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[RitaE]

I don't think the goal of any good youth program is to let one child destroy the environment of all the other children. The goal is to find a way to include ALL the children and still worship, learn, and form a community.

This situation sounds like it is a long, long way from having to ask the child to leave. Little has been tried yet in ways of distraction techniques, finding personal aids, fidget devices etc.

We have faced this in our Church and the point I made was, this is not the only Special Needs child that will ever come to us. It is going to happen again, and then again, and then again after that..... If we are ill equipped and uninformed, then it's time we change that and not just by telling the parents, sorry - not our problem.

When parents bring their babies into our Church to be baptized, our service makes a big deal about how they are now FAMILY. I guess I just see situations like this as an opportunity to back up the words with action. KWIM?

 

[daughtersrus]

Sunday school is for everyone--but just like monkeys cannot be in services if they are too disruptive, the same is said for Sunday school. It is a time for reverence and learning--not monkey antics.

As a parent of a child with special needs, I thought that I had heard it all but I have never heard someone compare a child with a disability to a monkey before. How sad!

 

[Minnesota!]

I totally agree with you. I would pull my child from this class if one child was causing such a disruption (I have pulled my child from circumstances very similiar). It isn't fair to my child that is there to learn.

Totally agree.

 

[pilesoflaundry]

This isn't a Sunday School situation. In fact, I have had the child in Sunday nursery and children's church for the last couple of years. I fully support that his mother needs this time to worship and have worked through it so far. This Wed. night program is almost two hours long and is much more involved (still, it is age appropriate). The parents drop their kids off and leave them at church.

In this case I might ask him to leave. It sounds like 2 hours on a weekday night after trying to behave all day in preschool is too much for him.

If this was 30 minutes on Sunday I would say work hard with him to keep him there but this is an extra program and at his age and hyperactivity level it's just not a good fit for him. Sometimes that's ok and he can try another program in a year or so when he matures a little. If he is still going to Sunday school and is getting what he needs and mom gets to worship, I think in light of being fair to the other children who are trying to learn and behave, it's time to look for something else for him.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

As a parent of a child with special needs, I thought that I had heard it all but I have never heard someone compare a child with a disability to a monkey before. How sad!

I don't think this person was saying anything about a child with special needs. I think they were just stating that any child who is disruptive during services would be expected to step out. I think they were just making an example like saying "if the little snowflake can't behave" etc.

 

[daughtersrus]

I don't think this person was saying anything about a child with special needs. I think they were just stating that any child who is disruptive during services would be expected to step out. I think they were just making an example like saying "if the little snowflake can't behave" etc.

Maybe I took it the wrong way but the OP is talking about a child with a disability being in her class.

I also disagree with the thought that children would be expected to leave during a service. My BIL is a pastor (Missouri Synod Lutheran). He has said MANY times, that his church welcomes all children to their church services as well as Sunday School. His congregation does not expect children to sit quietly during the entire service. They prefer that children worship with their parents from a very young age. He has a "sermonette" where the children come up to the front of the church and he talks to them about the sermon message at their level. Their Sunday School class meets between services at the same time that they have adult Bible Class.

To the OP- There are many books out there that may be helpful for you.

Here is one link http://books.google.com/books?id=a-...gious education "special needs child"&f=false

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Maybe I took it the wrong way but the OP is talking about a child with a disability being in her class.

I also disagree with the thought that children would be expected to leave during a service. My BIL is a pastor (Missouri Synod Lutheran). He has said MANY times, that his church welcomes all children to their church services as well as Sunday School. His congregation does not expect children to sit quietly during the entire service. They prefer that children worship with their parents from a very young age. He has a "sermonette" where the children come up to the front of the church and he talks to them about the sermon message at their level. Their Sunday School class meets between services at the same time that they have adult Bible Class.

To the OP- There are many books out there that may be helpful for you.

Here is one link http://books.google.com/books?id=a-...gious education "special needs child"&f=false

The OP didn't say that the child had a disabilty. They just said that the kid is super hyper and does not listen and that the kid has the same problem in school.

As for childrern disrupting a service, well I feel the same way about that as I do about children disrupting say dinner at a restaurant. If they cannot behave as expected them you must step out. Just because you (a general you) think it is cute and okay that your (again a general you) child is noisy and running around doesn't make it okay for everyone else. Heck I have kids and I would not find it cute if your child was loud and rambuctious during church. I have taken my own children out because they could not sit. I don't expect them to sit there focused on every word but I do expect them not to bother others. YMMV.

 

[disykat]

Saying all children are welcome doesn't mean their misbehavior is. Obviously there will be some noise in worship with small children. Obviously kids will misbehave at times in classes. However, there is a point where it is simply not an appropriate placement for the child.

It sounds like either the mom needs to come with the child or another placement needs to be found. Ideally the parent would be able to choose the nursery, an alternate nursery specifically to meet special needs, or waiting another year to enroll. A few times, our church has tried to start an alternate nursery for kids that are too old for the nursery but unable to function in the age level classes - but has been unable to find volunteers to man it.

 

[mickeyboat]

We have a similar problem with a girl in our Girl Scout troop. It's a no-win situation for us as leaders, but we do the best we can. The other girls are getting quite irritated with her.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

How much learning do people think is going on during a preschool sunday school class? It isn't a paid for preschool program.

I love that we have a churh that welcomes all. Even those that aren't "pretty" and "easy."

 

[Mouse House Mama]

How much learning do people think is going on during a preschool sunday school class? It isn't a paid for preschool program.

I love that we have a churh that welcomes all. Even those that aren't "pretty" and "easy."

Who cares how much learning is going on? I also don't care if it is free. A child that is so disruptive that it makes the whole class have to focus on their terrible behavior is wrong. It has nothing to do with "pretty" and "easy".
The whole group should not have to have a terrible time because one child is so out of control that they are throwin holy water on him. The issues with that child need to be addressed. Put the child in a different class. Pull him out for the year. Find out if there really is an issue with the child. Work one on one with him. The possibilities are endless. Alienating the rest of the congregation is imo not the way to go because that is what will happen. I don't care how God fearing you are, nobody wants to take their child to a program and hear week after week how one child disrupted the whole thing.

 

[Liberty Belle]

How old is this child? Has the mom seen the behavior?

Nevermind...I read on and got my answers. I know this is tough for you, but in the long run it's good for the child and mom. There's two places now where his behavior is disruptive. This is good info for her to take to her pediatrician who may refer her to a psychiatrist or behavior specialist.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Frankly, if I heard week after week that my child's class was being disrupted, I'd offer to help. We've dealt with several children who are disruptive. Put an aide with them, and move on. No biggie. Right now, I have 4 little dears who I am certain will drive their teachers mad in a couple of years. One spent a half hour kicking me. We worked on it and within a few weeks he was doing better. His mom needed to have a break. Her husband had been killed in Iraq when he was an infant.

Preschool classes are all about disruptions. You have potty breaks, little girls who have to wash their hands every 3 minutes, crying over toys and crayons. No kid is perfect, and chances are that your kid was the one causing a disturbance some other week.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Frankly, if I heard week after week that my child's class was being disrupted, I'd offer to help. We've dealt with several children who are disruptive. Put an aide with them, and move on. No biggie. Right now, I have 4 little dears who I am certain will drive their teachers mad in a couple of years. One spent a half hour kicking me. We worked on it and within a few weeks he was doing better. His mom needed to have a break. Her husband had been killed in Iraq when he was an infant.

Preschool classes are all about disruptions. You have potty breaks, little girls who have to wash their hands every 3 minutes, crying over toys and crayons. No kid is perfect, and chances are that your kid was the one causing a disturbance some other week.

Typical disruptions yes, I understand that. Every single week rolling on the floor and crawling under tables? No.