I have put myself in a tough position this month. I always told myself I would not be one of those moms- running from event to event. Guess what? It is happening!
Capt. M is 4 1/4 and very athletic. He went to gymnastics tonight and I was amazed to watch him do 5 pull-ups in a row with ease. He then proceeded to do push-ups. Did I mention he is 4?
Capt. M loves sports and I can see that we are going to have an issue with scheduling. Right now he is doing gymnastics and swimming. I intended for him to only do one sport at a time. However, I wanted him to learn how to swim since he would run into the lake full speed.
So our current schedule is Monday gymnastics and Tuesday, Thursday and Friday swimming. That means 4 nights a week I rush home from work, change the kids clothes, grab a snack and take off again to practice.
So how do you working mom’s do it? How do you balance sports, dinner and getting the kids to bed on time? And I am sure Mr. B will be active in sports at some point too. I want to find balance before I am way over my head.
This overwhelmed sports mom needs help!
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Hi-
I have an almost 5 year old and he and Capt M seem to be on the same track–physical freaks! Monkey (our nickname for the climber extraordinaire) has Hockey Wednesday night, Sunday afternoon, Gymnastics thursday night and swimming on Friday. For the summer I’m pulling him out of swimming because he is swimming at levels 2 above most kids his age and has passed his swimming test. I will put him back in the fall–but the juggling is tough! Luckily Wednesday is our usual night out to eat and he loves Pei Wei so he gets that then. Thursdays are usually spaghetti or home made chicken “nuggets” that I’ve already prepared. The hard part is the bedtime moreso than the dinnertime. He usually doesn’t get to sleep until 8:30 or 9 and his usual bedtime needs to be between 7:30 and 8. Since I grew up as an athlete I am very prepared to support whatever he wants to do and recognize how gymnastics is a fantastic basis for all other sports so I want him to continue that for as long as I can get him to. (Plus that was my sport so it’s fulfilling a little of that as well :) ) I wait for him to say he doesn’t want to do it or that he’s too tired to be my gauge for when to take a break. He’s an active kid and I’m sure like Capt M will tell you when he needs a break. As far as balancing it all? You have to find your best balance.
Love your blog–my ramble is over now. :)!
JAG
Hi Julie,
Thank you so much for your input! It really helps to know that other moms struggle with the same things! I agree that the hard part is dinner and bedtime. Capt. M has never needed a lot of sleep- hasn’t napped in a long time. However, I know he does best if he is in bed by 7:30. You are right, he will tell me when he is tired (whether it be words or his actions!). I guess we just need to get into a routine. Another issue is my younger son is 3 and really needs the early bedtime. Tonight I had him stay home with daddy (he hates to be left out so that was tough) and it worked better for his bedtime.
Thank you so much for letting me vent! I really appreciate your input!
Hi! I have 4 kids…ages 15, 9, 7, and 4. They are all active in sports. The first thing I suggest (not just for sports but life in general) is to make colored highlighters and a calendar your friends. Each kid gets a color. When I get their sports schedule, I immediately transfer it to my main calendar. That way, I can see at a glance which kid has what.
I also sit down with that calendar and make out a very simple menu for the week. During sports seasons, I tend to go as simple (yet healthy) as possible during the week and make the really hearty foods for the weekends. My crockpot is also my best friend!!
As for bedtime, it usually has to be moved up a bit. However, all of my children know that if I have to call their name more than twice to get them up the next day, they automatically miss the next practice or game. I’ve only had to reinforce that rule once or twice…it is very effective!
Have fun!
Hi Tracie,
Thank you so much for your tips! I love the color coded schedule idea! Yes, my menu for the work week is becoming very simple and quick. I am trying to cook more ahead on the weekends too.
Capt. M has never had an issue getting up in the morning- he is usually up before me! I really hope for a day that I have a hard time waking him up! I am sure it will come as he gets older and learns to like sleep.
Thanks again!