This past Sunday, my son performed in his first Sunday School Christmas concert.
That’s right, Sunday School.
I used to go to Sunday School for years and like Greek School, was silently resentful towards my parents for not allowing me to stay home like the rest of the kids on Saturday and Sunday mornings to watch cartoons. I’d have to wait for holiday weekends to watch Bugs Bunny and The Smurfs. “Do I have to go?” I whined. But with my dad’s stern look and my mom holding her wooden spoon, they always won.
At the time, I thought Greek school was boring. I’d always be caught passing notes to classmates or get in trouble for talking too much. I wouldn’t mind learning to Greek dance, or recess. There were a few boys I looked forward to seeing at assembly and that was pretty much the highlight of my day.
Sunday school was pretty much the same although thankfully much shorter in duration. I’d rather go to hang with the other kids in the classroom rather than sit through the church liturgy which was mostly in Ancient Greek anyway so I couldn’t understand what the priest was chanting about.
Here I am now, years later, and my perspective has changed, as I expected. Having kids makes you appreciate these traditions so much more, and realize why your parents pushed you so hard. Today I will admit that I am grateful that they forced me to go to both Greek and Sunday School.
Now the tables have turned and I’m going through the same issue with the Boss. Every Sunday morning, he is resistant.
Even for this Christmas concert, he was miserable the whole time. Look at him in the pictures (he’s wearing the blue striped sweater). See that pout on his face? Don’t mind the girl beside him picking her nose.
There he is, reaching out to me to save him.
After the concert was over, he muttered, “I don’t want to go to Sunday School ever again!”
Here we go. Karma is here to bite me in the butt.
Greek school isn’t an option at this time so I have one less thing to worry about. My husband would also like him to learn Italian and I understand that we have to meet in the middle. He has already compromised for me having baptised the boys Greek Orthodox and not Catholic.
Obviously kids have to go to school whether they like it or not, they need an education. When it comes to extra-curricular activities, I will allow my boys the choice to do what they enjoy. But what about religion? Languages?
For now, Catholic school also doesn’t make sense as the public school is across the street from our house. I also am not sure I want religion in school.
What would you do? Have you had to make a similar decision with your kids?
5 Comments
We call it hebrew school. There is no choice. you go. They were not always happy, but it is part of growing up. You need to give them an anchor in this world and culure/religion/sense of self is a very important part of that anchor. This comes forst all other after school acitivities come second.
Never did the religious day school route, but it depends on your alternatives. I like public school (if they are good) because its the large world that we live in.
BTW I thinkhe looks cute in the play.
Would love to afford for the girls to go to private Christian school instead of a government run school. However, that will wait until middle/high school when I go back to work. Being home for them now means more than private elementary school.
Our church has their Sunday School program yesterday too. As far as school, where we live right now has to Greek school near by so I am talking to Niko in Greek for now and he hangs around his grandparents who talk to him too. He is only 2.5, but once he is of school age I will probable teach him. I think Sunday School is ok, I went to it, but I think kids learn more from their home.
Hi! Cute pics. I too went to Greek school Saturday mornings and to Sunday school on (duh) Sunday mornings. Truth be told, I don't remember learning anything in Sunday School – my husband, who is also Greek Orthodox, went to Catholic School, and learned tons more about our religion than I did in Sunday School. I'm not (as of yet) putting our children into Sunday School because my son goes to Catholic School, a wonderful school near our house, and he is already learning about Jesus. 🙂 He even had a great Christmas Advent Celebration. It's a good thing! Also my son has swimming lessons on Sundays… HOWEVER my children both LOVE LOVE LOVE going to church… they love lighting the candles, doing their cross, etc. So it's for sure a part of our lives, just not sure about Sunday school yet! As for Greek school, we'll start that next year for our oldest son… I'd love for them to speak and write fluently like we do.
Even though my husband is NOT Greek, he was baptized Greek Orthodox before we got married, so its a pretty easy decision about following the Greek Orthodox religion. When I was younger, I went to Greek school for YEARS, and Sunday school (church EVERY Sunday). I will admit that I not as much as a fan these days. Although I believe in God and church and all that good stuff, I haven't enrolled my son in Sunday school or Greek school yet. I thought I would give him a year of full time regular school before I tried to get him into Greek school (he's not the biggest fan of school – he's more of a free spirit), and I would rather support and encourage that rather than force him to do something he doesn't want to do, like I was for years.