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?