Melani Litwack runs the playgroup, which meets twice a week, and is a much-needed outing for new parents as well as those with more experience - we all need some adult interaction during our busy days! She took some time to tell us more about this vital service in our church.
I discovered the church play group when my son, Trevor, was just under two, and a bit of a handful. We were both pretty desperate to get out of the house.
It was run by Ann Vickers back then and very different from what it is now. We met once a week, there was always a craft and it ran from 9:30 to 11:30 (but none of us wanted to leave so it frequently went late). At some point, an extra day was requested by the other mothers and I offered to organize it. When Ann left to go back to school, I took over both days and it dawned on me that 9:30 was awfully early in the morning so the start time was moved to 10 am. That was twelve years ago.
In my early days the playgroup was pretty small and at one point, it was so quiet, I was practically inviting people in off the street. Today, we can get up to 15 or 18 families, although the average day is 6 to 8. This year, I've been allowed to take over the entire nursery level if things get crowded, which gives us some much needed breathing space.Last year, 65 families passed through at least once and we had a core group of about 35 regulars. This year, things are much quieter with H1N1 looming over the city, but it's still rare to have fewer than six families.
I've always tried to keep the space inviting and stress-free. We have a few members who also have UU connections and they come to services once in awhile, but I make it pretty clear we aren't a recruitment office.
I've learned over the years that the most important part is the social aspect -- this was brought home to me a few years ago when one of the mothers burst into tears as I met her at the door. She had two children under three (one of whom was teething), her husband was away on business and she hadn't seen or spoken to another adult in days. She told me playgroup was the only thing that had kept her going.
I also encourage networking. This year we have an incredibly varied list of skills and it's wonderful to see the connections being made: the French teacher helping out the new arrival from New York or the family that's starting an organic farm and the rest of us eagerly awaiting a chance to sign up for CSA baskets. I benefit as well -- my main source of income is babysitting and most of my clients come through the playgroup.
We've raised the price this year but it's still a bargain at $3. I provide coffee, bread, cream cheese and a fruit platter. I started serving food when I realized that none of the adults (including myself) were eating breakfast in the morning. Baked goods appear on a semi-regular basis. In May I'll cater a tea party.
Most of the toys you see in the nursery and some of the furniture has been purchased with the money I collect. Toys we can't use, or are being phased out, are donated to places like the Montreal Diet Dispensary and the Covered Garden.
Feel free to stop by sometime!
