Stake conference is a great opportunity to hear from local church leaders in your area. The meetings usually consist of one adult only session on Saturday night and then a two-hour meeting on Sunday. The sacrament is not served at Stake Conference. Additionally there may be leadership meetings for people who serve in the bishopric or in the presidencies of the auxiliaries in the church.
Stake conference is a great time to receive counsel and to feel the promptings of the spirit, but it can be difficult to do if you have young children. Young children find it hard to sit for two hours during a church meeting, perfectly quiet with little to do. The best thing you can do is to prepare before you go to make the experience as positive as possible.
First you should bring church appropriate snacks along for your littlest ones. Many meltdowns are the result of dropping blood sugar. For this reason avoid sweet snacks that are high in sugar such as fruit snacks or cookies. If you choose snacks such as Goldfish, crackers or real fruit, your children will not have a crash fifteen to twenty minutes after having the snack. Packing a sippy cup of water for each child can also help to prevent trips out to get a drink.
Next pack a bag full of quiet activities for your young children to do during stake conference. The meetings and talks are not geared for them, and giving them quiet things to do will help you get the most out of it. Coloring books, lift the flap books and stickers all provide great quiet activities that your children can complete without making any noise. Avoid toys that encourage them to talk or make sounds to play with.
Time when you arrive. With small children you do not want to get to the meeting too early, because you will use up some of there quiet time, but you should get there early enough that you have time to take them to the restroom before the conference starts. This will prevent trips out to the bathroom.
As your children grow you may ask them to begin listening more and cut back on the snacks and other activities. There is a point when you need to begin encouraging them to listen and talk about the talks with you. This age may differ from child to child though.
Related Articles:
Dinner Discussions Stake Conference
Primary Time: 5 Tips to Encourage Reverence in Sacrament Meeting