Tips on how to successfully make it to church ON TIME with small children.
“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6
The first time my husband and I adventured out to church with all 3 of our very young kids (infant twins + a 2 year old) the pastor told me how blown away they were that we actually came to church WITH our three kids. He told me ”a lot of young parents with young children just don’t bother coming until their kids are older because it’s easier for them” I was actually blown away by that. Attending church with small children is everything but easy. There is the rush of getting everyone up and ready in the morning, schedules being thrown off, sometimes missed naps, cranky babies and the list goes on. As ”hard” as it might be to get your family to church with your small kiddos it’s SO needed. We NEED to be taking our children to church from a very early age. We NEED to establish that routine and consistency for them.
Here are some of my tips on how to get your family to church on time with small children:
Tip 1: Night before preperation:
Saturday night before church I begin prepping for the morning. I feel like this is the most important tip. These are the things I do the night before:
• Pack the kids diaper bag.
I make sure the diaper bag is stocked with wipes, diapers, etc and then I put it in car.
• Prep the kids milk, juice, snack and whatever else they need. I make sure the twins milk is prepped and put in the bag with bibs. As well as Noah’s sippy cup and some fresh fruit cut up for him to snack on to and from church.
• Pick out mine and the kids clothes. This is so important. I would find myself spending so much time in the closet in the morning trying to find outfits for everyone. Picking out our clothes the night before easily saved me 30-45 minutes in the morning.
Tip 2: Coffee
Anyone else need coffee to function? I set my coffee to purculate 10 minutes before I wake up so it’s hot and ready for me to grab.
Tip 3: Rise Early
I know my kids wake up at 7:30am so I set my alarm for 7am. This way I can get up, get breakfast going and have my coffee. By time the kids and my husband wake up, the food is on the table, bottles are heated and ready to go.
Tip 4: Tag-team
After everyone is fed, you and your husband need to tag-team to get the children ready. Usually my husband will get Noah ready and I’ll get the twins dressed. After the kids are dressed the twins will usually go back to bed until we leave and we put on ”Listener Kids” for Noah to keep him occupied while we get ready.
You'll also need to tag-team to get all the kids loaded in the car.
Tip 5: Who showers first?
I usually like to shower first for a few reason.
1. I take very quick showers and my husband takes forever.
2. If I shower first, that gives me time to do my hair and makeup while my husband showering. By time he is out of the shower and getting dress, so am I.
These 5 small tips make a huge difference for us being able to get to church and get to church ON TIME.
Do you have any tips on how to successfully get to church on time?