6 Ways to Make Sunday A Day of Rest – and Not a Day You Detest – With Kids
The tally before Sunday
Sunday rolls around every seven days. Before you’ve recovered from one, it’s time for another day of rest. The paradox with Sunday is that, when you’ve got kids, it’s not always a day of rest.
You can, however, steer the show so it’s more restful and a day you’ll anticipate with joy. Plan, Prepare, and Persevere.
Plan ahead for Sunday
“Never put off to tomorrow what you can do today” is a saying I heard from little up. Whatever you can do ahead of time saves time on that day.
The diaper bag and sippy cups or even bottles (formula with water to be added at the last minute) can be prepared days ahead. It’s a good practice to re-stash a diaper bag every time you return from a trip to town. Then it’s always ready. This was one of my greatest lifesavers when we had small kids.
When you are running late and want to get out the door, arguing with a child over breakfast is the last thing you need. Choose a breakfast menu on Sunday morning that is easy to fix and clean up, and one that your kids will want to eat instead of dawdling.
We choose not to eat out on Sunday, so meal prep was (and is) always something for which I plan ahead. Again, anything that can be done sooner rather than later helps alleviate last-minute preparation or rush. We get there by planning and tweaking as necessary.
Prepare for Sunday
Our kids were responsible to pick out their clothes for Sunday the evening before. If they didn’t get it done before bedtime, I chose for them. Sweaters or jackets were lined up on the sofa along with Bibles and Sunday school quarterlies. All of these can be done the day before, and it’s part of preparedness mentally and physically.
Ask yourself what must happen on Saturday so you won’t be singing Get Me to the Church on Time! on Sunday morning. Then do what must be done. Think about the things that frustrate you every Sunday morning when you’re trying to get out the door. Figure out how it happened, then Fix It.
Persevere
The best laid plans can go awry. Don’t think for a minute that Satan wants you to be in church with your family on Sunday morning. He will attempt to thwart your best laid plans, and he uses fussy kids, disorganization, and apathy to his gain. No matter how hard we try, there are times our Sunday morning prep is disastrous. That’s when we pick ourselves up, figure out the problem, and fix it for the next time.
Instead of asking if it’s worth it, remember that the habits your children develop will remain with them. The importance of church is a lesson learned. The discipline of regular attendance without hassle and havoc will stay with them throughout life.
The bottom line
We take our children to church to worship God and learn about Him. We do this also to help them understand the importance of God’s commandments. This is not only for our kids, it’s for us as well! Attendance and participation provides corporate worship for the entire family. The failures and frustrations fail in comparison to what they learn from our example and perseverance. It is worth the sweat and tears, I promise. This is one way we remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.
You can do this. You’ll look back years later and know you made the right choice. I promise you – you’ll be glad you did.
