Oh, afternoon church
You wound me so
Of no fault of your own
I do love the hymns
I do love the lessons
I do love the spirit
But I do not love… the schedule
On Sunday
As the mother of a busy, active toddler
I feel deprived
As the enjoyer of Sunday afternoon naps
I feel distressed
As the advocate of well-rested children
I feel disputed
I find the meetings enjoyable
I will sacrifice to be among the Saints
But for my son
What of his sacrifice?
I lament is too great
Too much
Too tiring
Each week
My son yawns as we head out the door for Church
But no nap awaits him
My son squirms as the sacrament is passed
But no nap awaits him
My son whines as I drop him off at nursery
But no nap awaits him
Even though there are toys and snacks and games and crayons and decibels
He doesn’t seem to enjoy himself
As no nap awaits him
Oh, afternoon Church,
You come at such a difficult time
My heart must reconcile my love for the gospel
With my need for naps
And how it pains me
I believe we will survive
It gets easier every week
And I can’t help but think
It is hard for my son
As it was hard for The Son
Who felt all the sadness and pain and anxiety and exhaustion
That we have ever felt
Trials await us
In one form or another at all times
And this is ours to bear
Oh, afternoon church
Each week
You steal naps
I steal inspiration
Toddlers steal sighs
May we become friends
Is my only hope
Amen.
7 comments:
Amen, sister! (1 pm church here)
Good Luck! That was hilarious! Just another testimony builder :)
That was awesome!! I think it is funny how he crys when I take him out of nursery! At least we know he is having fun in there!
I feel your pain as afternoon church has not been a friend at our house either. Naptime is essential for the happiness of all toddlers and those around them.
This is the exact reason I sorta never want to move out of the 1st ward. Who can complain when church is ALWAYS at 10am? No time is ideal for kids, but it's as close to ideal as possible.
I agree! Our church is at 1pm, which is the exact time my kids go to their naps.
UT, I've figured a way to help all of us enjoy church a little more. Even though it's not nap time, the kids go to their beds at 12. I don't care if they don't sleep, I just care that they get some quiet time. Most of the time they end up asleep anyway. So, try putting Wesley down an hour before you have to leave for church. It's amazing how well it works for us.
We have the best of both worlds: 11 AM.
Get to start in the morning, but ends in early afternoon. I get to sleep in, have a leisurely breakfast, time to shower, get dressed, catch up on my lesson, etc. and still arrive early.
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