A Naughty, Naughty Boy....Really? Whatever...

I often wonder how one comment of just five words can light my fire so high. How can the English language have that much power? That's all it took last night. I was a little worked up before the comment was handed down to my child in front of me, so perhaps that was just enough to send me over the edge. Whatever...Whatever...Whatever. I thought that if I waited at least overnight to blog about it, I would have calmed down. But even now as I start to go over the series of last night's events, I'm getting angry all over again.

Every Sunday night for many months....for almost a year, David and I cringe at the thought of going to church. It sounds silly doesn't it? We love going to church; we love being involved in many church ministries and we love our church family. That's why it's hard to wrap my mind around the feeling I have every time I have to take my child to THAT nursery on Sunday night. He just absolutely despises that room. I've analyzed it every which way I can and tried to come up with a way for him to be happy on Sunday nights. You see, Zach does great on Sunday mornings and even on Wednesday nights. He loves his teachers and has a wonderful time. I never get a complaint about him being "naughty." Sheesh how TRULY "naughty" can a two-year-old be anyway? I know they have fits and tempers and very strong opinions, but is that really "naughty?" NO it's not.

So rewind to last night. We've told the ladies in THAT room that if he cries for more than 5 or 10 minutes; it's not normal and they need to call us (because in the past they didn't call us out and he was left to scream and cry for a half-hour or more.) Ten minutes into the service, his number flashes on the alert screen. I was singing in choir so David went to get him. He said the minute he walked out the sanctuary door he could hear Zach screaming from around the corner and down the hall. It doesn't surprise me; this is getting to be an every Sunday night ordeal. When he got to the room, he said Zach was standing alone in the middle screaming his lungs out and it took him quite awhile to calm down even when he realized he was able to leave the room.

After I finished singing, I went to find them. They were in his Sunday School room playing with trucks; Zach's eyes still red. We decided to just go on home, so we made our way into the hall and talked to a few stragglers out there and I bent down to put on Zach's coat. One of the ladies from THAT room walked by, bent down a bit in front of Zach and pointed her finger at him and said "You naughty, naughty boy Zachary!" For some reason, those five words burned me up so hot. I spouted back that he was not a naughty boy just because he was crying for his parents. She started walking off and said something that I honestly cannot remember because I was so mad I'd stopped hearing her. I know I raised my voice when I told her he hates that room and it's the only room he acts that way in. She kept walking away not even listening to me. RUDE RUDE RUDE. I will not EVER take my son back to that room.

I'm still trying to figure out what I should do; who should I talk to about it. We've had issues with those same ladies before but our complaints have fallen on deaf ears; or perhaps ears that hear too many complaints that seem exaggerated or false or whatever. We came up with an alternative solution for Wednesday night so that Zach is not with them and he's completely happy...(Love you K and H Goode)!!

I know many parents who have complained about THAT room for years and many of them just don't come to church when they realize THAT room is where their kids have to go during that activity. I don't want to just be a complainer; I'm willing to be part of the solution; believe me! We need to get the parents of those kiddos involved and do a rotating schedule just like Sunday morning service. I would do it and I'm sure others would too if that meant our kids actually got played with and read to, etc. The way it is now, the workers just sit in chairs and basically stare at the kids, offering food when they get upset. I walk by there often and have rarely seen much interaction with the children. Half of the room is even dark with a TV on, which in and of itself is enough to scare a toddler (DARK ROOM....scary monsters ding ding ding). Play music, play games...DO SOMETHING!!! Just because you've "done this for more than 20 years" doesn't meant you're good at it. Maybe you're burned out and frankly just doing it for the paycheck these days?!?! Oh man, I have to stop talking about; it's just making me mad all over again.

Anyone have any suggestions?