[HANASHIR:11141] Re: Q about kids vs. kavanah

[BellaSings <BellaSings...>]

Our most successful tactic was to make the opening of our Friday night 
service very "kid friendly" -- several lively songs, families coming up to 
light the candles, blessing all the children, etc.  After L'cha Dodi, we 
would announce that the kid's room was open with teen volunteers on hand.
After Maariv and the Sermon we would send for the children that had left and 
invite them to the Bimah for the Kiddush and closing song. 
We also held monthly Young Family Shabbat at an earlier time, before the kids 
are tired and cranky. Even on the HH we offered an early morning Service 
geared specifically for preschoolers and their families. 
Barring the occasional incredibly insensitive parent, this system worked 
wonderfully. Now if I could only figure out how to get the Bar Mitzvah kid's 
3,000 preteen friends in the back row to shut up! Grrrrr!
It does also help, as was mentioned, when children are familiar with being in 
Shul. On the other hand my own three were so comfortable (having crawled 
around on the Bimah in diapers while I sang) that now that they are 
teenagers, I sometimes have to remind them that the Sanctuary is NOT their 
living room -- and yes you DO have to wear shoes to services!
L'shalom, 
Bella