Midnight Mass and Toddlers

[JeffreyLloyd]

We have avoided Midnight Mass the past few years. I want to just going, but my question is how do you deal with the kids? I have a 4 year old little girl, should we just keep her up and she can crash after church at 1-1:30am? Or should we put her to sleep like normal (around 9) and get her up before we leave for church?

What do you do? Thanks!

 

[Mom2Alex]

We have avoided Midnight Mass the past few years. I want to just going, but my question is how do you deal with the kids? I have a 4 year old little girl, should we just keep her up and she can crash after church at 1-1:30am? Or should we put her to sleep like normal (around 9) and get her up before we leave for church?

What do you do? Thanks!

We don't attend Midnight Mass but did when I was little. We would be put to bed in our church clothes at the regular time and awakened in time to go to Mass.

God bless you

 

[NDIrish]

We have avoided Midnight Mass the past few years. I want to just going, but my question is how do you deal with the kids? I have a 4 year old little girl, should we just keep her up and she can crash after church at 1-1:30am? Or should we put her to sleep like normal (around 9) and get her up before we leave for church?

What do you do? Thanks!

We've always gone to midnight Mass, and will this year too...with our 8 year old, 6 year old, 2 year old and 5 month old.

It's certainly not easy, but create great, great memories.

We keep the two oldest up, but let the two youngest take naps...they'll sleep through it anyway.

 

[Davidnic]

We have avoided Midnight Mass the past few years. I want to just going, but my question is how do you deal with the kids? I have a 4 year old little girl, should we just keep her up and she can crash after church at 1-1:30am? Or should we put her to sleep like normal (around 9) and get her up before we leave for church?

What do you do? Thanks!

I don't know...but in 3 years or so I will find out We are due June 19th.

What my mom did with us was slowly alter our sleep schedule by about an hour in the few days before so we could stay up a bit later without a big crash. Usually we did that by an extra hour of Christmas activities like backing cookies or something...so we would be able to make the extra hour or so.

And when we got in from Church...there was a small gift from St. Nick (usually a stuff animal or something to sleep with) with a note that he was so happy we went to mass and that we should get to sleep soon because he would be back this way. And we were in bed around 2ish.

That was when we were 5 or 6. Might work at 4.

 

[JeffreyLloyd]

We don't attend Midnight Mass but did when I was little. We would be put to bed in our church clothes at the regular time and awakened in time to go to Mass.

God bless you

That's a good idea, thanks!

 

[JeffreyLloyd]

...

And when we got in from Church...there was a small gift from St. Nick (usually a stuff animal or something to sleep with) with a note that he was so happy we went to mass and that we should get to sleep soon because he would be back this way. And we were in bed around 2ish.

That was when we were 5 or 6. Might work at 4.

Really good idea! We will do this!

 

[JeffreyLloyd]

We've always gone to midnight Mass, and will this year too...with our 8 year old, 6 year old, 2 year old and 5 month old.

It's certainly not easy, but create great, great memories.

We keep the two oldest up, but let the two youngest take naps...they'll sleep through it anyway.

5 month old ,eh? Congrats on the new baby, I've been out of the loop here for a while. Boy or girl? What did you name the baby?

 

[ShannonMcCatholic]

I put my under 5's to bed and take them to Mass in their Christmas jammies- the olders stay up with us and play games and watch movies. Everyone, of course, thinks the kids in their Christmas jammies and slippers are super cute-and it saves me from having to deal with changing clothes.

The last year or two-though we've gone to the 11:45am Mass on Christmas Day, and that's been really awesome. We get up and open preents--and then go to Mass and come home and put Jesus in the creche singing Happy Birthday. It's definitely not midnight Mass- but it's been working really well for us.

 

[AMDG]

Wow! You even have a midnight Mass! Our parish doesn't (and neither do those around it). There's usually a children's Mass (with a play) at 5 or so, and then there is the late Mass at 10.

 

[JeffreyLloyd]

Where do you live?

 

[ukok]

We just recently have begun to worship in a different parish. Our old parish did not have Midnight Mass so we always went to Mass on Christmas morning. First we get up and the kids (now teenagers) open the prezzies they have in their small stockings (these are from satan....i mean, santa...) and then we have have brekkie and go to Christmas morning Mass at 10am or 10.30am.

This year i am so excited that the parish priest at the parish we now attend, is having Carols around the Christmas tree at 11.30pm followed by midnight Mass at, well, midnight.

It will be the first year i ever had a 'lie in' on Christmas morning. Like that will happen....even though we won't get home till the early hours of Christmas morning, let me tell you....kids...no matter how big they are...want to know what santa/mum and dad bought them. I'll be lucky to still be in bed at 7.30am.

Great to see you Jeff! Sorry i can't help you out with advice, but thanks for letting me share with you

 

[JeffreyLloyd]

I read your blog like everyday ukok

 

[AMDG]

Where do you live?

The state of Washington--the western side. Believe me, you don't want to live here. It's called the "Evergreen State" because it is "Ever wet". And it's very, very liberal. (One of the states that legalized abortion before Roe v Wade was made "law of the land", and now they just passed the Assisted Suicide initiative.)

 

[ukok]

I read your blog like everyday ukok

You darling man you. I never knew that. You just made my day. I make an idiot of myself a lot on there, as no doubt you will have noticed

How is your lovely wife and child?

 

[JeffreyLloyd]

The state of Washington--the western side. Believe me, you don't want to live here. It's called the "Evergreen State" because it is "Ever wet". And it's very, very liberal. (One of the states that legalized abortion before Roe v Wade was made "law of the land", and now they just passed the Assisted Suicide initiative.)

 

[JeffreyLloyd]

You darling man you. I never knew that. You just made my day. I make an idiot of myself a lot on there, as no doubt you will have noticed

How is your lovely wife and child?

Nah, I think it's very funny and well written! Here is a plug for everyone who doesn't already have it in their bookmarks:

http://catholicconvert.wordpress.com/

Oh and the family is great! Makenna is in preschool. We just got her first school picture taken:

Times can be tough, but I couldn't be happier!

 

[benedictaoo]

We have avoided Midnight Mass the past few years. I want to just going, but my question is how do you deal with the kids? I have a 4 year old little girl, should we just keep her up and she can crash after church at 1-1:30am? Or should we put her to sleep like normal (around 9) and get her up before we leave for church?

What do you do? Thanks!

Jeff do you have someone to leave her with?

I tell you, can you believe I never been to Midnight Mass? I get too worn out and have a ton of stuff to wrap for the kids so I never make it.

But the kids are to young and I think it best not to try to take them at all.

 

[benedictaoo]

I don't know...but in 3 years or so I will find out We are due June 19th.

What my mom did with us was slowly alter our sleep schedule by about an hour in the few days before so we could stay up a bit later without a big crash. Usually we did that by an extra hour of Christmas activities like backing cookies or something...so we would be able to make the extra hour or so.

And when we got in from Church...there was a small gift from St. Nick (usually a stuff animal or something to sleep with) with a note that he was so happy we went to mass and that we should get to sleep soon because he would be back this way. And we were in bed around 2ish.

That was when we were 5 or 6. Might work at 4.

That is the most precious story.

 

[JeffreyLloyd]

Jeff do you have someone to leave her with?

I tell you, can you believe I never been to Midnight Mass? I get too worn out and have a ton of stuff to wrap for the kids so I never make it.

But the kids are to young and I think it best not to try to take them at all.

Yeah, but I want her to go. I remember my first Midnight Mass, the music, the bells, the incense, the lights, the tree, etc. I want her to experience all of that!

 

[NDIrish]

5 month old ,eh? Congrats on the new baby, I've been out of the loop here for a while. Boy or girl? What did you name the baby?

Thanks!!!

She's a little girl, Mary Elizabeth. Here's a picture of her with her older sister.

I think Midnight Mass may just be my favorite Mass of the year. We have Carol's sung from 11:30 - midnight. Once the bells start gonging, the cantor chants the Proclamation of the Birth of Christ. It's very dramatic....