For some pastors’ kids (PKs), Sunday morning is like walking the green mile, step by agonizing step closer to imminent doom. For others it’s mostly great with a side of frustration and annoyance. For most of my upbringing, I was in the second camp and occasionally slid into the first. What follows are seven suggestions for any PK that (as I learned, some at great expense) can help make Sunday mornings better.

• Tuck your shirt in when mom tells you to. No, it doesn’t make you holier, but it does avoid a stupid fight. And you can just untuck it when you get to Sunday school anyhow.

• If you haven’t already, take up coffee drinking. Start at home and keep it going all through church. There is no grief like the grief a PK takes for falling asleep in church.