Maybe we can have a primary speaker in sacrament meeting, to remind us that these children are participant, and help us connect with the children that we once were (and help us get to know the children in our community). One less thing for families to remember in the mornings, and a source of novelty for the kids. Maybe we can have quiet books in chapels for families with children, and toys that encourage quiet, independent play (puzzles, colouring, sorting/matching games, mazes). I agree that the meeting is too long, and we should basically always try to have as much music as possible (and maybe we can try some different styles of music), but I think a lot of people would find the clapping jarring (myself included – and I used to go to the weekly “praise music” club at lunch time in high school). Kids are people too, and they need that time to think about Jesus, to develop a relationship with God that accesses the power of the sacrament. Better engaging children and adults might facilitate an atmosphere where reverence is more likely and temper tantrums less so. Of course, feeling entertained is not the same as feeling reverent, but boredom is not reverence either. Many of these suggestions would not only make Sacrament Meeting more entertaining for children but for their parents as well. Quieter is not necessarily more reverent. Allow a wider variety of musical instruments and musical styles, including upbeat numbers people can clap along to.Allow music to play during the passing of the Sacrament.The church already offers quality videos, music and images at lds.org, but current policy limits their use to class time, not Sacrament Meeting. Many chapels are already equipped with movie screens and projectors. Allow multimedia presentations and visual aids during Sacrament Meeting.Have Bishopric members sit with their families so they can help their wives care for children during the meeting.It would be easier to keep children satisfied for a meeting that is 30-45 minutes long, instead of over an hour long. Of course, the downside to this solution is that some adults would need to miss the meeting to attend to the children. Consider offering Primary and Nursery during Sacrament meeting.What if we tried some of these strategies instead? I think my children might be quiet if I threatened them with a whip, but I am not going to do that (even if I actually do want to whip them by the time Sacrament Meeting is over). I suspect that these people have either forgotten what it is like to hush a whole rowful of children through a long meeting that is not age-appropriate for them, or that they raised their children back when naughty children used to get whippings. Some elderly members of my congregation have helpfully informed me that their children were much better behaved than mine are. I am a mother of four Primary-aged children and motherhood is my single greatest barrier to Sacrament Meeting reverence. I am pleased that Church leaders have been addressing this issue by not only encouraging members to adopt better personal behavior, but also by looking at policy solutions, such as moving Sacrament Meeting planning from the all-male bishopric to the Ward Council, a larger group that includes women. While Sacrament meeting is only part of the Sabbath day, many local congregations are focusing on Sacrament Meeting reverence. There is currently a churchwide campaign to improve Sabbath Day observance. Bored kids entertain themselves by making a hymnbook tower during Sacrament Meeting
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