Please help! We have been invited to a wedding with our children aged 3 and 4. How on earth do we keep them quiet during the service?
This can be tricky sometimes, especially if the bride is very late, or the service goes on for ages. Make sure you take a good supply of crayons or pencils and a big pad of paper. Get them to draw a picture of the flowers in the church, the vicar, the lady in the big pink hat, but most importantly ask them to do their very best drawing of the bride and groom. The happy couple might be delighted to stick it in their scrapbook.
A great silent game is Tattoos. Ask your child to close their eyes and promise not to peep. You, the tattoo artist, then draw an imaginary tattoo on the palm of their hand, with your finger. Start with easy shapes like a star, a square, a heart or a face. When the tattoo is complete, whoever has been sitting still with their eyes closed has to guess and whisper what you drew. Repeat the drawing as many times as necessary and swap roles if you want.
In our experience, if you try too hard to contain squirming, wriggling children, they will start to squawk. Encourage your children to let off some steam by joining in the hymns and singing “La-la-la” loudly instead. If they start getting unbearably fidgety, a favourite toy or book produced from your bag might divert them for a while. Sit near the back and be prepared for one or other of you to take them outside and have a quick game of hide and seek in the churchyard. To tempt them back inside again, promise a tiny treat if they can sit quietly. And finally, don’t dread it! All the other parents will understand what you are coping with.
If you’re at your wits’ end, e-mail Polly&Suzy@thetimes.co.uk