Having the kids quiet at the meetings actually taught them a lot about obedience and respect. People have always said how good our kids are when we're at meals, restaurants, etc etc.
But having little kids gave us a good cover story to avoid meetings and it made us determined they wouldn't be freaks who would stand out among their friends because of what they couldn't do.
After we left, a friend said tearfully, "But what about the girls? Haven't you thought about them?" Answer: Yes, and that's one of the big reasons we did leave.