A few weeks ago Lance and I were called to the nursery. I had a feeling (a bad feeling that is) that I was going to be called to the nursery before I even came home to our Austin ward. Boy was I on the dot! The counselor that called us was understanding and actaully felt really bad that had had to issue this call to us... his wife is really ANTI young mothers in the nursery. He gave us the choice and said if now wasn't a good time, with both Izzy and Beth in there, then to deline with no worries.
Well of course at first I thought there is no way I was going to accept. With my back, current health problems, needing to get my own spiritual upliftment in Relief Society, not wanting Beth to have us in there, and not wanting to take Izzy in there every week with 27 (Yes...27) rowdy 2-3 year old's I was far from convinced this was a good idea.
After a week of trying to talk myself out of it Lance and I accepted the calling the following week (I am mostly just talk when it comes to stuff like this). I realized after talking to my mom that this wasn't about me... I was here to serve and help other mothers by watching their kids.
Needless to say my attitude was not where it needed to be and I am working on being positive. Last Sunday the girls were sick and Lance and I literally drew straws on which one of us was going to go. I lost and therefor went... I was also in charge of the lesson... which I'm sure all 27 kids got a whole lot out of.
I usually really enjoy listening to the messages and feeling the spirit at church, when possible with 2 little ones. I wish it wasn't so hard for me to like church right now. After another horrible, hectic, uncontrollable day yesterday in nursery I hate it more than ever. There are too many kids and not enough rooms to split the groups. I've talked to the bishopric and the nursery leader to try to get some things changed... it's still a work in progress. Thankfully Lance is in there with me and we only have 10 weeks left until we lose more than half of the kids to sunbeams... we'll see if I last that long. I really do wish for some reason they would call either young, married woman without any children of their own (of which our ward has plenty) or older sisters who would love to be in there. I don't understand why young mothers who are pregnant (not me), have babies, or have just had a baby are put in there to watch MORE kids and give up their one opportunity of the week to be without their own kids and to get spiritual upliftment.
Ok- I'm done venting... If any of you have any thoughts on the matter other than "Change your attitude" (which I will start tomorrow :) please feel free to share.
Well of course at first I thought there is no way I was going to accept. With my back, current health problems, needing to get my own spiritual upliftment in Relief Society, not wanting Beth to have us in there, and not wanting to take Izzy in there every week with 27 (Yes...27) rowdy 2-3 year old's I was far from convinced this was a good idea.
After a week of trying to talk myself out of it Lance and I accepted the calling the following week (I am mostly just talk when it comes to stuff like this). I realized after talking to my mom that this wasn't about me... I was here to serve and help other mothers by watching their kids.
Needless to say my attitude was not where it needed to be and I am working on being positive. Last Sunday the girls were sick and Lance and I literally drew straws on which one of us was going to go. I lost and therefor went... I was also in charge of the lesson... which I'm sure all 27 kids got a whole lot out of.
I usually really enjoy listening to the messages and feeling the spirit at church, when possible with 2 little ones. I wish it wasn't so hard for me to like church right now. After another horrible, hectic, uncontrollable day yesterday in nursery I hate it more than ever. There are too many kids and not enough rooms to split the groups. I've talked to the bishopric and the nursery leader to try to get some things changed... it's still a work in progress. Thankfully Lance is in there with me and we only have 10 weeks left until we lose more than half of the kids to sunbeams... we'll see if I last that long. I really do wish for some reason they would call either young, married woman without any children of their own (of which our ward has plenty) or older sisters who would love to be in there. I don't understand why young mothers who are pregnant (not me), have babies, or have just had a baby are put in there to watch MORE kids and give up their one opportunity of the week to be without their own kids and to get spiritual upliftment.
Ok- I'm done venting... If any of you have any thoughts on the matter other than "Change your attitude" (which I will start tomorrow :) please feel free to share.
8 comments:
I got called into the nursery in our old ward when I was 7 months pregnant. What!??? I hated it for the first few weeks and then learned to like it. I liked the other ladies in there. We spent half the time "chit-chatting". Church always seemed to go by so fast. Plus, you get to have a snack with the kids (or at least I did). That is always something to look forward to!!
Yuck, Rach. I'm sorry. Our ward has 21 kids (with only 3 leaving in January) and not enough room to split, just like you guys. It always seems a bit chaotic in there when I peek in on Halle and wonder how the poor nursery leaders keep their sanity. Wish I had some ideas for you, but all I can offer is sympathy.
By the way, your girls are so gorgeous. I know I always say that, but really, they are. I love the pics of them at the pumpkin patch. Don't you just love the fall?!?
Sorry Rach, that sucks. If it makes you feel any better, our entire ward is young mothers. I have a feeling nursery is just one of those things we all get to do some time or another...
I was going to ask, is there space available to separate into classrooms? About half way through the two hours our nursery splits the kids into groups of 6 or so and goes to a classroom for their own little lesson and snack time. Breaks up the chaos, provides a change of scenery, and gives the kids some more individualized attention. Then they come back together of course for singing/play time. Might be worth suggesting.
I was called to sunbeams, A year ago when I was pregnant with lyndsey, at first I loved it, but lately am having a hard time enjoying it, I have six boys and three girls that are just way to hard to handle, and I feel like I am babysitting rather then teaching the class. SO I know how you feel it is hard, and I so badly want the spiritual nourishment that comes from relief society. (I think sunbeams is equivilant to nursery, and I have to take care of two kids that are about sunbeam age all week long) Anyways Each week I just try to remind myself that these kids are probrably older in spiritual years then I am, and I have been called to in-steal the love for the gospel (you know what they say, you learn everything by the time you are 3) what a huge responsibility. And what a great responsibility that Heavenly father has given you to take care of his most valuable spirits. The lord will bless you and lance as you guys fullfill this calling. Some of my most spiritual experiences has happened while I listened to my sunbeams, I have learned so much from them, and I will miss this calling in the near future.
I completely agree with you Rach, I need a break to talk and sit with grown ups on Sundays so nursery would be really hard for me. Ty on the other hand would probably do a great job. You are such a fun mom that you'll do a wonderful job in there! We currently have 20 kids in our tiny little nursery room...we need more space as well! Good luck with your health and your calling, I'll be praying for you!
I remember when I was a young mother saying that Primary (thus Nursery) was not the place for me. Other than a short run as chorister in the Primary and a few months in Nursery I must have been right because I was always in other organizations, right? Then we moved to Centerville. My first calling here was Nursery and we too had 27 kids (Tyson Green was one of them). I was not excited and to top it off a few months into it I got pregnant with Ian, which always made life interesting for me. But somewhere along the line I decided to make the best of it and soon really got to enjoy the chaos of Sunday and I made some new friends I might not have made otherwise. Some of the greatest rewards came a year or two later when, while sitting at a soccer game or shopping, one of my Nursery kids would come up and give me a great big hug! It can be a challenge but blessings do come when we are willing to serve where we are called. Hang in there!
P.S. My comment sounded like I had the nursery calling for a couple of years, not so. The ward was divided after I was in there for 10 months.
I am afraid I could sympathize with you for quite awhile on disliking church callings, since I am in the same boat right now!!! I am not in nursery, but truthfully, I would gladly sign up for that instead of my current calling! Oh well, misery loves company so maybe we can both just bear in mind that someone else is anti-their-calling too! :-)
Post a Comment