where does your LLL meeting take place?

[MommytoTwo]

I used to go to a LLL meeting when DD was a baby and they met at a church with a playground, but they have since disolved that chapter. When this baby comes I will want to go again, taking DD with me while DS is at school adn I am just wondering if they all meet in a child-friendly location like that, with stuff for the siblings to do?

[stockingup99]

Mine does. My active toddler ran all over, with me following.

One thing though is that you need to be close to prevent the little babies being trampled. Since he was the nursling, I followed him around. Not sure what to do with a little baby and two older siblings. I'd probably call or email the leader and ask. Sometimes they have meeting with older ones in mind.

[madmacksmommy]

Our LLL meetings are at our local library in a meeting room. There is usually crayons and coloring books for older siblings. Most of the time my DD1 usually runs around and play with the otehr kids there!

[MomToKandE]

Ours are also in a library meeting room. I only went a few times because dd was an active toddler and it wasn't very kid-friendly. If she'd been older and could have colored or young enough to sit on my lap it would have worked but the age she was at it just didn't work out.

[lactivist]

We are going to be holding our meetings at my home soon and I am very excited. I have a 22 month old so my house is fairly child friendly and we have lots to do for all ages. I think having it in a home will make it more inviting and comfortable to attend. At least that is my hope. I have gone to meetings at a lot of different locations and always find a private home to be most comfortable.
Wendi

[bikruca]

one meeting is held in a "early years centre" full of toys ect.

one was held in a church gym with a carpet and toys

both very child friendly

one is moving to a new space this month, a meeting room in a local market, haven't been yet

[Sharlla]

At the library (same with our NINO meetings) we have a monthly casual LLL meeting (kid free) that takes place at a coffee house. I wouldn't not attend a LLL meeting that goes on in a church.

[psyche]

Ours takes place in a church basement, in the child-care area so there are many toys.

LLL is not affiliated with any religion but finding a *free* child-friendly meeting area can be quite difficult. Churches often have the space requirements and the desire to be community-friendly.

[mags]

At a church for our infant mtgs, for our toddler mtgs, we've done it at the mall play area (right when it opens, it is not very busy), and this month we are going to try doing it at the library mtg room (bringing out LLL basket of toys). When the weather is warmer, I think our toddler mtgs might be outside.

[~Megan~]

The ones I've been to have been in homes and in churches in their nurseries or rooms for small kids.

[dukeswalker]

In a member's home...I think our group is the only one in AZ that does meet in a home. It's super nice - because we all have kids so our homes are all pretty child friendly...

[annethcz]

We meet in churches as well. About a year ago, our group needed to find a new meeting place, and it was really hard to find a free meeting space. Everything other than churches charge a significant fee for regular meeting spaces- libraries, schools, the YMCA, the community centers, the natural food co-op, and other community organizations. So for our group, it was either a church, meet in homes, or meet in a private meeting space for $25/month.

As for the churches that we've had meetings in, it varies. Sometimes we're offered a nursery area. In another church, we met in a classroom. In a different location, we met in a large open area near the main entrance to the church. Some of those areas were child friendly, and some weren't. At one meeting I attended, we actually asked moms to stop bringing their older children if at all possible- it was a big meeting, and it was starting to turn into a playgroup instead of a meeting. We had problems with moms concentrating too much on the meeting and letting their kids just run wild. So toddler friendliness can vary. Most meetings are friendly to moms with older children, but the larger the group, the more of a problem the older kids can be.

I know that other groups have different experiences, but meeting in homes doesn't always work well. It can be really intimidating for new moms to go to a stranger's home. And it can be hard to have other children in your home, playing with your childs' toys.

[joeysmom1729]

We meet in a standalone birth center.

[dakotamidnight]

ours is at a local grocery store in their meeting room.

They also have some at a birthing center across town.

[Fiercemama]

We meet in the home of a retired LLL leader, and its very child friendly. It works for us - we don't have big meetings, and rarely have toddlers or older kids. Come to think of it, the first meetings I went to as a mother were in the home of another retired leader!

Finding appropriate meeting spaces is a huge challenge to our group, who meet in the evening. Virtually none of the churches in our city offer free space. The libraries all close too early. We used to have a dreamy play centre that let us use it free after hours, but it has gone out of business. We've since been in private homes.

[hunnybumm]

We have a very small group, there are 3 regulars (including the leader) and a few random drop-ins. We have been meeting for about a year and a half I think. We started out at the local library, but they were NOT very friendly to use. They would hide our panthlets, they told us they would close the door to our meeting room to "make us more comfortable" even after we all said "Oh, we don't mind." and other type behavior. We met at a church once but that didn't pan out so well. We now meet at our "BFing friendly" peds office. It is a tiny room, we are totally cramped, but at least we are 'wanted'.

It isn't really child friendly, not a lot for them to do, etc. But the group it's self is child friendly.

[ErinBird]

Mine is in a large room a ta community center. Someone in the group brings the toys each month, and most moms also bring a quiet activity for their older kid(s).

[njeb]

I was a LLL leader in the 80's, and back then, most meetings were held in members' homes. Very few were held in other places. In those days, LLL encouraged us to have meetings in homes to make mothers more comfortable.

It sounds like things have changed since then, with most meetings happening in churches, businesses, libraries, etc. The problem with having them at churches, though, is that people may get the incorrect impression that LLLI is affiliated with that church, or with Christianity in general. Still, I can see why many meetings take place in churches, for all the reasons previously stated. Child-friendly, free meeting spaces are hard to find!

[sparklefairy]

We meet in churches. I wish we had another option. The public library will not put us on the schedule monthly and honestly when I met there with another group with kids, it was a nightmare.

I'd have meetings in my home, but it's not infant/toddlerproofed anymore and the floor plan is a nightmare with the stairs.

[KathleenSLP]

Our LLL Toddler meeting is outside at a park. It's OK but I miss a lot running after my toddler and due to the outside noise. I would prefer it in a room with the playground available outside.