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Oh, Those
Toddlers!
From: LEAVEN,
Volume 32, No. 5, October-November 1996, p. 77
Every Leader knows the value
of long-term members. However, these mothers are often the mothers of
toddlers. How does a Leader conduct an effective meeting with several
toddlers in attendance--including her own--and how can she keep mothers
of toddlers involved in the Group? Here are suggestions from two Leaders.
Leading Meetings with a
Toddler in Tow
Debbie Landauer
Enosburg, Vermont, USA
Now and again in the life
of every LLL Group comes the toddler--a boisterous, opinionated bundle
of delightful energy--throwing a Leader's well-laid meeting plans into
disarray. Some children this age are not ready to stay away from mother
for several hours while she leads a meeting. But when they come along,
they may become bored or unable to handle the sometimes overwhelming
environment of a large meeting. They may whine, cling, become aggressive
or possessive. At this point, a Leader may question her effectiveness
and even consider retiring!
Take heart; the situation
is probably temporary. Before giving up, consider these ways to lead
meetings with a toddler in tow.
Father care can be
a delightful change of pace. Some toddlers are happy to spend time at
home with Dad, if he is available during meeting times.
A teen helper can
entertain and mediate a small group of children during the meeting.
The helper could be someone from the community or a teenaged child of
a Group member or Leader. Toddlers will be more at ease if the same
teen can commit to attend regularly. Try contacting early childhood
education classes at schools or colleges. Some programs offer class
credit for volunteering. (The students would certainly learn a lot about
parenting just by being in the room!)
An activity table
can be set up in the meeting room with one or more small, quiet projects
available. One Group member or Leader could station herself at the table.
The activity needs to be some-what self-directed as well as safe for
younger children who may wander over to explore. Examples include: homemade
clay; crayons and paper; lacing boards; colored pasta, 2-inch pieces
of plastic drinking straws or paper shapes with holes punched in the
middle for stringing. Ask for volunteers to be responsible for the activity
each month.
A separate or adjoining
playroom allows toddlers to play nearby with supervision. This option
can dramatically reduce the noise in the meeting room. A disadvantage
is that the adult supervisor may miss some or most of the meeting.
A co-Leader can take
"toddler patrol," offering toys or assisting with drinks and
snacks.
Individual activities
supplied from home are my current solution to keeping my twin four-year-olds
happy during a meeting. I set up a little bench and chairs right next
to me. With them close by, I can anticipate when they need a new activity
and quickly help them. Before the meeting I gather quiet, age-appropriate
activities in a small bag: playing cards, chalkboard, crayons/colored
pencils and a variety of paper, stencils, stickers, unopened junk mail,
puzzles, pipe cleaners, magazines. I keep the items fresh and attractive
by reserving the "bag of tricks" for meetings and long car
rides.
Keeping young children happy
while leading meetings is work but worth it! Asking for understanding
as well as suggestions from Group members provides an opportunity for
all to learn about the needs and normal behavior of toddlers.
Debbie Landauer, a Leader
for three years, is DA for Northern Vermont, USA. Her Franklin County
Group regularly has 15 to 20 children in attendance; all of the Leaders
and most of the Group workers have children ages 2 to 4.
Keeping Mothers of Toddlers
Involved
Genion Grohsmeyer
Monterey, California, USA
Just as you can't ignore
toddlers for too long, neither can you ignore mothers of toddlers. While
toddlers will let you know they need your attention in several obvious
ways, toddler mothers are unlikely to tug on your clothes, throw tantrums
or start whining. They simply stop coming to meetings.
Why not use techniques similar
to those you would use with toddlers to keep mothers of toddlers interested?
Give them attention and give them something to do! Try to meet their
needs by:
- Including mothers of toddlers
in Planning/Evaluation Meetings where they can talk about older-baby
issues with other mothers in the Group;
- Explaining why Series
Meetings are geared to help new mothers and how they help by sharing
their perspective and experience;
- Devoting part of a meeting
to toddler concerns when a co-Leader is available to take a small
group aside;
- Holding a Toddler Meeting
every Series.
Mothers of toddlers feel
more involved when they are:
- Encouraged to continue
attending meetings and told how much good they are doing;
- Asked to do a Group job
(Mothers who no longer attend regularly may be happy to help out by
taking on a job such as Mailing Coordinator.);
- Given an opportunity to
find out more about LLL and leadership.
Mothers of toddlers often
form the core of a Group; many times they are the Group workers. Most
important, they are LLL's future Leaders. In order to keep them interested,
we must help them feel welcome, needed and important, as indeed they
are.
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:32:08 UTC 2007.
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