I have always felt a bit judged and looked down upon for not putting my babies in the nursery from weeks old, so that I (or should I say others?) can sit through a sermon undisturbed.
Now, don't get me wrong... I am happy that nurseries are available for people who want to use them, and I love the people who volunteer their time to take care of our kids!
I happily put my 2 year old in the nursery, now that he loves to go there, but I just haven't ever been able to wrap my mind around putting my little, helpless babies into someone else's care just so I can sit still for a while.
I mean, God gave us these beautiful babies to care for and love and cherish, so why should we push them aside in his house? My babies are never happier than when they are strapped to my chest listening to me sing worship to Him!
So, here's the condensed version of Metropolitan Mama's Top 5 Reasons I Don't Leave My Babies In The Church Nursery (click on the link to go read her full version!)
1. I don't want my baby to cry. Now that's just a given for me! Not that my babies will never cry... I am not delusional... but I will not cause them to cry for no good (to me) reason.
2. I don't want someone else to change my child's diaper. Ok, this might just be me (and her!) but I just prefer to change my kids diapers. Maybe it's just that I like to know that they are cleaned to my (OCDish) standards... I really don't know. I just know that I am most comfortable with taking care of my own children's privates (whenever possible!) and not having others deal with that area.
3. I don't want my kids to get sick. Yeah, I know this one is kind of pointless, because there is no way to keep them from ever getting sick... but I have been in that same situation, where a mom is telling me on Saturday (or Sunday morning) about her child's fever and vomiting, and then I see her dropping them off in the nursery!
4. The ratio of kids to adults is too high. Ok, this one kind of depends on the child's age... I don't mind if my toddler is one of a large group, as he is most likely happily playing away. But throw a younger baby into the mix, and all of a sudden that one adult (or two, if you're lucky) has only 50% of their attention to give to all the rest of the kids!
5. Most of all, I want to be with my kids. This is really the heart of the matter... I like being with my kids. I love holding my babies! I just can't get enough of having them in my arms, snuggled up in a baby carrier or playing on my lap. I'm not yearning for a break from them (until they're 2, that is!) and I just don't want to let them go.
It's not long before they are running away to play with their friends and don't have time to snuggle in mommy's arms anymore. I have to get my fill while I can! :o)
Disclaimer: Please know that I don't judge you, and your choices on this (not-even-very-controversial) topic. I just wanted to share my heart, as I have often felt questioned about this and hope this helps someone understand where I'm coming from!
