A gold one.
I just survived the eternal process of getting passports for all three of my kids. It has taken endless errands just to get us to that point, then an HOUR wait in the post office. An hour in a small room, with a long line full of already grouchy folks, getting grouchier because my kids are scaling the walls.
So, ahem. OK, I'm pulling myself together, and am going to defuse my tension by blogging.
It works every time :)
Fit Momma Lori asked last week:
I’d love some suggestions on how to manage sports for kids with an already busy schedule. It seems to cut right into dinner time and can really make me stressed.
Lori, I hear you. We just started soccer this week. For us that translates to:
two kids playing
one kid not playing
two teams
three nights of practice
60 to 90 minute practices
30 minute drive one way to get to practice
dozens of ants on my feet and legs
1.2 billion mosquitos biting me
one really disgusting, really full port-a-potty
two games every Saturday for the next eight weeks
Notice family dinner time is NOT on that list?
Somedays it seems like a faint echo...
Now, I know I sound like I’m complaining. Really, I am very happy my kids are doing this. I realize these type of activities are completely optional, but for my kids this type of thing is right up their alley. They love their coaches (I’m not one of them this year -- YEEHA! I get a break this season!), enjoy meeting new friends, and just love sweating their little blonde heads off while chasing a ball.
And I cannot tell you how much the Doc and I LOVE watching them do this. It is a thrill.
However, this cuts right into family dinner time.
Like SMACK-DAB-IN-THE-MIDDLE.
Bullseye.
I have been been dealing with this issue for years and have thought about this issue every which way. I don’t think there is one way to slice it. We do something slightly different every night, but here are some of my methods:
Serve dinner early
We have to hit the road for practice at 5:30 PM. So, that means for us dinner is an early 5:10 PM. I let the Doc know, my parents know, and the kids know it is an early eating day. I do slightly restrict their after school snacks somewhat, so by dinner time they are truly hungry. This takes extra planning and prep for me, but it does work.
After practice snack
After a normal dinner, I typically let my kids know that the kitchen is closed. However, after an early dinner, a 90 minute soccer practice, the poor chillin’s are starving. So, they can grab a quick bowl of cereal, fruit, yogurt, or PB&J before bed to tide them over until morning.
Bring dinner
I often will schedule dinners that can be eaten in the Mom Taxi or when we get to practice. If they are hot, I will cook them at home, wrap them in foil, then throw them in the car for eating on the go. I also am the Cooler Queen. I bring a small cooler with fresh fruit, some baby carrots or other fast vegetable, some healthy baked treats and TONS of water. It’s our very own picnic!
Some fast, healthy dinners on the go are:
Turkey Burgers
Bean and Cheese Burritos
Breakfast Burritos
Egg Sandwiches
Tuna Sandwiches
Turkey Sandwiches
Just because our kids are in sports or activities doesn’t mean we are sentenced to eating by way of a drive-thru or at restaurants all the time. With a little planning, or even if you don't plan at all, the busiest of us can run home, throw some scrambled eggs together with some fruit and milk and call it good.
Lori, I agree whole-heartedly this can make a mother stressed.
Exhibit A: ME.
Many mothers opt not to do extra curricular activities for this reason alone. I honestly do not blame them. For our family, however, we’ve decided the stress is worth braving the all the elements involved.
We do it for the kids.
The exercise.
The chance to be on a team.
The chance to win.
The chance to lose.
The memories.
So, despite my raging hatred for the monstrous, Texas mosquitoes -- we're in it for the long haul.
Hey, Fit Mommas, I know a lot of you are in this same boat. What do you do to manage the craziness of the kids' sports, dance, rehearsals, etc.? Comment below and tell us WHAT WORKS!
Thanks for questions and emails! I don't make cute headbands or bows for my gal or nieces-- this is what I do. So send any questions or feedback my way!
Related Posts:
Kids and Exercise: How Much?
More "Fit Momma Question" Posts
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6 comments:
You have totally just described my life! LOL! Thankfully my two boys are in the same activities that are at (relatively) the same time/locations. Also, we homeschool so we have flexibility with our eating schedules. Here we go ~
Monday ~ Aikido 4:30-5:30, Chess club 6:30-8:00 pm (at the mall). I feed the kids a late lunch and then a light snack before we head to the dojo. I pack a dinner in a cooler and we eat our from home dinner in the food court at the mall while waiting for chess to start
Tues ~ Swim team for #1 from 4:30-6:30 and swim lessons for #2 6:00-6:30. I let the kids have a home made protein shake (see my blog for recipe) & a PB and J before swimming. We eat a late dinner on these nights ~ usually soup or something in the crockpot
Wed ~ it's our night to breath. Phew!!
Thurs (see Tues)
Friday ~ another free night.
Saturday ~ Aikido 10:45-11:45. We typically hit the Farmer's Market beforehand for some yummy fruit (and an English Muffin from home) and then go home to a healthy lunch.
It can get crazy, but like you, we've decided it's worth it for the kids. My kids cannot wait to participate in triathlons with my husband and me and we're proud to have instilled such a love of activity in our children
~Jessica
http://healthyfor100.blogspot.com
I am one of those who opts out. For now at least. But we are outside for hours after school, we play chase and do races so they still get exercise. right now i just keep it simple. i have four kids under 7 years old. i'm just waiting til they are older...or maybe not at all. we shall see.
Now that I've had about 10 years, I totally understand why some parents opt out. I think some of my most frustrating moments is trying to keep two kids off the soccer field/gymanstics mat/basketball court/etc when their bro or sis is playing. I've even sat in a locked car with them for an hour just to not have to mess with the whole bleachers and such.
It's not for everyone and I think its great you know your limits!
One thing we do is limit the intensity. One kid playing travel soccer means the whole family is committed, so we choose not to. We pick leauges that are not super competitive (translate that to practice 3 times a week), then we always answer the question when askced if there are certain days we can't practice and then limit it to one sport per season. This means that if one doesn't want to play soccer this season, they wait for the next season to do something. This season my daughter didn't want to so her two brothers are and she'll get to do dance in the winter, when they aren't playing anything. It also has helped to pick one night during the week where we have NOTHING scheduled (see speaking up about no practice days). It's a great releif to know that there is one (or 2 nights right now for us b/c fate decided to be kind and the boys practice soccer at the same time!!!:) where we don't have anywhere to go. As for the little siblings, bring a ball for them to kick around on an empty feild, head for a near by playground or something like that. I just know I can't go and sit in my chair and read a book like most of the parents do.
Thanks so much for all the suggestions. Very helpful!
I just wrote a post about this myself and a friend passed on yours!!
http://crayolabird.blogspot.com/2010/09/on-family-meals-and-scheduling.html
I like your ideas. Last year we did lots of picnic dinners at track and dinner in the car after Irish Dance on the way to track or late dinner when we got HOME from track. Luckily I've got a carpool for swimming now so I've got a little more flexibility (although dd misses dinner sometime, but what can you do?)
For me, I also feel like the experience my child has is worth the effort, but it DID take until she was 10 for me to let her try out for something that would require practice more than one day a week :)
Bless us all for trying to make it work :)
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