I am not a born Catholic, so I never attended mass when I was young, except once when my cousin-godma brought me to church along with her. But even then, she told me to be quiet and sit still.
When I first started attending mass, I was already of a sensible age, so I know I have to keep quiet in church since the church is a sacred place for people to pray. Hence I always tell my catehchism kids to behave in church.
Yet, I see the kids playing with each other, chatting, colouring, etc, in church, and the parents just ignoring them. Firstly, I think it is very rude if the priest is preaching and the kids are playing. Secondly, as parents, in order to bring up your kids in the right way, should they not discipline or instruct the kids on proper mass behaviour?
If the parents themselves do not instil in the kids since young that the church is a sacred place and they need to respect God and the priest, then it is no wonder many kids nowadays lost meaning in their religion and rather convert into something else or stop going to church altogether.
I am not saying there is anything wrong to convert. All I am saying is that, if being a Catholic has lost its meaning to the person because he has not been shown the right example, then there is no faulting him if he wants to convert or drop out. Of course, if the kid has been brought up properly and he still chooses to convert or drop out, then it is his choice as an adult.
I feel parents should be the first educators of the kids. Teachers, cathechists, tutors and whatnot can only do so much but if the parents do not do anything, then the kids may not be brought up with the right and proper values in them.
I know it is not up to me to judge since I have never had a kid, but still, it is rather common sensical, is it not? Even when one has a pet, one also has to discipline the pet and teach it proper ways so the pet can behave. What more with children, especially in this day and age when there are so many environmental and external influences?
This makes me determined that when I ever have my own kids in the future, I will try my best to inculcate them the right and proper values and behaviour. I know it is not easy, but I will try to remind myself to do that.
When I first started attending mass, I was already of a sensible age, so I know I have to keep quiet in church since the church is a sacred place for people to pray. Hence I always tell my catehchism kids to behave in church.
Yet, I see the kids playing with each other, chatting, colouring, etc, in church, and the parents just ignoring them. Firstly, I think it is very rude if the priest is preaching and the kids are playing. Secondly, as parents, in order to bring up your kids in the right way, should they not discipline or instruct the kids on proper mass behaviour?
If the parents themselves do not instil in the kids since young that the church is a sacred place and they need to respect God and the priest, then it is no wonder many kids nowadays lost meaning in their religion and rather convert into something else or stop going to church altogether.
I am not saying there is anything wrong to convert. All I am saying is that, if being a Catholic has lost its meaning to the person because he has not been shown the right example, then there is no faulting him if he wants to convert or drop out. Of course, if the kid has been brought up properly and he still chooses to convert or drop out, then it is his choice as an adult.
I feel parents should be the first educators of the kids. Teachers, cathechists, tutors and whatnot can only do so much but if the parents do not do anything, then the kids may not be brought up with the right and proper values in them.
I know it is not up to me to judge since I have never had a kid, but still, it is rather common sensical, is it not? Even when one has a pet, one also has to discipline the pet and teach it proper ways so the pet can behave. What more with children, especially in this day and age when there are so many environmental and external influences?
This makes me determined that when I ever have my own kids in the future, I will try my best to inculcate them the right and proper values and behaviour. I know it is not easy, but I will try to remind myself to do that.
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