Life with Kids in Sports

by Marian Nguyen, RN, BSN | Feb 1, 2019 | Challenges, Family, Mom Etc, Relatable Stories

Before having kids, I’d always heard of people talking about soccer moms—those harried suburban women with a mini-van full of kids having to run back and forth transporting them from practices to games.

I wasn’t sure that would ever by me. But now, after having kids of my own, I’m not a soccer mom. Instead, I’m a softball mom and, at one point, when my son was playing, also a baseball mom.

I also didn’t realize just how insane it can be with kids and sports. All I can say is that once my kids participated in team sports, especially with both playing at the same time, life was hectic!

Peak season in the springtime usually meant practice and/or games 2-3 days a week. That was busy enough but when you pull in games on the weekends, you can see your life getting chaotic and out of control.

So, on any given day, you have to pick up the kids from school, have them scarf down a quick snack, start on their homework, go to practice, get back home, cook them dinner, feed them, and then they have to shower, finish their homework and maybe, just maybe, you can get them to bed at a decent hour.

And that’s when you have only one kid participating in one sport. When you have multiple kids with events at the same time, it is even harder to juggle.

The things we do for our kids, right?!?

So, how do we help our children do all of this? The first thing you’re going to need is a giant calendar.

I know, apps work well, too. But for a lot of people, having a big physical calendar is still the best way to go so you can physically see it without opening your phone and going down the rabbit-hole of technology distractions.

List all the events you have as soon as you get the schedule. Put up the practice dates, games, and other school events and see if there’s going to be any time left for other events. You don’t want to over schedule yourself and burn out even more!

Include one very specific thing for you and your family—some quality family time.

Make sure that at least once a week you’re taking a break from all the insanity and spending time without any sports. Watch a movie. Have a quiet dinner together. Do whatever you can but enjoy yourself with your kids.

And lastly, remember that the crockpot can be your friend. You don’t have to kill yourself cooking on top of all the running around and shuttling that you have to do. A slow cooker can help you set up a nutritious meal without having to spend hours slaving behind the steering wheel and over the stove.

We’ve known for years that involving your kids in sports is awesome for developing character and keeping the kids active. But you don’t want to burn yourself out keeping them active and involved. Planning’s essential or you’re going to have a hard time playing limo driver to your kids.

Stay Prepared for Sport Practices

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