Tips on Handling Wild Children
What to Do When They Come Into Children's Ministry
You have put a lot of work into planning your next big Children's Ministry event. The endless hours of preparation, and all the love that went into making this a great time for the kids seems worth it. Until...Johnnie shows up, and all your work has flown out the window. What is a person to do?
Maybe your Johnnie goes by a different name. Perhaps you have a Johnnie and a Jill. As much as you love them, and you know that a Sunday School class or church event is where you would have them be, you can't help but ask, "Why me?"
You have to know what type of personality you are dealing with in order to handle your wild children diplomatically. According to experts there are three types of children who act out unreasonably. Listed below are these three types and some tips to deal with them properly.
The purposeful child. This is the really wild child, who knows that by acting unruly he will get attention, and he will keep it up until he does get attention.
The stressed child. This is the child who acts wild to compensate for stressors he is feeling in his life, and knows no other way to vent. This child may be having family situations at home, doing bad in school, or just needs to know that someone cares.
The spur of the moment child. This child will usually only act up when he is around certain groups of other kids or has had too much sugar in class. This type of child will usually be on good behavior with only occasional outbursts.
What Doesn't Work
Losing your temper. This is exactly the type of response that most misbehaved children know they can get from you. By getting angry, you can't help but place every ounce of your attention on that child. You are cornered. Instead, remember from Scripture, "A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control." (Proverbs 29:11)
What Works
- Set classroom rules, explain them to the class, and keep them posted where children can easily see them. Explain the consequences for breaking any of the rules, and stick to those consequences.
- One of the best scenarios would be to remove the child from the room, and have another staff member be available to give this child a one-on-one Bible lesson; perhaps a Sunday School Superintendent.
- Assign tasks to children. By redirecting a child's behavior to an assigned task, you are giving him a responsibility and showing that he is part of the class and can be a positive influence.
- Talk to the child's parent(s). There is no reason to just "muddle" through a class or event because it is only a few hours one day a week. You could be missing some key information that his parent(s) can give you as to why his behavior is unbalanced.
- Give your wild child some out-of-class attention. Send him a card or postcard to let him know that you are praying for him this week. Tell him that you look forward to seeing him in class next week. This will really help build up his self-esteem, which he may be lacking.
Children playing in a street
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