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Prep for success.
Lead them not into temptation.
When Jesus gave us the Our Father as a model of prayer, he also gave us insight into the roles of parent and child. He tells us to pray, “lead us not into temptation.” We ask God to give us the best chance for avoiding sin.
Likewise, we should try to make it as easy as possible for our children to obey.
Sometimes, bringing a tired, thirsty, or hungry child to church is unavoidable. But taking what steps you can to ensure they are well-rested and fed before arriving at Mass will certainly make things smoother.
Make it as easy as possible for your children to obey.
I also think it is valuable to dress for success. Certainly, I am not implying that anyone reach beyond their means to meet some particular standard of style. But I do view it like a uniform. Making more of an effort for church communicates its specialness, and making a special effort for Sunday helps internalize the dignity of the day.
Our mindset changes when our dress does. Just like a uniform says, “I am working now,” dressing differently helps us feel like we are engaging in something different from our everyday activities.
We have definitely had Sundays with a laundry emergency, where dress shoes were lost or suddenly outgrown, or the toddler insisted wellies were an essential style choice. Life happens. These are rules of thumb. Regional culture and family tastes will differ. But something as simple as a collared shirt in contrast with the everyday tee can help with our mental preparation.
One application of this principle that our family is looking to improve on is consistently arriving to Mass on time. Children and adults alike can benefit from a few minutes to prepare and quietly settle into prayer.
Getting there on time also ensures that you get your choice of seats. The front with an easy view is often the easiest way to keep a little one engaged. There may be seasons where you feel like sitting in front would be a distraction, but even in other places further back, you can try to make sure the little ones have a seat with the altar in clear sight.
As an aside, I find this principle very helpful when instilling the habit of truthfulness. I try to never tempt my child to lie by intentionally asking a question that puts them on the defensive. Remember, they want to please us. If I know they did something, I make an effort to address it directly as opposed to asking a leading question that would tempt them to deny it out of fear of disappointing me.
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