Leading Successful Meetings
for Mothers of Toddlers
by Laura Cunningham
Mission Viejo, CA, USA
from LEAVEN, Vol. 29 No. 1, January-February 1994, p. 8
In the natural evolution
of a La Leche League Group, a Leader may find that suddenly her meetings
are attended by quite a few mothers of nursing toddlers. The questions,
concerns, and needs of these women are very different from those nursing
a newborn, and the Leader may find it difficult to structure her meeting
so that the needs of all the mothers are met.
Two possible solutions are
(1) to hold a special toddler series or toddler meeting for those mothers
in your Group, or (2) to form a whole new LLL Group specifically for
mothers of toddlers. A special series or occasional toddler meeting
may be the answer for you if you have no co-Leader or live in an area
where LLL Groups are few and far between. Discuss the possibility of
designating one or more Groups as a Toddler Group with your District
Advisor.
In Orange County, California,
the second option has worked well. Both Tina Pulice and Lisa Polzein
lead Groups especially designated for mothers of toddlers. They find
these groups have a very loyal membership, are a rich lode for possible
Leader Applicants, and enrich their chapters and district as a whole.
But whichever option seems best for you, here are some ways you can
approach leading a toddler series and some ideas for solving problems.
Tina Pulice, Leader of the
Fountain Valley Toddler Group, simply follows the four-meeting format
of regular LLL meetings and adapts it for mothers of toddlers. She pays
special attention to the interests and needs of the Group members, emphasizing
areas that may be of special concern to them. For instance, if several
members are expecting a second child, a discussion of helping a toddler
adjust may be included. And at certain times of the year, Tina may highlight
a seasonal topic. During the December holiday season, she finds the
mothers enjoy talking about how to avoid too many sweets or avoiding
"holiday overload."
Here's a typical series
outline used by the Fountain Valley Group that you may find helpful
in planning your own toddler series or meeting:
Meeting 1: The
Advantages of Nursing a Toddler
What's in it for mother?
Dealing with mother burnout and finding time for yourself; tricks of
the trade; setting priorities in nursing a toddler; advantages during
an illness; communicating with a toddler; how toddlers assert their
independence; and building the toddler's self-esteem.
Meeting 2: The
Family and the Nursing Toddler
Finding time for everyone;
sibling relationships; tandem nursing; sleep habits of a typical toddler;
the family bed; fathering; father's and siblings' feelings about a nursing
toddler; and toddler safety.
Meeting 3: Challenges
of Nursing a Toddler
Nursing patterns--what's
"normal"; how needs and wants change; setting limits on nursing or continuing
nursing on demand; special situations--restaurants, church, traveling;
using a code word for nursing; appropriate activities for toddlers;
separation anxiety; potty training; loving guidance and how to shape
behavior; temper tantrums.
Meeting 4: The
Nutrition and Weaning of a Nursing Toddler
Toddlers' nutritional needs;
eating habits; snacks; mealtimes; how long should I nurse? the weaning
process; how to handle pressure to wean.
If you are forming a special
LLL toddler group, you could use this outline again and again, moving
through the topics according to the changing needs of your group. Or,
if you would like to offer an occasional meeting or series of toddler
meetings, these ideas may trigger your thinking. As with any LLL meeting,
our goal is to provide information and support about breastfeeding.
Although playgroups and other parent education have their place, LLL's
focus remains on breastfeeding. Both THE WOMANLY ART OF BREASTFEEDING
and Norma Jane Bumgarner's MOTHERING YOUR NURSING TODDLER will provide
you with ample information as you plan your discussions. You can also
check the LLLI Catalogue for other helpful books.
Of course, a meeting that
includes a lot of toddlers is going to be noisy and a bit chaotic. Expect
it. Let mothers know that it's okay to get up and tend to the needs
of their toddlers. A comfortable room with lots of space to sit on the
floor while toddlers play may be a good setting. Group mothers or co-Leaders
may be able to trade off watching toddlers play in an adjacent room.
Keep meetings short and flexible. Start meetings with topics that are
most important to the group because you may not be able to make it through
everything you had planned to discuss! If your own toddlers or preschoolers
are present, be sure to stay tuned in to their needs.
Although the Orange County
toddler groups are listed in meeting notices as toddler groups and traditional
LLL Groups are readily available, occasionally a mother of an infant
will show up at the toddler groups. In that case, the Leaders are careful
to welcome her and to make sure her questions are answered first. They
tell her about the other LLL Groups available to her, the meeting dates
and times, and encourage her to attend one. Of course they should invite
her to remain at their meeting if she would like to.
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:31:48 UTC 2007.
