The Church Nursery

Bentley attends church with Mark and I. The twins go to church with Kara and Matt. We split the little ones up because three small children easily overwhelm two adults during an hour long sacrament meeting. After sacrament we have two more hours of church meetings, but there is a nursery for toddlers during those meetings.

Toddlers can go to nursery once they turn 18 months old. Typically the parents (or grandparents) stay with the child for the first week or two or maybe the first month and then the kid is happy to stay on his own with the other children and the adults who oversee the nursery.

Bentley is a year past 18 months old and I or Mark still stay with him in the nursery every week. Over the months we've tried to leave him there alone, but he doesn't like it. If we sneak off when he's not paying attention to us, then he doesn't trust us the next week and won't leave our side for even a minute.

So I'm trying a new approach. I'm trying to talk to him during the week and before church about going to nursery on his own. So far he's not budging on his stand--he wants us there with him.

Last Sunday I once again attempted to bring the topic up to him before we went to church. He and I were in the living room and I asked him, "Bentley, would you like to go to nursery by yourself today?"

His reply was "No, grandma, I can't drive the car."