'Waste Time' with Jesus This Year

AnneMarie Miller considers the benefits of letting children spend time with Jesus in the Eucharist. 

As I was babysitting a friend’s children one evening, I noticed that although most of the kids quickly settled in with books or toys, one child was wandering around the living room. Immediately, I rushed over and asked if she needed help finding something to do. She politely thanked me and explained that she wanted to look around and think about things before selecting an activity.   

In my haste to ensure that everyone was entertained, I had forgotten that children often benefit from taking time and space to think, plan, and decide what they want to do.   

Years later, I think of this incident when I see people rush children in and out of church for quick visits with Jesus in the Eucharist. I’m always grateful when people bring their kids to be with Jesus, and a short visit with Jesus is better than no visit! If a family only has five spare minutes to visit Jesus, offering those five minutes to God is a huge gift and blessing.  

However, I’ve noticed that, sometimes, we keep visits short because we don’t think our kids can handle more than five minutes. Whether based on our own experiences or the experiences of others, we believe that we can only bring our kids to pray in church if we keep them fully engaged and entertained the entire time.  

Bored at Adoration  

Our culture places a huge emphasis on keeping kids entertained. Shows and movies geared towards children are increasingly flashy and fast-paced. Screens surround us, and noise fills our communities. We feel the pressure to keep our kids engaged and attentive and offer them books, toys, or activities to prevent them from saying, "Mom, I'm bored." We bring this approach to church.   

I wonder, though: What would happen if we stopped trying to entertain our kids and simply let them sit with Jesus, even if they grow bored?   

Different experts in psychology and child development discuss how boredom is good for kids. Boredom often prompts children to think deeply and get creative. Instead of constantly responding to external stimuli and commands, children have a chance to simply be. They can, like the young girl I once babysat, look around and think about things.  

When we let our kids be with Jesus for an extended span of time, and don’t keep them constantly entertained, they have a chance to simply be with Jesus. They may grow bored, but what better place is there to be bored than with Jesus?  

The Gift of Time  

If we bring our kids to church or the Adoration chapel for several minutes at a time, we may feel awkward or frustrated if we don’t actively engage or entertain them for the entire time. Feeling pressured by the expectations of others, we may think we need to reprimand a child who isn’t looking at the Monstrance or is wiggling in his or her seat.   

However, if we step back and simply give the gift of time to our kids, God will move in their hearts. We may not see spiritual fruits from this prayer time, but we can trust that God will care for our kids and draw them to Himself. We can trust that God is at work, even when we can’t see His movements.  

Several years ago, Pope Francis famously encouraged parents to “waste time” with their kids. By “wasting time” together, parents and children could play and grow in their relationships together. Inspired by Pope Francis’s words, can we let our children “waste time” with Jesus? Can we bring them to church for extended visits with the Blessed Sacrament?   

If we feel discouraged, let’s remember: Time with Jesus is never truly wasted.  

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Copyright 2026 AnneMarie Miller
Images: Canva