire. Many had been on staff for years. Why wouldn't you leave your child in the nursery?

Because I don't know you (and don't know you know CPR or had a background check) and neither does my child. Have you met a 14 month old?

+1
I don't trust strangers just because they are located in the church nursery.

So much pearl-clutching.

Totally agree. I might not do it if the kid freaked out but really, you all think church nurseries are full of pedophiles and abductors just waiting to prey on your kid? COME ON.