Are we commanded to attend church meetings?

[Vort]

Any of you guys get "stuck" in Nursery because your kids will have major fits if you leave? I try to at least make it to Priesthood class but I'm late oftentimes. Do you think I can renew my Temple Recommend? I'm at church for all three hours but I'm stuck in Nursery a lot. I help the workers there.

As nursery leaders twenty years ago, my wife and I had difficulty convincing parents of incoming nursery children to LEAVE THE KIDS THERE AND GO TO CLASS. The natural parental instinct is to hover and protect. Believe me, I know; even after our experience as nursery leaders, we had to fight the same instincts in ourselves.

But if you have spent time in the nursery, you have had a chance to see the nursery leaders care for the children. In our experience, it was very rare (as in, maybe it never happened) that a child would be left by the parents each week and not be playing happily by the end of the second or third time. But if the parents don't leave, the kid will never disattach.

Do your child and yourself a favor: Take him to nursery and go to Priesthood. If there is a real problem with your child, I guarantee the nursery leaders will take him to you.

[sister_in_faith]

I helped in the nursery, once. Kids aren't really my thing, but for some reason I was called to fill in for a gal who was having surgery. There were about 11 kids with me and one other gal watching, and then one of the parents stayed with her daughter. I was so glad she stayed because her child was OUT of control. The mom finally ended up laying on the floor with her legs wrapped around the kid trying to hold it down. It was actually kind of embarassing. I'm not sure if the child had some kind of disability or if it was just a behavioral issue. But I don't know what I would have been able to do if the mom hadn't been there.

I made it though! and all the kids lived!!! Gave me a lot of respect for those who do that every week! wow!

[Guest gopecon]

Any of you guys get "stuck" in Nursery because your kids will have major fits if you leave? I try to at least make it to Priesthood class but I'm late oftentimes. Do you think I can renew my Temple Recommend? I'm at church for all three hours but I'm stuck in Nursery a lot. I help the workers there.

While Vort is probably right about how your child will respond if you leave, I would be very surprised if a temple recommend was witheld for the sole reason that you are at church in the nursery instead of in priesthood. Parents have to miss meetings because of their children all the time.