Get Me to the Church on Time

For the past six weeks or so, I've been taking J to church.  There are two main reasons I've waited this long:

1. I've been wanting to go to church regularly for some time, but every time one of my kids was old enough to accompany me, I was also taking care of a newborn.
2. Hubs has no desire to accompany me, nor to watch all three kids so I can go to mass.

In all honesty, #2 has been the biggest impediment to me going to mass on a regular basis.  But S is over a year and a half now, so there's no need to worry about #1 any more.

So this morning, as we have for the past several weeks, I took J and T to mass.  We attend the family mass, and the boys go downstairs for the children's liturgy while I remain in the church.  For the first two weeks, J was fine.  He was receptive to going, and while he wasn't particularly excited, he didn't complain about coming with me.  The past four or five weeks, that hasn't been the case.

I understand that church isn't the most exciting place to be for a six year old, but his attitude is really starting to get to me.  I could retire if I had a dime for every time he told me that he hated church, or thought it was stupid, or that he didn't want to go.

I've tried to bribe him with munchkins after mass, which works with diminishing returns.  Last week Hubs had to physically carry him to the car.  This week I had to threaten him with missing Family Fun Day. 

And of course I'm putting so much pressure on myself, too.  That letter from the parish about CCD, stating that "It is expected that you and your child will attend mass weekly," was one more poke in my psyche.  Like I really need outside influences; I can do enough damage myself, thank you.

I've explained that church is what we do on Sunday mornings.  I've used the argument that my mother used with us - "God does no much for you all week, and all He asks in return in one hour."  He doesn't care.  Of course he doesn't - how many six year olds really understand who God is, and what He does, and why we should be grateful to Him?  I don't blame J for feeling how he does; I just get so frustrated by his stubbornness. 

I need to figure this one out.  It's tough.