Worshipping in "big church"

Our church (FBC Keller) doesn't have children's church. I'm not against children's church if it's done where they are taught about the Bible and not just entertained, but I am thankful that our church has children come to "big church" when they start Kindergarten. I think it's good for them to learn to sit still and more than that, I think they can get a lot out of it, if we teach them how to.
Obviously, our EK can't handle going to the worship service. It would be overwhelming for her and disruptive for those around us. I am thankful there is a place for her to learn about Jesus in a classroom  so that I can attend worship and not miss every week. She has had some of the same teachers the past couple years and we are blessed!! I understand that some kids can't attend corporate worship.
However, most can attend and learn how to behave. I had AC start attending with me every other week after Christmas. She didn't have to start until this morning but I didn't want it to be a big shock. I let her bring a bag with a few quiet things (like a notebook and a couple crayons). I made the expectation before she started coming that we go to the bathroom before church or after church. I also told her that she needed to sit still on the pew (unless it was time to stand) and not talk. The first week was hard. It was long for her and she kept asking when it would be over, but after a few weeks, she got the hang of it and now does very well. Granted, she is a sweet girl with a long attention span. I have a feeling it will be a little harder when AK gets to be Kindergarten age, but we'll just have to train more. :)
Here are a few helpful ideas:

• Let them know your expectations and have them actively participate. Let them know they need to stop coloring and close their eyes during the prayer. Let them know they need to stand when the congregation is standing. Teach them how to follow along with the words on the screen or in the hymnal. (We do both at our church.) Give them some money to put in the offering plate when it's passed. All these things are teaching them what corporate worship is. We are there to worship the Lord and He deserves our best!
• Have a notebook or page with some things to keep their attention. I like the sheet this mom came up with here. I like that she had them make tally marks for how many times they heard a certain word. This makes them pay attention to the sermon. :) I made one for AC that had her draw a picture from her Sunday School lesson, had some words to listen for in the sermon, and had a spot to write where Keith was preaching from.  Here is an example of a page for non-readers. And here is another example of a note taking page. Several to choose from or make your own. :)

I read this blog article a few weeks ago and it's stuck with me. It had some ideas of how a mom trained her kids to sit quietly in church. It was amazing how simple her advice was. She said they started training at home. She would have them sit at the table to eat. She read a book or two when they were little and expected them to sit still. As the kids got older, they read a few more books (so they were sitting quietly in one spot for a longer time) and later, they sat and listened to audio books. The thing that struck me the most was when she had to take a child out of the service b/c they were being disruptive, she didn't let them run around. That rewarded them for being taken out of the service and what child won't want to leave a place where they have to be quiet and still? She said she always held them when she took them out. I had never thought about it from that perspective, but it's true. Training and disciplining our kids is hard work and takes time, but it's so worth it!
Hope this helps some of you as you teach your kids the privilege of worshipping in "big church".