I have a friend and he is part of the Children’s Church at our Church. He used to tell me that he is not a childish person. Every time we spend time together, he tells me stories about how he’s having a hard time dealing with those little kids and how hard it is to understand them. He is new to the church and is still being trained to deal with children.
What are the ways you can use to tame those kids to get their attention? Here are some tips:
First: Get to know them personally.
Just like meeting a new friend, you need to get to know your students personally. Get to know them by name and what games they love to play. Use their pet names or nicknames as you call them to make it sound like you have a more intimate relationship with them. Don’t treat them like your age. They are young, so take them lightly and without fuss.
Second: Entertain them using the Word of God.
One way to get children’s attention is to put on a show. It’s pretty boring for them when you share the word of God the way you share it with their parents. You have to be creative, so that you can capture their attention; something that will make your imagination work. Intrigue them with a puppet show.
Third: Make them sing and dance.
Music is the best way to attract children’s attention. Make them sing and dance. Teach them songs that are easy to memorize and dance steps that are easy to follow. One way to help them worship God is by teaching them songs of praise to the Creator.
I am smiling as I write now thinking how pleased and happy God can be as he watches those little angels sing his praises. How touching it is to think that God is pleased to see them worship at a very young age.
Fourth: Tell them a good Bible story.
All children love to hear stories. They love to have their imaginations tickled because it allows them to go to a different world. Gather them after the worship time and share them with God’s best stories in the Bible. Let them know where they come from. Teach them the love of God. Tell them stories like Adam and Eve, David’s heart, Noah’s Ark… and many more.
Fifth: Share your thoughts with them.
After the narration, you can now ask them what they think of the story, what they have learned from it, and what they can say about it. That way, you can assess if they have learned something or not. Tell them how much God loves them and how precious they are in God’s sight.
After my friend applied some of these tips, he told me that dealing with children became much easier and more fun. While he watched puppet shows with the children, he worshiped through dancing and singing, shared Bible stories, and after sharing his thoughts with them, my friend now developed a good relationship with the little ones.
One more thing, pray…pray…and PRAY for God’s guidance in dealing with them. They are his children, so it is better to ask his Father how to handle his little children.