The Cry Room

Today Cathleya had her first church experience and she had it at the WORST possible parish to start off with. I don't want to name the place in fear someone does a Google search and finds me talking smack about their church but..., if you know us even remotely you can guess which one with this hint: we got married there.

Makes me wonder why some families bother going to mass at all. What made her experience so bad? I can either rant or make a list... I like lists. :)

1. The cry room stinks. nuff sed.
2. The cry room is dirty. Throw up stains, pee stains, stain stains...
3. The cry room is crowded. I don't know why. It's small and half the people in there (adults) don't even want to be at church. This is the last time we'll ever go in there.
4. Chairs were oriented really bad. The room is set off to the right of the altar, yet the chairs face forward at a wall and a small altar instead of inward toward the mass. The room is labeled "the chapel," but the chairs are fold up which means then can be oriented inward toward the main church. Also there was maybe 8 inches of space between the row in front of us and the front edge of our chairs. Some had fold down kneelers, some didn't.
5. Bad parents. There are people out there that think that because you're in the "cry room," that means let your kids run around and play, scream, shout, whatever. Kids were tackling each other in the aisles and some were banging on the glass with their toy cars.
6. Bad parents. Why bother going to church if you're going to let your kids run around and play while you don't pay attention to mass anyway? Why? Leads to number....
7. Bad parents. Kids learn from what you do. Why are you talking in a normal speaking voice DURING mass? Again... if your kids are playing and you're not going to pay attention to mass anyway, WHY ARE YOU THERE?
8. Bad parents. The ones that encourage their kids to walk over and play with the other kids that are ducking under before mentioned extra altar.
9. Bad parents.... you get the picture. 10 will be bad parents too. I may as well move on...

I'm not sure what's wrong with some people these days. YES. I would prefer you don't go to church if you don't want to be there. I grew up being pinched if I stepped out of line while mass was in progress. Of course Cathleya isn't anywhere near as old as some of the kids I'm speaking of, and she's far from knowing what's happening yet, but I hope to be a good enough parent that she'll learn to respect our religion, the sacraments that are performed during the mass (as well as outside), and the rights of others around her trying to celebrate.