{SQT}: Hello October

This is the first week of October and man it has been an immeasurable amount of amazing and that's why I am a day late sharing. Here are my Seven Quick Takes of the Week! 

{ONE}

Goalie was Superhero of the Week at school! I am so beyond proud. Goalie really struggles with his ability to stay focused and sit still during class. We even had to add some behavioral goals to his IEP to help him work on these areas so him receiving something like this made me cry happy tears! The principal hand picks the students based on their effort and willingness to do what's right. Goalie had such an amazing week being line leader, getting to share special things about himself to his class and having an extra special treat with his principal. 

{TWO}

Soccer season has finally ended! Monday was our last game. Goalie was really sad because he loves having a team and getting to run, run, and run some more. Cupcakes always make things better and as you can see by the huge smile on his face, the cupcake certainly cut the sting of sadness away. He is also excited that he is almost old enough to start Football though so we will see how things go there. 

{THREE}

October 4th was the Feast of Saint Francis and we did a Blessing of the Animals together. We have three cats and let me tell you: Holy water, kids and cats do not mix! The kids were so excited to "bless" the animals because they knew cats don't like water. Granted my husband only sprinkled the holy water but all three cats flew out of their spots into different rooms. I almost felt bad allowing the blessing to happen but the kitties also received a brand new scratching post, catnip and soft food for dinner. They will forgive us one day... hopefully. 

{FOUR}

October has officially begun and it is a month full of meaning. October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary, Respecting Life, Breast Cancer Awareness, ADHD Awareness, Spina Bifida Awareness and many other things. All of these causes have an impact on me and my life and we are attempting to find ways to acknowledge all this in our family. What do you celebrate this month? Anything that has a special place in your heart? How do you make it special to your family?

{FIVE}

I received my first Little Catholic Box this month!!! I am in love! My dad purchased the subscription for me as a gift and I was blown away by the awesomeness that was packed into this box! I am so excited to see what is to come and to share all the goodies with my family. How many of you have this great subscription? It is definitely worth giving a try!

{SIX}

We are really getting into the Autumn Spirit! To start things off we attended the Apple Day hosted in Penrose, Colorado. It was a great experience! We have two fall festivals this weekend and we have so much more planned before the end of this season. 

{SEVEN}

This is our family's first year joining the Boy Scouts of America and becoming a scouting family. Little Man and Goalie have both earned their first badge! The Bobcat Badge. I am in pursuit of some Scouting uniforms and in the process of creating a binder for the boys to keep their badges together so they have something to look back on if they decide to stick with the Boy Scouts. We just signed up for our first outdoor event for next weekend too! This October and Autumn season is turning out to be a very memorable one!

God Bless!

{JEI}: Respect Life Month

Welcome to my favorite linkup of the week called Just Enough Info with The Zelie Group. This week we are discussing the theme of October, which is Respect Life Month. In addition to this link up I would suggest you take a look at Instagram and follow the #Rosaryathon. I have so enjoyed participating in the Rosayathon this far and hope to see you join in the fun!

Time to get back to the JEI Linkup and I'd love to introduce you to the other hosts of the Just Enough Info Linkup:

Jessica (myself) – Pinot Noir and Prayers | Instagram | Facebook

Alicia – Sweeping Up Joy | Pinterest | Facebook

Kirby – Under Thy Roof | Instagram | Facebook

Kerry - Fishbowl Fortune | Instagram | Facebook

1. Does your family or parish mark the month in a special way?

October is Respect Life Month but it is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month, ADHD Awareness Month and Spina Bifida Awareness Month which are all important issues in our family. Cancer has taken the lives of several of my close relatives over the years and we have had some Breast Cancer scares. My youngest son is ADHD and I continue to fight for him to get the assistance he needs to cope with his overactive mind and body. I have Spina Bifida. Spina Bifida is a birth defect and cannot be "cured". I had surgery as a child to close the opening in my spine and I have been lucky to not have any complications until now. I think I will save my story dealing with this disability for another time though. 

Back to the question: We do incorporate intentions for the unborn into our family rosary but that is really the extent of anything we have done in the past. This year I plan on doing a Spiritual Adoption because I am on a new fertility journey that I hope leads us to adding a child (and more) into our family. 

As for my parish, I'm not sure yet. We haven't been registered with our parish for even a year yet so we are still learning about all the amazing things they have to offer to us and the community. We were given signs to display in our yards in protest of proposition 106. It would allow physician suicide assistance for the elderly, people with terminal illness and others who are not strong enough to fight for themselves. We should respect all life. God does not make mistakes and although our lives may require suffering, it is ours to endure and part of our story. 

2. Do you have any books or resources to recommend on the Respect Life theme?

I am sad to say that I don't have any books or resources that i could recommend. I am in the process of doing some research for another project that will hopefully help me come across some suggestions if I get asked in the future. I would also love to hear about your suggestions if you have any!

3. What do you wish others understood about the Respect Life message?

I wish that everyone understood that life is a gift. It is not meant to be bad or carry a negative connotation. Unplanned pregnancies, terminal illnesses and so many other unforeseen events that can occur in anyone's life are milestones and crossroads in your life. You can either embrace the things that scare you and face them head on or fight against God's plan for you. As Christians we are asked to embrace the uncertainty knowing that God knows what he is doing. It is when we decide to fight against his plan that things can get messy. I pray that we are all strong enough to put our faith in God and know that his plan is perfect for us and the whole world. Let his will be done.

Well that is my take on Just Enough Info this week. I would love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to use the beautiful picture below in your linkup post if you so desire!

Please Join us and Link Up with your answers to this week's questions about Respecting Life Month (October). Here are the questions:

1. Does your family or parish mark the month in a special way?
2. Do you have any books or resources to recommend on the Respect Life theme?
3. What do you wish others understood about the Respect Life message?

Next week we will be discussing Autumn/Fall Family Fun:

1. Best fall flavor: apple or pumpkin?
2. The leaves are changing colors, and the air is crisp. What are you looking forward to about fall?
3. Do you decorate for the season (and which is it: fall or autumn?)

Feel free to check out the last few weeks of JEI to learn about the link up rules and other fun topics we have already discussed:

{JEI}: The Angel Feasts

{JEI}: Mommy Self-Care

{JEI}: Do Small Things With Great Love

{JEI}: Prayer is the Spirit Speaking Truth to Truth

{JEI}: Back-to-School Edition

Introducing the Zelie Group and Just Enough Info

The Zelie Group has some fun questions coming up in the next few weeks so make sure to follow us on Facebook and we would love to hear what you are interested in! What are you looking to learn about? Do you have questions about the Faith? Questions about the Liturgical Year? We want to help and learn and grow with you and your families!

Seven Spiritual Songs to Shine Light in the Darkness

This past week has really been a roller coaster. So many high highs and some very low lows. I am in
a group of bloggers called the Zelie Group. We started our first link up yesterday called Just Enough Info. That was one of my high highs for the week. That and my Little Man receiving his fall football jersey.

One of the low lows is learning that my youngest son, Goalie, is struggling with kindergarten. He is having good days and bad days but he will need addition testing (including autism testing) according to his behavioral therapist. He is struggling because of his special needs he is really having a hard time with children making fun of him. I can't begin to describe the heartache I feel for him. He is such a sweet, kind hearted child and to see him suffer by the hands of other children is so almost too much for me.

I really wanted to end this week on a high note, so instead of dwelling on the things that are to come and the things that I cannot to control, I have compiled a list of seven songs that are inspirational and bring me joy. It is ok to have a bad day or even a bad week, but we a mother's need to dust ourselves off when we are down because we are the light to our children and spouse. No matter what happens, we will get through this because this is where God has called me and my family to be. If you need me, I will be listening to these amazing songs and lifting my spirits because the battle is not over.

I am linking this to Seven Quick Takes, Talk it Up Thursday and Think Tank Thursday.

{ONE}

Better Than A Hallelujah

Amy Grant is such an inspiring singer. I love this song but I have to warn you it is quite touching. There are days when I listen to this song and the tears will start. Not the kind of tears that hurt your heart but the kind that warms your soul.

{TWO}

Ave Maria

There are several reasons that I love this enchanting song. My grandmother on my dad's side had a great love of Mary and this song. It is sometimes associated with Christmas time but I believe this song is appropriate any time throughout the year.

{THREE}

Lead Me to the Cross

Just the name of this song portrays it's importance. I can not list the number of times I have added this song to my day and my heart is filled with hope and love. I actually have this song added to my Devotional I do while running. I'll share more about that later.

{FOUR}

I Get on my Knees

When I was in high school I was apart of a Youth Ministry group and we did a yearly retreat called "Antioch". There were leaders picked from within our group and we were selected for "talks" and chose a song that represented our personal story that we gave throughout our weekend retreat. This song was chosen every year by a member of the Antioch team and it brings me back to a time when my faith was so strong and unwavering.

{FIVE}

Wait for Me
The first time I heard this song, I was explained that Rebecca St. James wrote it asking her future husband to wait for her. Listening to the lyrics I can understand what she meant but there feels like a deeper meaning for more. I can't really put what I mean into words but this song stirs something inside me that brings peace.

{SIX}

You are my All in All

The truth my life. Our Lord is my all in all. He is my family's all in all. In times like these we lean on him more and often times he will carry us because we are sometimes to weak.

{SEVEN}
Breathe
Breathe, just breathe. I tell myself this a lot. This is another Rebecca St. James' song and it has always been one that I listen to in times of great anxiety. The lyrics are moving and accurately describe my need for God. "I am desperate for you" 

I hope that these songs inspire you and bring some calming relief or uplift your heart and spirits the way they do for me.

God Bless!

Back-to-School Essentials for the ADHD Student

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these affiliate links I will receive a small commission and I greatly appreciate it. The opinions written with this website are mine alone.

Back-to-School is right around the corner for us and some schools have already began this past week. For my family we are starting preparations now but that doesn't just include school shopping for us. My youngest son is ADHD, anxiety and has developmental delays including sensory issues. Any parent that has a child with special needs understand that an exciting time like going Back-to-School can cause some serious struggles for you, your child and your family. This is my opinion on how to tackle some of the issues that come along with these special needs. I do not look at these needs as a disability because this is how God created Goalie. However, I do want him to be able to recognize when these needs are keeping him from learning and being productive while learning how to refocus himself. He will have these needs his entire life and being able to live a full happy life is the biggest thing I want for him. Here is a little background:

Goalie has attended preschool for two years. He began attending a disability preschool class when he was diagnosed at 3 with speech and motor skill disabilities that were listed as "developmental delays" because he was hard to understand and was not close to being potty trained. Since then we have had him evaluated several times and he now has had an active IEP for 2 years and has been attending speech, behavioral and occupational therapies. Goalie was diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety (mostly separation anxiety) over the past year. We also learned that Goalie has astigmatism in both his eyes (one is more severe than the other) and needs glasses. As you can see, we have a number of different things that can affect Goalie's ability to learn, socialize and be independent. Here are the things my family and I do to help Goalie during a Back-to-School transitions.

1. Weighted Vests and Weighted Blankets:

Weighted blankets are amazing! They help with a large assortment of things that disrupt sleep from stress, anxiety and insomnia to more complex things like ADHD, ASD, OCD, PTSD and SPD. This is actually considered a type of therapy and is affordable. This is called Deep-Touch Therapy and is utilized to calm the body by having the brain release serotonin. It's similar to when you were a baby and you were swaddled tightly. The "embrace" released serotonin which calms the body. Hugging someone does the same thing. Deep-Touch Therapy works on people of all ages (including me!) and I think this is an amazing concept. For Goalie, the benefits were immediate and quite noticeable, it allows him to have a better quality sleep and that always leads to a better day! 

During the daytime when it would be difficult to carry around a weighted blanket, we use a weighted vest during times of anxiety and over stimulus. The picture above is a picture of the vest we had made for Goalie. We pack it in Goalie's backpack and the teacher is aware that he is having a difficult time coping with emotions that giving him 20 minutes of vest time will calm him. Goalie often asks for hugs when he is struggling with anxiety and nervousness which is a signal the vest is needed. If this is something you would be interested in trying I would highly suggest checking out Crunchy Blankets. I personally have ordered from here and the quality is amazing and you will have a hard time beating the price. In addition to great quality, you can choose your fabric, weight and other attributes of the blanket to your needs and preferences. I also came across weighted lap blankets that are made to be used for school, travel and meals.

2. Sensory Necklace:

This is something that we will be trying out for the first time this year. Honestly, I wish I would have purchased these sooner. Sensory Necklaces also known as chewies are great for children with ADHD, SPD, Motor Delays and Autism. These necklaces are not too expensive and can be worn around your child's neck. The necklace keeps something that is safe for your child to chew on near them during a time of stress or when a sensory break occurs. Goalie has a hard time dealing with transitions and separating from me. What I love most about sensory necklaces is that it is unobtrusive to your child and does not cause a distraction in most settings. There are so many different types of necklaces and they are even making bracelets now. 

Here are the Sensory Necklaces we purchased for Goalie. We decided to try these first because they came in different toughness levels and had different textures. We purchased the extra extra tough chewies because Goalie is not gentle when he chews on things. He has ruined shirts and has even bit his hand during a stressful episode that left large indentations and marks on himself that lasted for over a week. We included Goalie in the selection of his necklace too because we wanted him to like what he is wearing. I mean if he refuses to wear it, or wants to take it off, it is not serving it's purpose. 

3. Ball Chairs and Wobble Cushions:

Up until this past year I had NO CLUE what a Ball Chair was, they are also called Wobble Chairs, or that it was actually something that existed. The idea of a ball chair is that your child can sit on it yet still wiggle around without being disruptive and it helps keep them focused on the task at hand. These chairs are actually beneficial to posture and is considered as a type of therapy as well. I am in the process of researching on whether it is possible to have the school provide this to Goalie during the school year but I also plan to purchase one prior to him starting homework. These Ball Chairs are not only beneficial to children with ADHD but children without any special needs as well. Little Man actually wants to get a grey or black one to match his Star Wars Room 

If you feel the ball chair is too large or an eye sore you can always try out a Wobble Cushion. Wobble Cushions are easy to move around and do not take up much space while still fulfilling the sensory needs of an overactive child. If the school is unable to provide a Ball Chair for Goalie I will be purchasing one of these for the teacher to keep at school.

4. Fidgets:

Goalie has always used fidget toys. Essentially fidgets are toys that assist your child in being calm, quiet and focused. Goalie is constantly moving his hands but giving him something small to hold keeps him from swinging his body everywhere. These are extremely useful during Mass for us. If you have ever noticed your child rubbing things between their fingers, it is a calming and self-soothing technique. Goalie uses blankets and soft things to rub. These fidgets are easy to carry around and meet the sensory need to touch and move something and also releases calming serotonin into the body because it relaxes the body. These are similar to stress balls that adults use.  

As you may have assumed, there are many different kinds of fidgets that can meet the needs of different children. I am suggesting the ones linked here because they are relatively inexpensive and are used by the behavioral therapist we use. 

5. Calming Sensory Bottle:

At some point or another your child will need some quiet or alone time. Goalie normally has problems in the afternoon. That is because he has spent a whole day in school, attending therapies and refocusing himself. Understandably he is a little cranky and needs time to unwind. Normally when this cranky mood sets in we start with some quiet time. Goalie has the opportunity to sit and read, color or play with his sensory bottle. He actually prefers the sensory bottle more often than not.

You can purchase calming sensory bottles for very cheap but if you are an artsy person they are very simple to make as well. The sensory bottles at our home were made by me and Goalie because he likes to be hands on and it is beneficial to improving his motor skills. We have been discussing the possibility of creating a few more so he can give one to his teacher to keep in class and creating one that has Superman colors to use at home. You can use glitter, small objects and water beads to create a unique calming sensory bottle your child will love. If we make some new bottles soon, I will link back to this post with step by step instructions on how to create your own.

I have created an Amazon Associates Store that has these five essential products and more that are used to help children that struggle with ADHD, OCD, SPD, Autism and many other special needs. Please feel free to check it out and maybe you can find something that will be soothing and calm your child. If you see other products I should list please contact me, I want this store to be a quick reference for anyone looking for products that will benefit their child and families. I hope you all have an amazing Back-to-School experience.

I am linking this with Talk it Up Thursday, Think Tank Thursday and Let's Get Real.

God Bless!

Please feel free to message me with any questions. It takes a village to raise a family but also know that I am NOT trained to diagnose or prescribe anything for you or your child. Please do your own research and I suggest that you talk to your doctor or therapists about what is right to meet the needs of you and your child.

My Sunday Best: God Loves My Clothes

August is in full swing. Today is Sunday and officially ends the amazing relaxing summer for me. I am going to do my best to enjoy lots of coffee, reading, my children, a nice long nap and at least one glass of wine! Tomorrow will be the first day of the normally crazy life I live and love. I'll share more on that crazy life later but for now, I am forcing myself to live in the present and enjoy the day. 

So far today I have enjoyed a nice hot cup of white chocolate coffee. Its a fancy coffee my husband makes for me that is super simple to make. Its just a plain black coffee (I prefer Kona Coffee) with a tablespoon or two of white hot chocolate powder mixed into it. It's not the healthiest but it tastes so good and I am going to celebrate Sunday the way it should be. 

After my delicious cup of caffeine, I prepared the boys for Mass. It was a difficult morning to say the least. Goalie wanted to wear everything except something that looked presentable. While I was getting ready, he put on a pair of his brother's pants that were WAY TO BIG and were camouflage with a neon lime green dry fit soccer shirt. When I explained he needed to wear his "nicer" church clothes he proceeded to pout his lips and say "God loves my clothes" as he marched away. I should have known getting him dressed was not going to be easy after that. He came running back to me to show me his new outfit. The same neon lime green soccer shirt with a pair of jeans riddled with holes. All I could do was smile because I knew that Goalie was not in his normal cheery mood. I finally had to ask for Little Man's assistance with Goalie's wardrobe. He picked out an orange polo shirt with a descent pair of khaki shorts: I prefer for the boys to wear dress pants but I was willing to make the compromise today considering the mood of the morning. Thank goodness Little Man was already dressed and brushed his teeth so we could hit the road on time, even after all the fun wardrobe changes for Goalie. We have days like this ever so often. You can check out 5 Tips to Help Your ADHD Child During Mass if you struggle with similar issues. 

Apparently taking pictures made Goalie feel better so we had to take a couple. This one was his favorite. I can't wait to get Goalie new glasses. his bit the dust last week and he just looks so handsome with them.

At Mass, everyone behaved for the most part. Goalie had the wiggles towards the end and was singing EXTRA loud today but I have to say I was quite impressed with how he held his composure today. Little Man has been acting so grown up at Mass. He is quiet, prayerful and respectful the entire time. He said he is more excited about going to Mass next week because he gets to Altar Serve. My babies know how to make a mama feel proud!

Linking up with A Blog for my Mom at My Sunday Best,  Good Morning Mondays at Darling Downs Diaries, The Mommy Monday Blog Hop and Modest Monday at The Modest Mom Blog

God Bless!

5 Tips to Help Your ADHD Child During Mass

I have two rambunctious boys that keep me on my toes as a mom. In addition to the normal craziness that little boys bring into every day, my youngest son has several sensory issues, ADHD and some developmental delays. I love both of my children more than anything else on this earth but there are some situations that really stress me out when I am dealing with the combination of what society deems appropriate and keeping my children happy and involved in this crazy thing we call life.

We are a Catholic family and our faith is the center of our lives. With that being said, there are tasks that we do daily and weekly to be fully immersed in our faith. Going to church weekly and on special occasions is one of those tasks. I personally love going to Mass. I love the simplistic beauty of the chapel, the calming grace of the music, the emotional connection to God that you feel throughout Mass. However, I am sure that you are already realizing that a young child with sensory issues and ADHD can feel uncomfortable very easily in this same setting. Here are the things that we do to help my son feel comfortable and an active member of our parish. These suggestions will help your child but they are not "one size fits all". You will have to adapt them to your own child based on their own special needs. I am going to be real honest. If your child is similar to mine, expecting them to be perfect angels during Mass is probably not going to happen anytime soon but these tips will help them control their outbursts and have a better understanding of what the Mass is and help them make a better connection to God through the Mass.

1. Dress for the Occasion

For my son this means making sure he is "comfortable". I do like to dress in my Sunday Best but making sure your child is comfortable should be your main concern. Some examples of things that I have to consider in making wardrobe choices are based on the touch of the fabric or tags, the sounds his shoes make when he walks, or knocks them against the pew and even if the clothing has a distracting pattern. In addition to these possible sensory malfunctions, I have to consider what I wear too because my son normally sits next to me or in my lap. I can normally wear a sundress as long as the material is soft because he likes to rub the material between his fingers. It is a calming feeling for him, which makes sitting still a little easier too.

We have found that simple works best for our family. A basic tagless polo shirt (not too bright colored) or cotton button up with cotton khaki or black cotton pants or dress shorts and a pair of solid colored socks that cover the ankle and black dress shoes (not too squeaky, so we can't wear these on days it rains or snows) or velcro tennis shoes. He will even wear ties at times. My youngest also enjoys if he is wearing something similar to his older brother, not identical but similar, so I try my best to incorporate the similar wardrobe too. As I mentioned before, this is something that can be adapted to your child's special needs.

2. Find the Perfect Spot to Sit

Once you get to the church, this is extremely important. Logistically planning where to put your child makes a world of difference on your experience and your child's experience during Mass. This is going to sound CRAZY but we sit in the front pew or the closest pew we can get if there are pews reserved for people with difficult mobility. Hear me out.. I am sure that you are imaging me in the front pew wrestling with my child to sit quietly and whispering in his ear several times a minute. Well I would be lying if I said that doesn't still happen but sitting up front actually has helped eliminate some of the extra movements he makes and sounds because he gets pulled into the action on the altar.  We use redirection often when helping get our son back on track and it is very effective during Mass. My oldest altar serves so pointing out big brother always puts a smile on his face.

Things to consider when making your big decision about where do I sit? 

Attention span: Bad attention spans actually will be able to have better attention where they can see what is happening. It is also important to know if your child is old enough to understand what is going on or should you prepare some acceptable activities for your children to do during Mass.

Age: My son is almost 6 so we have decided to make the leap from the quiet room into the church pews. If your child is too young due to age or mentality then siting in the quiet room or in the back is nothing to be ashamed about. When we are having "rough" days we still go into the quiet room.

Logistics: My youngest son ALWAYS has to use the bathroom at some point during Mass. Logistically it is easier to get him to the potty without incident if we sit at the end of the pew closest to the walkway to the bathroom.

3. Routine Schedule

If your child has any type of therapy or supplemental learning programs they attend, you already know the importance of keeping them on a routine. In regards to ADHD, late morning is normally the best time to take my son to Mass. It gives him time to wake up and play to expel some of that extra energy he has prior to being calm and quiet for a bit. We have attended some evening Masses as well but he normally falls asleep. I want him to feel apart of the experience and I feel like he misses out taking a nap. It is also not so fun to put a child to bed several hours after they had a power nap. Every child is different though try out different times and see which works best for you.

4. Keeping Your Child in the "KNOW"

I am love with Catholic Mass and the way it brings the Eucharist to us. There are times to sit, stand, kneel. Time to sing, pray and be quiet. Making sure my son is aware about when it is time to do what has helped him exponentially with behaving. This actually starts well before you ever arrive at the Church. Sunday morning when I wake up the boys we go through our normal morning routine and get ready for breakfast. While they are sitting and eating, I give them their "game plan" for the day.

"Boys after breakfast, we need to all get ready for church. Let's brush our teeth, get dressed and then mommy will fix your hair before we leave"

I don't give too many instruction at once because neither boys can remember more than 3-4 steps. Once we have all gotten ready, we load up in the car and say,

"You guys look so handsome in your church outfits. Remember when we are at church that there are times we can make noise and times we have to be quiet. I know it's hard so I will remind you what to do, ok?"

I like to compliment my boys because I want them to know its important to look presentable at Mass and then give them a reminder of what is expected of their behavior at Church. My oldest is 9 and doesn't need to be reminded but it makes my youngest feel singled out if I give direction only to him. He normally responds back to me with a little attitude that "he knows and he's not a baby". So this system just works for us.

As we walk into church and bless ourselves (holy water fonts are a favorite because of the sensory stuff), I will remind the boys that it is quiet prayer time when we sit but when the priest walks in we get to sing! My little guy LOVES to sing. I will normally open the missalette to today's Mass and find the songs to show him. I allow him to hold our donation to give during the offering and allow him to pass the basket. As long as I make the experience interactive to the best of my ability, he seems to enjoy the experience more.

As you can see this step will keep you busy but making sure your child is aware of what is happening and making them feel included is a great way to encourage their participation. Now I do not want to give you the false impression that my son will do exactly what he is suppose to do when he is suppose to do it. That is not the case, he will stand when we kneel because he wants to see the priest better. He will sing the chorus' solo parts with them. He will even copy the priests blessings when we are suppose to be quiet and reverent. He has cried when we go get communion because "it's not fair he's not old enough". All these and many other outcries have come from my son during Mass but what matters is that he has a love for the Mass and a growing connection to God.

5. The Back Up Plan

There will be days that your child will be in a bad mood or just can't deal with things. Trust me, we have our fair share and that is where the back up plan for Mass comes into play. I am sure that you noticed throughout this post that I referenced having several options for clothing, sitting, participation levels and redirection. All of these things are directly correlated to your child and their unique calming techniques. Make sure to give yourself options for everything if your child is having a rough day. Just make sure that option isn't skipping Mass because it can set a precedence that is hard to break. Here are some ideas to keep in mind that may calm your child if you have to sit in the back or quiet room.

Calming sensory bottles
Church related coloring pages
Children's Bible or story book
Bringing a Snack

I highly suggest checking out Holy Heroes and Catholic Child to find some great toys, story books, rosaries and so much more. My boys personally love the Holy Heroes Glory Stories and Coloring Books.

These 5 tips are basic guidelines to help you and your child enjoy your time at Mass together but as I have stated several times before, each child is unique and their needs are too. I do not medicate my son so we have to find coping activities to help him frequently. I know these guidelines will help you and I hope they benefit your child as they have mine. I completely understand how difficult it is to bring an active child into an environment that is not within their comfort zone. I know the struggle well and I know that God does too.

I am sharing this at Let's Get Real, Theology is a Verb and Reconciled to you.

God Bless.