Recently I found myself visiting family over the weekend. We were out of town, which meant that we could not attend our home ward that weekend. We chose to go ahead and attend church at our family’s ward. We attended Sacrament meeting, and then stayed for the rest of the meetings. As an adult this is usually not a difficult thing to do. However a child may look at it in a totally different light. I always dreaded going to another ward as a young child, because I was extremely shy. My daughter seems to take it on as a new adventure. Here are some suggestions to make the experience a better one.
1) Be clear with your expectations with your child. If he knows that he will be attending Primary after Sacrament Meeting, he will not become as upset. If you attend every week, no matter where you are, then your children will know what to expect.
2) If you have siblings that are close to the same age, you can have them attend the same Primary class for the day. This was a lifesaver for my sister and me. Somehow just having each other helped to make sitting in a strange classroom more bearable. I feel it is okay to do this while traveling, especially if it helps your children stay in Primary.
3) Escort your child to class. Introduce yourself to the primary teacher and a member of the presidency. Ask which room the class will be in, and feel free to check on your child during the class. If your child has not calmed down, you can attend the class with your child. This is still teaching your child the importance of attending primary.
4) Be sure to praise your child for attending a different class on Sunday. This can be a difficult and scary experience for anyone. It is important to make sure that you let her know how proud of her you are.
As you take the time to attend your meetings as you travel, you are showing your children how important Sabbath attendance is. You are also setting an example that your children will follow. They will remember the importance of attending church every week.