We\’ve all been there…at the end our rope, I mean. Even the most well-behaved children sometimes can give us stress lines on our face! In fact, just this past weekend in extended session, I had one of the most challenging sessions I’ve had in a looooong time!
You\’ve tried everything: bribery, threats to get parents, time-outs, you get the idea. That’s why I\’m excited to introduce a new resource from Lifeway to help you deal with behavior challenges in the classroom. In Kids\’ Discipline 101, you\’ll hear advice on how behavior issues can be avoided even before they develop!
This new DVD training resource gives you strategic principles and a step-by-step approach to guiding behavior as well as hands-on techniques to establish a good learning environment. It’s a great training tool to help volunteer leaders as well as seasoned staff members.
You know, Jesus didn\’t say "Just let the good little children come to Me." He loves each and every one and commands us to do the same. You can love a child without loving their behavior.This resource can help you do just that!
Now…for the fun part! I get to give one free copy of this training tool away! To be entered to win it, share the funniest discipline problem you\’ve dealt with in your ministry. Enter by including your story in the comment section. I look forward to some great stories!
We have what I consider to be a bolter! She is very young but we have a small group of kids so we bring them in to children’s church early. Every now and then, she’ll take off, running as fast as her little feet will allow, straight to the door and out into the hallway. I haven’t yet figured out where she is heading ( not sure if she knows either), I just know that it is away from wherever we are. We are all prepared and station ourselves in zone defense. I feel proud that we haven’t lost her yet!
I remember one time when I was teaching in the Pre-School room. Some of the kids were out playing on the playground and the boys wouldn’t let any of the girls play catch with them, because they thought only boys could play catch. I had to talk to the boys and tell them no, the girls could play too and that if they didn’t let the girls play, then they couldnt play. One of the little boys hugged me and said, “But Miss Patricia, I really love you” Its so hard to discipline when they are being so cute 🙂
I remember the time when I had tried everything and then told the child that the next time they were mean to another child I would have to go get their mother and then she replied “can I go with you”. Now try and keep a straight face.
Several years ago, while preparing for a Christmas drama, one little 3 year old “angel” character was fluttering everywhere. After many practices, I found a location on stage where I thought he could stand, sing and explore without being obvious. He was doing great at practices. The night of the drama he did great, until the last 10 minutes, he tried to take “baby Jesus” from the manger, sing to him (not with the choir), he sat down, laid down then rolled down the alter steps. He then hopped up with crooked halo and twisted robe, smiled, waved and said “Jesus loves me.” That little boy is now 10 years old, saved, loves to share Jesus with others…and is my grandson. I disciplined him with a hug and told him I loved him. That was my first drama with him…but not the last…still doing dramas…love it!
The wildest day I ever had was when I was just beginning to teach in Kid’s Church. I serve in a church of around 750 and we had a family who had been coming for a few Sundays, but other than that the children had not been to church a lot. One of their daughters LOVED attention and would do anything to get it. On this particular day she kept insisting she needed to go to the restroom. I took her and allowed her to go in on her own (being that I am a male). While she was in the restroom, one of my children’s workers was in the hall talking to me. I hadn’t much more than taken my eye off the restroom door when she came out finished. The girl was about 30 feet from me and I began to walk back to her. As I was walking, she began stepping backwards away from me. The faster and closer I got, the faster and further she stepped away. Finally, she took off in a sprint. I ran down the hall to catch her and the next thing I see is her bolting into our service. I was later informed by the pastor’s wife that she ran across the front, on live TV and all, to her mom yelling “He’s going to get me! He’s going to get me!” Needless to say, I will NEVER step away from a restroom door again!
A wonderfully, strong-willed 4 year-old once offered up this excuse when confronted with his bad behavior in class, “Satan made me do it.” The answer brought a small grin to my face, but a sharp conviction to my heart! How often does my mischevious side want to shift blame away from myself?! O sure, we all do things we’re not proud of… but that wasn’t ME!.. satan made me do it, or my brother, or my husband, or my employer, or.. , or.. Children are such brilliant insights into our own personal struggles, everyone should have a couple around them to add the spice of daily conviction!
I have a student who has a language problem and doesn’t know what words are bad and which are acceptable. After getting talked to about calling someone a bad name, he was talked to. Later he decided that he wanted to apologize to the adult who talked with him and he said, “Mr. Glen, I’m sorry that I was mean to Kevin. He was making me mad and I just lost control. I’m sorry for being such an a**. I’ll do better.”
I have a boy in Childrens Church that will not sit down for any length of time. He gets up and wanders around the room making noises that are distracting. I discovered he was facinated with clocks, so I tell him when he gets restless, when the big hand on the clock gets to a certain number then we can get up and move around. This works very well.