You feel like it might be time to take your baby to the nursery but you’re not even sure how to prepare your baby for the church nursery. When should you take him? What if she cries when you leave? I felt the same way so let’s talk about how to prepare both you and your baby!

smiling mom holding baby

 

If you’re reading this then you’re a mom who likes to be prepared before walking into a new situation. (I’m right there with you friend!) Let’s talk this through so you’ll be able to confidently leave your baby in the church nursery knowing that he’ll be well cared for and loved. With this in mind you’ll be able to enjoy the worship service.

How To Prepare Your Baby (and You) for the Church Nursery  

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What is the purpose of a church nursery?

The church provides a nursery to give parents a distraction free time of worship. This allows you to be able to clearly hear the Lord’s voice during the worship service. 

When your baby is with you in the worship service you’re more prone to make sure he’s happy and keep him quiet which can be a distraction not only for you but for those around you. 

Or at least that was the case for me before I started taking my son to the church nursery! If my son started fussing during the teaching time I wasn’t able to hear the entire message because I had to take him out of the service so he wouldn’t be a distraction for others. 

Another awesome purpose of the church nursery is to teach your child about the Bible. As your baby gets older he will be taught stories from the Bible. (And if your church is like ours there will be hands-on activities to reinforce the story he’s just heard). 

When should I take my baby to church nursery?

There’s no rule of when you should take your baby to the church nursery, but I think you will know when it’s time.

For me I knew it was time when my son no longer slept through the service and became fidgety, made noises and started distracting not only me but those around me. When this happened I’d have to get up and take him out which meant I missed the teaching time of worship.

personalized diaper bag

Photo Credit: Joyful Tidings Bridal

Have a fully stocked diaper bag.

While most of these items will already be in your diaper bag, they are definitely worth mentioning. Why? Because when I asked my friend that was on staff for our church’s preschool department how to prepare, she told me I’d be shocked at how many people don’t remember simple items.

  • Personalized diaper bag tag
  • Diapers
  • Wipes
  • Change of clothes in a ziploc bag (If your baby has a blow out you’ll have a bag to put the dirty clothes in without dirtying up your diaper bag!)
  • Pacifiers
  • Bottle w/milk or formula
  • Baby’s favorite toys
  • Light blanket

Make sure you put your child’s name or initials on each of the items in his diaper bag. This will ensure they aren’t accidentally given to the wrong child or put in the wrong diaper bag.

What if my baby cries when I leave him in the church nursery?

One thing you should know about the volunteers in your church nursery is that they love babies otherwise they wouldn’t be there every week.

If your baby cries when you leave they will do everything they can to comfort and make him happy. (If your church is like mine they will come get you if your baby is inconsolable. Unsure of your church’s policy? Feel free to ask the preschool director.)

In my experience the nursery workers are very experienced. I’ve seen them in action when I volunteered and would go as far to call them baby whisperers when it comes to calming and soothing babies.

Try your best not to check on your baby once you’ve left him in the nursery.

I say this in the most loving way possible. If you’re headed to small group after worship service try your best not to check on your baby. 

When I volunteered in the church nursery moms would “just pop in” to check on their babies. In theory this is fine but if the baby happened to see her (and inevitably this happened) the baby would start crying and want their mom. 

This meant mom either had to stay and console baby or she’d miss her time in small group altogether. 

Not sure how to prepare your baby for the church nursery? Stop by for some fab tips that are perfect not only for your baby girl or baby boy, but you too!

Enjoy your worship service without baby!

I remember the first time I dropped my son off in the church nursery. 

As I was sitting in our service trying my best to focus on the worship music all I could think about were the things that I forgot to tell the nursery worker. I toyed with the idea of going back and telling her what she needed to know. 

Then in the middle of my going back and forth the Holy Spirit reminded me that the nursery workers had taken care of dozens and dozens of babies before mine. They’d even had raised babies of their own. 

He reminded me that if those babies had survived then Dalton would be just fine. After that reminder I was able to focus a lot better.

I know it’s tough handing your baby over to a stranger and trusting them to take care of your precious little one. But keep in mind that they truly love your baby (even if they just met him) and will do whatever it takes to keep him (and you) happy!

Do your best to clear your mind and listen to what the Lord has for you during worship. Enjoy the service and your time away from your baby and know that someone will come get you if there’s a problem!

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