10 year old at a church service. Need to take something to occupy?

[AaaarghSchool]

DD is 10 and has never been to church before. Tomorrow she has to sit through a confirmation service which I imagine will be quite long. When I was 10 (and younger) this wouldn't have been an issue, but I was taken to church every Sunday so was used to it. We don't really talk about religion so she has no real idea what will happen. DH has helpfully told her it will be very boring!
I could e.g. give her a small book to take, one of her Lego dot bracelets or a bracelet that turns into an animal. Or tell her to read the Bible if she's bored 😂Do they still put bibles in every pew?
Or is it OTT and I should expect her to sit through without any fuss?

The communion service doesn't take two hours. I can't believe your BIL actually went out in the middle to buy bloody lollies??
Why not have the manners to just leave?

I was there and it was just shy of 2 hours (maybe they're not all the same....? )
I would not have started chatting to other people (because I thought it was disrespectful ) or left and come back.

She'll have something to occupy her.

Watching those being confirmed and listening to what's being said.

It may be boring but at 10 she should be able to use that to occupy her.

We go to church and I would expect my 10yo to sit though the service but my kids are used to it. No one will bat an eyelid if you pull a book or drawing stuff out of your bag for your child. Both sound like very sensible choices to take as a back up.

Also, if there are children's groups running, your child might not want to go out if they don't know anyone, or know what to expect. So a visiting 10yo sitting through the sermon reading a book quietly, is perfectly fine.

10- surely she can sit quietly and watch what’s going on for an hour ? Take a book if needed.

Don't take her for a confirmation if you're so blasé about it.

I recently went to a church service with Beavers, Cubs and Scouts aged 6-14 and they all sat beautifully for about an hour. She'll be fine. Remember there will be songs and readings and people to look at.

Sermon cricket?
But seriously, just let her take part in the service.

taking a book is a good idea if she starts to get bored.

No, let her be bored. I don't think this idea that children should always have entertainment provided, have constant stimulation, does them any favours. When do they have time to observe, to think, to develop their inner resources, to just be? Church is just the place to practise a bit of mindfulness and meditation, and she's old enough to think a bit about her own beliefs.

Echoing others here, she’s 10. Unless there are other considerations then seriously she should be able to sit and behave and be respectful.

Bloody hell! My Priest would have hit the roof! And I’ve ever been to a Holy Communion that was two hours long.

She's a bit old to being doing a Prince Louis 😁

But yes, pop a book in your bag if you thinks she's going to be really bored.

Having said that, learning how to handle boredom is all part of growing up and who knows, she might find it interesting anyway.

there must have been a great number of first communicants for the service to take that long.
and a 10 year old certainly ought to sit still and behave herself during church service.
why the rush to babyfy children; it limits them.
she is not toddler.
she can practice self-control.

She is 10, not 2.

They should do it's a legal requirement!!!

It should be fairly interactive. It's confirmation so they will be expecting friends and family with children. 45 mins to an hour absolute maximum!

At my usual church service all the kids have their own bags with Lego, Play-Doh, scissors, glue etc in and the activities relating to the service subject. There may be some colouring in she can do but generally it's a service of celebration about the kids getting confirmed so it's not necessary to have activities.

She's 10. Surely she can sit for an hour?

Would you be OK with inviting an adult to your child's confirmation (or christening, wedding, funeral!?) and they get bored halfway through and whip out a book. I don't think I would be...

A book will be fine.

It should be a bit interactive but not all churches are the same.

At 10 she should be able to sit through a ‘boring’ service without making a fuss, but I don’t suppose it would do any harm to bring a book along for her. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Honestly, I’d assume a child had SN if they couldn’t cope without distractions at ten years old.

At 10 she should be able to sit there. My kids were choristers so sat from 8 through 2 services each week, they played noughts and crosses on the pew sheets! (This was before smartphones)

@DockOTheBay

I admit to playing on my phone during the sermon . In my defence many people do, but I wouldn't at a special service

Why go to church then if you find it boring?

In my church, confirmations are performed during a normal service. Any visiting children will be invited to go out with the Sunday school children to do child appropriate religious activities during the sermon and more adult parts of the service, as soon as the confirmation is over, so about 15 minutes max to sit through.
Our ministers are not in the least boring, and do a “children’s address” in the early part of the service, which is always fun and may involve active participation by the kids.
If PPs think church is so dull they need to take a book or toys for a ten year old, they’re either hopelessly out of date or attending the wrong churches!

To be completely honest, I thought you'd made a typo and meant "1 year old"...

A (NT) 10 year old should be able to sit through a church service without distraction. You could try to frame it so that the service is interesting enough to be the distraction, explain what will happen, what to look out for and why she should be quiet/listen carefully etc. (or worst case, bribery might do the trick...).