Rude family in church

[scooter2071]

We have one too! When they attend, its usually a huge disruption. Toddlers running around the sanctuary and screeching...its worse because my toddler wants to join in and can't understand why they get to play and she can't. The older boys typically sprawl out in the middle of the aisle and play cards, loudly. Very inappropriate.

[Morty'sCleaningLady]

Oh Tabris, you are of my mindset.  Once, about four years ago, my clan went on Christmas morning.  I loved it!  The youngest in our family is 31.  Obviously, Santa isn't a big concern.  We have always opened our presents on Christmas Eve, so, once again, Christmas morn is available.  Oh, how I long for the half empty seats!  Oh, how I long for the 'good' parking spaces!  

This year, we went to the vigil.  It was packed.  We ended up in the third row. (No one  likes to sit up front.)  We were lucky to have seats -- we only got there 30 minutes early!

But back to the topic at hand...  were there ushers available?  I would have evicted that family.  (I realize that goes against the inclusive nature of Christmas.)  If there wasn't a children's room (one of those glassed in, sound proof areas that people can see the action, hear the piped in service but from which cries can't be heard), they should have been sent to whatever hall facility existed.  The only food or drink in church, aside from the bread and wine, should be bottles, maybe some Cheerios, and hard candies for the occasional Diabetic.

[andi]

sorry - it took a moment for me to be revived after reading that.

growing up we didn't have Communion - so for 99.9% of the people over the age of about 2 there was NO food.  Babies had bottles and the occassional toddler may have a sippy - but that was it!  Adn this is in a church where there is no sperate room for children - all families sat together and childern were expected to be quiet or else parents were asked to take them out. 

it's no wonder kids can't behave in school if that's how they act in Church.

[Rei-chan]

Former Catholic here.  I never heard the one hour rule, but we didn't take Communion until we went through our "First Communion" ceremony and of course if we had been baptised.  If you were not ready for Communion, you went up with your hands folded a certain way so that the Priest would know and recieved a Blessing instead.

[ZipTheWonder]

were there ushers available?  

That's what I was wondering.  Why didn't the ushers let them know that they needed to dispose of the food and drink before the service??

Although I never let our son bring anything to Church with him to amuse, divert or nourish...I really don't have a problem with parents of very young children bringing a small quiet object to keep busy fingers quiet (a board book or photo album, etc.) or small ziplok of quiet, non-messy snacks.  I would prefer to see them in the Church than out, and sometimes these things make it possible.  But, a meal?  No.  No way. 

[HogwartsAlum]

were there ushers available?  

That's what I was wondering.  Why didn't the ushers let them know that they needed to dispose of the food and drink before the service??

Although I never let our son bring anything to Church with him to amuse, divert or nourish...I really don't have a problem with parents of very young children bringing a small quiet object to keep busy fingers quiet (a board book or photo album, etc.) or small ziplok of quiet, non-messy snacks.  I would prefer to see them in the Church than out, and sometimes these things make it possible.  But, a meal?  No.  No way. 

When I was a kid, I was REALLY restless so my mother let me bring picture books to look at.  Or I would flip through the missal, but that got old fast.  When I made my First Communion, it got better because I had something to look forward to and occupy my mind. 

There was this little girl in our church who would always get squirmy and her dad would take her out to the cryroom.  Every Sunday, you would hear, "Mommy! Mommy! MommyMommyMommy!" as she was taken out.  People would kind of snicker, and then things would settle down.

One Sunday, the little girl was misbehaving and her mother gave Dad a break and picked her up to take her out.  She went, "Mommy! Mommy! Mom-.....DADDY DADDY DADDY DADDY!"  People were turning purple trying not to laugh out loud.

[Tabris]

If you were not ready for Communion, you went up with your hands folded a certain way so that the Priest would know and recieved a Blessing instead.

The same also applies to adults who do not want to receive Communion but feel a little embarrassed to just sit back down afterward or who are nonCatholic but want to participate to some extent.

Ordinarily when receiving you either go with your hands folded and open your mouth to receive on the tongue, or you cup your hands to receive by hand. But if you go with you arms crossed so your left hand is on your right shoulder and your right hand on your left shoulder (either closed or open handed, no difference) the priest or EM will bless you instead of administering Communion.

[LadyJaneinMD]

Bringing snacks to a church service?  That's a new one on me.

I used to sit right in front of this family, with two boys who were adolescents.  I'm guessing the older boy had to be at least 12.  (Now he's taller than me).  The boys would whisper and write and giggle to each other all through the service, and it drove me crazy! Very distracting.  I finally moved up a row, but they just got louder. (Unfortunately, when their mother and her sister came alone, they were just as distracting). 
So, one sunday during the 'meet and greet' time, I finally shook the boys hands and said, 'You know, I have twin 6-year-old nieces who are quieter than you are during the sermon. Do you think you can act like 6-year-olds?'

I haven't heard a peep since. 

Yeah, it was rude, I'm sure, but the mother still seems friendly, and the boys are quiet now.  Very very quiet.

[lilaenne]

I actually do remember seeing kids (little-little kids, anyway) with snacks at church. This particular church was of the "no food from sunrise until communion" feeling; since kids too young to have started religious education couldn't understand the significance of communion or of the food rule, they all had cheerios or goldfish crackers to keep them quiet during the service.

Anyone outside the 5 & under crowd, though? Snacking in church is a bit disrespectful for my tastes.

[housewife2k]

The only time a snack, a QUIET snack should be allowed in church for someone over the age of toddlerhood, is if there are blood sugar issues. My Gramma was horribly diabetic, and could not go through the hour and a half church service without a little something. Everyone around her understood, it was always a snack that was quiet, neat, and simple. But SODA and CHIPS? Heck no!

[Yarnspinner]

Dear God In Heaven.

I have no problems with kids having cheerios.  I have no problem with people popping cough drops for colds or hard candy for diabetes or even slugging water on a hot day.  Their behavior was beyond the pale.

At the church I used to attend, I had the horrific privilege of being seated behind a family with two daughters, one approximately four or five, the other about twelve or thirteen.  The four year old built a house out of the hymnals to create sleeping accomodations for her complete set of Power Ranger action figures.  When they weren't sleeping in the hymnals, they were being waved about in the air, kicking each other (all with appropriate LOUD sound effects.)  Mom and Dad?  Well that was even creepier...Mom and Dad were "making out".  I don't mean an affectionate pat on the arm.  I mean full out snogging while Dad rubbed Mom's shoulders with one hand--and the thirteen year old's shoulders with the other.  I got up and moved during communion, but that whole scene made me want to go home and take a bath with lye soap and brain bleach.  Ugh.

[Balletmom]

I'm horrified.

But you know, the attitude in most churches now is "all welcome" so no matter how disruptive the behavior, no matter how much it spoils the worship for others, it's just allowed to go on.

I vividly remember a Christmas service with special music where a parent with a fussy baby in front of us took out their car keys to jingle for baby, during the music. Clueless!

The chips and soda and anything goes attitude is a big part of the reason we  more and more  stay home at Christmas and Easter (especially after this last Easter with some young men in front of us who talked through out the service, joked and poked each other during the prayer, etc., etc. And they were certainly old enough to know better--out of their teens.)

I am all for welcoming people, but it's so upsetting for me to sit there and silently debate/fume/try to concentrate while my children are poking me with the "Do you see what they are doing?" look.

I say the ex-Navy officer deserves a medal!

[HogwartsAlum]

Dear God In Heaven.

I have no problems with kids having cheerios.  I have no problem with people popping cough drops for colds or hard candy for diabetes or even slugging water on a hot day.  Their behavior was beyond the pale.

At the church I used to attend, I had the horrific privilege of being seated behind a family with two daughters, one approximately four or five, the other about twelve or thirteen.  The four year old built a house out of the hymnals to create sleeping accomodations for her complete set of Power Ranger action figures.  When they weren't sleeping in the hymnals, they were being waved about in the air, kicking each other (all with appropriate LOUD sound effects.)  Mom and Dad?  Well that was even creepier...Mom and Dad were "making out".  I don't mean an affectionate pat on the arm.  I mean full out snogging while Dad rubbed Mom's shoulders with one hand--and the thirteen year old's shoulders with the other.  I got up and moved during communion, but that whole scene made me want to go home and take a bath with lye soap and brain bleach.  Ugh.

GROOOOOSSSS!!!!

[freakyfemme]

Dear God In Heaven.

I have no problems with kids having cheerios.  I have no problem with people popping cough drops for colds or hard candy for diabetes or even slugging water on a hot day.  Their behavior was beyond the pale.

At the church I used to attend, I had the horrific privilege of being seated behind a family with two daughters, one approximately four or five, the other about twelve or thirteen.  The four year old built a house out of the hymnals to create sleeping accomodations for her complete set of Power Ranger action figures.  When they weren't sleeping in the hymnals, they were being waved about in the air, kicking each other (all with appropriate LOUD sound effects.)  Mom and Dad?  Well that was even creepier...Mom and Dad were "making out".  I don't mean an affectionate pat on the arm.  I mean full out snogging while Dad rubbed Mom's shoulders with one hand--and the thirteen year old's shoulders with the other.  I got up and moved during communion, but that whole scene made me want to go home and take a bath with lye soap and brain bleach.  Ugh.

Well, you don't *know* that it was a house, maybe the structure was meant to be a manger, with Mary being played by the Pink Ranger, Joseph by the Blue Ranger, Jesus by the White Ranger, and the Red, Yellow, and Black Rangers were the Wise Men (and Wise Woman, since the Yellow Ranger is actually female).  As for the kicking and whatnot......well, we don't *know* that Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem was free and clear of hideous monsters, and maybe the "Wise Men and Woman" had to be called upon to put on their "Power Ranger" hats and come to the rescue.  As for the parents making out......shame on them.  Some people don't seem to get that "parent" is a verb as well as a noun.....well, maybe not in the dictionary, but it should be, like when the "parents" in question are too wrapped up in playing tonsil hockey to ensure that their child behaves properly in church.  I suppose the older daughter could have stepped in, but I'm going to assume for her sake that she was too enthralled by the wonderful, uplifting sermon to pay attention to her sister's antics.

[Scritzy]

 

Our Christmas Eve communion service is so quiet that even the pastors giving the prayer and blessing speak just above a whisper. If you are at one station, you can barely hear what's going on at the station next to you. Soft music plays in the background. It's an awesome service.

Even I would not drink a Coke in church!!! I have had to sneak a bite of food before when Pastor gets a little long-winded and my blood sugar drops, but it's something quiet like an oatmeal bar. I keep it in my purse, and I reach in the bag and break off a bite so as not to make a scene. The only chip I would have in church is my husband.

I remember a Christian comedian saying once that churches ought to be equipped with big reclining chairs that had Big Gulp holders at the side. But he was JOKING.