“I just can’t do it anymore. The kids are out of control. I can’t get them to listen. I don’t think I’m the best one to be serving in this spot.”
Chances are high that you have heard this type of statement from a volunteer in your church. Dealing with children’s behavior is a universal issue in children’s ministry. No matter the size, location, or denomination of your church, kids make poor behavioral choices.
There are reasons why kids misbehave. When we identify these reasons, we can better understand how to minister to the kids in our church.
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- Leaders aren’t prepared. When working with children, downtime is of the devil. If there are gaps in classroom momentum, kids will fill those gaps and probably not in ways that you prefer. When leaders are fumbling over their lesson or having to stop to look for supplies, kids find the opportunity to engage in other behaviors.
- Kids have unmet needs – It is very difficult for a child to feel motivated to participate if he is hungry and hasn’t had breakfast. If a child was awake all night, she may act out. In order to learn and participate, kids need to feel safe, secure, and connected. By choosing to look beyond the behavior and identify unmet needs in the life of the child, we are showing grace that reflects the gospel of Jesus.
- Unrealistic expectations – When we have expectations that are not realistic for the age group that we are serving, we set kids up to fail. When kids fail to meet our expectations, we…
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Click here to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Thom Rainer.