If you are a parent of young children, you may be dreading a meeting such as Stake Conference. The talks are going to be good, but are your children going to behave for two whole hours? I have seen families that magically have their four-year-old sit still during the entire two-hour meeting. Unfortunately, my child is not one of those who will sit still for that long. Since my stake conference is coming up in two weeks, I’ll tell you about my survival bag.
1) The most important things I will pack for my two children are snacks and water. I have stopped allowing my four year old to have snacks during Sacrament meeting, but I will take them to Stake Conference. The drinks are a must, because it is my daughter’s biggest excuse to get up in the middle of a meeting. I will pack Goldfish or some other type of cracker that is easy to pick up and I try to avoid anything really sugary.
2) Next I will pack crayons and paper for my daughter. This will keep her quiet and occupied for a good while so that I can listen to the talks. I also like to pack stickers, because she will spend fifteen minutes with one sheet of stickers, and a blank piece of paper.
3) I always like to pack some picture books. I only bring Sunday related books to church. I’ve listed some of my favorites in a recent blog. These will keep both my son and daughter occupied. I’ve also seen families put pictures from their Gospel Art Kit into binders, and allowed their children to look at them.
4) I always make sure that I have plenty of tissues, and wipes in my bag. These will take care of any surprises that my kids might throw at me. Another good idea is to keep an extra ziploc or paper bag inside of your diaper bag for any garbage that may accumulate.
5) Finally I will take some paper and a pen for me, just in case I get a chance to take any notes.
I really do look forward to Stake Conference, and using a bag like this has made the experience a lot better for me. What are ideas that you have used to help your young children sit through Stake Conference?