I appreciated “Children—Welcome to Worship,” and thought that it was a useful booklet for helping parents figure out what to do with children during worship services and how to react to them and teach them in that context. In that sense, it was essentially a resource to teach parents how to teach their children.
The most useful part of this handout was that it approached the issue from a variety of perspectives. For example, there is a section about children worshiping in the Bible, a section breaking down very simply why we worship, what it means, what the parts are, etc. Then there were also sections about the church year as well as helpful hints and tips from an actual parent. The variety of approaches means that most parents will learn something and find the resource helpful. In addition, the main message was that it is good for children to worship! What a powerful affirmation, and one which is so necessary!
Secondly, I appreciated that sections on parts of the church year, sacraments, and other things that you would want to explain to your children, were actually written in very simple language. For many adults, the problem may be that they understand complex concepts but have difficulty making them simple enough for their children to understand; or, another possibility is that they may be unsure whether they have the correct interpretation of something like communion, and I think it is exceedingly helpful to have more information about these basic concepts in a basic format, to help parents explain them to their kids.
Finally, Jane Vella's list of principles for curriculum were helpful in evaluating this material and sensing how valuable it could be. Vella's first principle is that the learner needs to participate. This was a clear theme throughout the handout, as parents are told not to send their children off to the nursery, but to help their children actually engage in the service in whatever small ways they can, including helping find songs in a hymnal or holding the bulletin. I think that for children, this concept is key. She also talks about defining clear roles. She also talks about accountability, which is clearly stressed in the handout. The authors make it clear that expectations should be clear and reinforced before the service, and then that during the service those same concepts must be reinforced so that children learn what is acceptable behavior and what is not. At the same time, it is important for the parent to stay consistent and remain accountable to principles he or she may have committed to, such as allowing the child to participate in the service to the best of his or her ability, even though this may mean taking longer or making mistakes.