Mass and little ones ... what did our forefathers do?

[The Harlequin King]

My kids are a lot more manageable if I'm helping out. Unfortunately, even though I try to avoid altar serving on regular Sunday Masses these days so as not to leave Madame high-and-dry in the pew, I often have to fill in for absences. We really need more of the adult men who don't have small children to step up.

:edited to add: Those who follow me on Facebook or my blog might be startled at how many high-profile liturgies I subdeacon/MC/direct the schola for from week to week, but Madame usually excuses me on account of it all being a supplementary income, and more often on weeknights or Saturdays than Sundays.

[Carleendiane]

My kids were pretty much what you would expect All you've said don't do, I did. All you said is upsetting, they've done. But, I have to say by a young age we still managed to turn out well behaved children. We were not harsh, but they complied. Common sense dictated much of what we did. They were happy and well inclined towards all that was holy. Yes, I was the mom that handed my kids a rosary, when under 1. I brought snacks, for 2 and under. I was the one to take them out and reset their behavior. I tried to do everything and anything quietly and with proper decorum, but I may have been one of those mothers that annoyed others around me. Hope not, but if I did, it wasn't for long. They quickly adapted to Mass and proper behavior. Even with the mistakes I made.

[awkwardcustomer]

But what did our forefathers do?  That's the question posed by this thread.

St Therese of Lisieux describes in 'The Story of a Soul' that as a very young child she was considered too young to attend Sunday devotions. Instead she stayed home with Mama.

St Therese's mother died when she was four, and she describes waiting eagerly for her father and older sisters to bring home the 'blessed bread' for her.

So there's at least one answer to the question posed by this thread. Our forefathers, or some of them at least, considered babies and toddlers to be too young to go to Mass.

I've heard older generation Catholics tell how parents would take it in turn to attend Sunday Mass,  so that the very young children could stay at home. This wouldn 't have been a problem when there were several Masses a day, every day and locally too.

Is taking babies and toddlers to Mass  modern thing?

[Carleendiane]

But what did our forefathers do?  That's the question posed by this thread.

St Therese of Lisieux describes in 'The Story of a Soul' that as a very young child she was considered too young to attend Sunday devotions. Instead she stayed home with Mama.

St Therese's mother died when she was four, and she describes waiting eagerly for her father and older sisters to bring home the 'blessed bread' for her.

So there's at least one answer to the question posed by this thread. Our forefathers, or some of them at least, considered babies and toddlers to be too young to go to Mass.

I've heard older generation Catholics tell how parents would take it in turn to attend Sunday Mass,  so that the very young children could stay at home. This wouldn 't have been a problem when there were several Masses a day, every day and locally too.

Is taking babies and toddlers to Mass  modern thing?

I am a forefather!!!

[Chestertonian]

But what did our forefathers do?  That's the question posed by this thread.

St Therese of Lisieux describes in 'The Story of a Soul' that as a very young child she was considered too young to attend Sunday devotions. Instead she stayed home with Mama.

St Therese's mother died when she was four, and she describes waiting eagerly for her father and older sisters to bring home the 'blessed bread' for her.

So there's at least one answer to the question posed by this thread. Our forefathers, or some of them at least, considered babies and toddlers to be too young to go to Mass.

I've heard older generation Catholics tell how parents would take it in turn to attend Sunday Mass,  so that the very young children could stay at home. This wouldn 't have been a problem when there were several Masses a day, every day and locally too.

Is taking babies and toddlers to Mass  modern thing?

blwsses bread? Isn't that a Byzantine thing

[MundaCorMeum]

But what did our forefathers do?  That's the question posed by this thread.

St Therese of Lisieux describes in 'The Story of a Soul' that as a very young child she was considered too young to attend Sunday devotions. Instead she stayed home with Mama.

St Therese's mother died when she was four, and she describes waiting eagerly for her father and older sisters to bring home the 'blessed bread' for her.

So there's at least one answer to the question posed by this thread. Our forefathers, or some of them at least, considered babies and toddlers to be too young to go to Mass.

I've heard older generation Catholics tell how parents would take it in turn to attend Sunday Mass,  so that the very young children could stay at home. This wouldn 't have been a problem when there were several Masses a day, every day and locally too.

Is taking babies and toddlers to Mass  modern thing?

I haven't done much research on it, but from the little I've read in lives of saints and old prayer books, I would say, yes, it likely is a modern thing.  She also asked for thoughts and advice, at the end of her initial post

Although, with this one specific issue, I don't know that what our forefathers did can really guide me, honestly.  The times were different, and Mass availability was different.  For my family, if I followed that custom, I would never attend Mass, because I've had little ones for the last almost 13 years. - I say 'custom', because I don't believe the Church has an official rule on whether we are supposed to bring or leave children for Mass.  A mother who used to post here told me once that the Church currently allows a six week dispensation from the Sunday obligation after birth, but I never verified that by looking it up anywhere else.  I guess we technically could take turns going every other week, but much of the time, the baby needs me, not Dad, so that wouldn't work well, either.  We have access to one Latin Mass, at noon.  So, we either all go, or I stay home with littles.

ETA: having said all that, I think if a family can make it work for the littles to stay behind, it's not a bad option.  I think there are pros to both bringing them from a young age, and making them wait until older

[Perpetua]

I recently learnt that those who have well behaved little ones at Mass, train them by never letting them down - they are being held all Mass. They pray a daily rosary also with the same concept - hold them and don't let them run around. Even if a child is used to running freely,in a few weeks of practice, the child can change for the better. Carriers are especially helpful for holding them. Ofcourse a pregnant mother shouldn't hold a toddler for an hour, so husbands need to do this at that point.

[MundaCorMeum]

I recently learnt that those who have well behaved little ones at Mass, train them by never letting them down - they are being held all Mass. They pray a daily rosary also with the same concept - hold them and don't let them run around. Even if a child is used to running freely,in a few weeks of practice, the child can change for the better. Carriers are especially helpful for holding them. Ofcourse a pregnant mother shouldn't hold a toddler for an hour, so husbands need to do this at that point.

This is our technique, and it does work well for us.  It's not magic.  They do squirm and try to fight it at first.  The secret is not giving in, and consistency.  They will eventually learn. Somewhere between 3 and 4 we start setting them down to practice standing quietly.  If it takes too many reminders, up in arms they go again for the rest of that Mass.

[awkwardcustomer]

But what did our forefathers do?  That's the question posed by this thread.

St Therese of Lisieux describes in 'The Story of a Soul' that as a very young child she was considered too young to attend Sunday devotions. Instead she stayed home with Mama.

St Therese's mother died when she was four, and she describes waiting eagerly for her father and older sisters to bring home the 'blessed bread' for her.

So there's at least one answer to the question posed by this thread. Our forefathers, or some of them at least, considered babies and toddlers to be too young to go to Mass.

I've heard older generation Catholics tell how parents would take it in turn to attend Sunday Mass,  so that the very young children could stay at home. This wouldn 't have been a problem when there were several Masses a day, every day and locally too.

Is taking babies and toddlers to Mass  modern thing?

blwsses bread? Isn't that a Byzantine thing

I assumed it was similar to the Russian Orthodox specially baked miniature loaves that are blessed by a priest and available for the laity to take.

So I looked it up and apparently 'pain bénit' was ordinary bread brought to Mass and blessed for the laity to either condume in Church or take home. The practice still exists in some parts, it seems.