How do 2 working parents handle kids sports schedules?

[stego]

so many different experiences. Thank you posters from all parts of the USA for sharing your personal journey's with your children.

I'm a bit confused what I've read so far in that I've not read any one parent share about their own time to participate in an activity. Maybe I missed it?

I am familiar with the PP's in the urbanism of our cities/towns. When we're at the race venues miles away from civilization, we can appreciate the beauty of the hill country in central Texas.

During the week we have recovery rides. Through the years we have "stopped to smell the roses". I couldn't even try to put into a few paragraphs what we have discovered in our community.

However, I'd say most of my son's training is based out of our home. I started my son very young and he's ridden thousands of miles each year. Without even planning it, I've in some way built his engine in a round about way. I'm teaching him something that I am hoping will continue on into his adult life.

With cycling, he is in constant motion. We race on a team, but train around his schedule/school. He has gotten many awards and is nationally ranked in the juniors but that's not what is important. What is important is that as a family we have shared so many wonderful & unique experiences.

I will share that on Fridays I commute to work by bike. Out of the box, I hear the sounds of the world around me. I hear the birds; the wind blowing, the sun on my face. Yeah, some days are cold, some days are hot. But when they are just right...

 

[beth_cam]

I have insited on the kids playing a sport because they are otherwise quite sedentary. They do enjoy it, but my dd11 enjoys many non sports activities as well, and I don't want to hinder that because of my rule about sports. So although I would prefer 1 activity, we work in as much as is feasable. I got myself in over my head for a few weeks this spring which made me wonder how in the world working parents much less single working parents manage to shuttle everyone around. I ahd convince my dd to play on my sons hockey team for her sport since she couldn't decide what she wanted to do. This worked great for a while, just 2x a week and both kids in one place. Then she made the school chorus. No big deal, one afternoon a week, one concert at the pto meeting. She wanted to do Girl Scouts. Troop meets on Friday nights. No big deal. Then she made the all county chorus. Practices were still after shcool though. Except a couple of days of practice before the concert. And again only one concert, but a formal one. Then Girl scouts picks up with several weekend activities and cookie booths. She wants to go to an arts magnet middle school, which requires her to be in the gifted and talented arts program. So we end up adding into our schedule practicing for auditions and the auditions themselves. It was a crazy few weeks with a lot of trading off where to go. For the most part we say first commitment comes first but you cant always do that. There were two weekends that were absolutely crazy with concerts, auditions, girl scouts, hockey, and adult commitments. We absolutely prioritized the concert and the auditions for my daughter, and got my son to all his hockey. On top of their schedules, although I am a SAHM, I do attend a college. I am taking 5 classes including a night class, and am active in the honors society. Unfortunately I have told them I just cant travel with them due to my kids schedules - how would they get where. My husband works long hours, helps coach when he can, and plays in two volleyball leagues himself. We don't have any outside help but then our normal schedule isn't like that. I feel overwhelmed a lot of time just because we are out several nights a week. I'm dreading my son actually deciding to be interested in things rather than just playing low level hockey. He has already announced that in the fall he is planning to play football and hockey. I'm trying not to think about fall till I get there. I was just thinking atleast the arts magnet doesn't have school sports that my dd will be getting into - then realized that they a probably going to have lots of other performing activities. okay okay stop thinking about it.

 

[princessmom29]

My solution was a change in profession. My priorties changed after I became a mom and worknig 60 hours a week in a lab was no longer an option. I taught preschool while attending college, and have always loved teaching/tutoring on all levels. I found a program that allowed me to teach under supervision while I got my teaching degree, and now teach high school. We have to leave the house at 6:00 in the morning to get her to morning care and me to school, but I get to pick her up at 3:00 and get her to dance. DD dances 2 days a week and will likely go to 3 days next year. I do my grading and planning at the studio while she is in class. It works for us.

 

[southtexasmom]

I have 4 kids and all of them play sports--

DS#1--high school soccer, high school cross country, 2 different club soccer teams spring and fall, coaches a U8 soccer team spring and fall, referees soccer games for pay

DD#1--middle school volleyball, middle school basketball, club basketball, kickball, referees soccer games for pay

DD#2--soccer spring and fall, youth basketball, kickball

DS#2--soccer spring and fall, t-ball

I've had to learn to ask other parents for help and offer to help them out if they need it. Almost every single evening we are at practice or a game for one of our kids. My kids love sports, they have made a friends with a lot of kids they might not have otherwise every known and as a result of that DH and I have became friends with a lot of the parents.

 

[mjkacmom]

Wow! My kids have had at least one midweek practice in every sport they have played, soccer, basketball, softball, since they were 5 years old. I don't know of any sport that doesn't have at least one practice during the week.

Weeknight practices and games start at the age of 4. It's almost impossible to get a field to practice on during a weekend, even Sundays. A lot start after 5:30 during the week.

 

[Irin997]

As a single working mother, it is difficult to manage, even though I only have 1 child. I have no clue what I'd do with more than more. This year was our busiest yet and DD is 8. Our schedule was:

Fall - Soccer: Practice 1.5 hours 2x's per week, 1-2 games each weekend
Winter - Basketball: Practice 1 hour 2x's per week, 1 game each weekend

We were going to do lacrosse in the spring but some behavioral issues surfaced at school and those needed to come before sports. So next spring she'll try lacrosse. In the meantime, I did decided to sign her up for swim lessons this month.

The break is very very nice, but I know DD8 misses playing something. As it gets nicer out though we will be able to do things like go for bike rides or go to the park too. There are also b-ball courts and soccer fields right down the street from our house.

Soccer season is tough. It is busy busy busy. There are times she will have 3+ games in a weekend if we're in a tournament, but she loves it. One thing I have always done is to put schoolwork first. Even though practice started at 5:30, there were many times we didn't get there until 6:15 because it was mandatory for homework to be completed before going to practice. Her job is school, not sports. Somehow we make it work.

 

[luvmy3jewels]

We are fortunate to have two sets of very active and willing grandparents who help us out with transporting kids here, there, and everywhere. My dh's parents live next door and my parents pick the kids up from school and watch them in my home in the p.m. We don't sign the kids up for everything out there, but they are active. For example, tonight oldest dd has dance until 7, youngest dd has softball at 6:30 and ds has bball at 5:30. Dh is taking one kid to bball and I will take the other while dfil will pick up the oldest at dance. Sometimes it really does take a village!! (And my kids have wonderful relationships with their grandparents and even most of their great-grandparents).

 

[mjkacmom]

Soccer season is tough. It is busy busy busy. There are times she will have 3+ games in a weekend if we're in a tournament, but she loves it. .

If it makes you feel better, we have at least 8 games every fall weekend, and at least 6 in the spring - not including tournaments for dd11's travel soccer and baseball! Fortunately, DH, and my parents, and I all drive minivans, and our town is only 3 miles long, so we go back and forth.

 

[bookgirl]

My twin nephews who mostly play on the same teams, still need an army of family (there are about 8 of us) to get to activities/before-afterschool/babysitting/parties/sports and various social engagements.


Luckily we are all pretty good about pitching in.

It's amazing that two 11 year old boys would need a FLEET of relatives to be socially active.

 

[jackie101]

we have 4 children, thankfully a set of twins which makes it easier for sports. We try to request putting them on the same team as a neighbor so we can help each other out

 

[design_mom]

We try to request putting them on the same team as a neighbor so we can help each other out

I think a lot of people must do this (working parents or not). My son was traded from one hockey team to another this season. (Who knew they did that to 9 year olds in an instructional league!) I wasn't too happy about it and wanted to know why *my* kid was the one who was traded. The coach went through the list and since they only wanted to move one kid, my son was the easiest to move because he was the only one on the team who didn't "have to be" on the same team as someone else due to ride shares, etc.

It all worked out because DS liked his new team/coach more than his old one (didn't hurt that the new team finished in 2nd place while the old team finished 5th), but that wasn't a fun conversation to have.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

Minnesota has a law where you have to let an employee use their sick time to care for their sick kids. And I'm salaried - I don't get "sick time" so the translation is "they don't have a choice, I stay home and they pay me." They'd rather have me dial into meetings and VPN in to do work while the kids nap or watch TV than not get any productivity from me.

But I work from home fairly regularly anyway - and my husband can, too. So sick kids is seldom a huge issue. For those few times when we both really should be in the office and the kids are sick, my mother often comes over.

Yeah, my DH is salarie too, but they are not very good about him taking his vacation time. His boss actually said something to the effect of "let your stay at home wife stay at home and deal with it."

 

[sk8jdgca]

Ok I'm a crazy mom (at least that is what everyone says) I am a single mom and work full time. 2 kids 7-11 who go to different schools. Thankfully they enjoy the same types of activities but due to their ages are in different levels. My dad does help out from 4-5. From 5 on its all me! The kids father lives out of town and they have to go to his house every other weekend so all activites have to be through the week

So we are are 1 dance studio 3 times and week, the arena 5 days a week and the performing arts center 5 days a week. This doesn't include competitions, performances or exam. Then DD11 will try out for a school team and through a wrench in the whole thing

I have a complex schedule (thank goodness the performing art studio and the rink are fairly close) On Mondays from 4-10, I go back and forth from one to the other dropping off kids

I use COZI which is an online calander-It is great!.

I also sit on 2 boards and volunteer for each activity my kids do. It does frustrate me when I'm putting in tonnes of volunteer time and I approach another mom to help and they "just don't have any time"

 

[crisi]

Yeah, my DH is salarie too, but they are not very good about him taking his vacation time. His boss actually said something to the effect of "let your stay at home wife stay at home and deal with it."

My husband's boss said that to him once - well except I'm not a SAHM. She shortly thereafter decided to "pursue other opportunities" - HR decided that comment, as well as some others, made her a legal risk.

 

[Dizneydaz]

I ask this question all the time. I have a cousin who has 4 kids, all in sports. She works full time as a nurse and her DH has a full time job as well. How does she do it???

I only have one DD10 and she's in one organized sports. I work out of my home (luckily) DD is in softball-this is her 3rd year. Last (winter) season the neighbor across the street (with 4 kids, from almost 1-11) oldest daughter wanted to play softball. Luckily, for the mom, she was on the same team as my DD so I took them both to twice weekly practices and most of the time got her there for the 1 hour practice before each Sat. game. This year she wasn't so lucky, our daughters are in different age groups so no same team. Her DS is also in baseball. Her middle DD7 wanted to play softball as well but she had to say no. The 2 older girls also are in dance and the oldest one has church activities as well. Her DD and DS practice and game schedules frequently have a conflict (different locations) so her DM comes over to help, and stays over. Her DH works full time ++ running his own businesses from home. He is available sometimes to assists. Once her 2 younger kids get involved in everything she will definitely have to have help from other parents getting all 4 of them to their activities.

My situation is not as bad but I still find myself scheduling my things around DD's schedule. She gets out of school just after 2 (1 on Wed.) and I pick up right now. I also take her at 7:25. Family across the street is on a different track and they are off right now. Starting in Aug. our schools are changing to traditional schedule and we'll all be on the same schedule-that'll make it easier to arrange dropping off and picking up.

DD has softball practice twice a week (4:30-6:00) as well as one weeknight game (7:30-9,9:30 on a school night) and one Saturday game. Mostly at 3. She has to be there one hour before practice. I take her to every practice and every game and stay. I'm also the scorekeeper. I'm not yet one of those moms who drops off and comes back later (though I can totally understand it!). She has Girl Scouts twice a month (3-4:30) which can be a conflict with getting to practice if on the same day. Lately we've also been having 1-2 additional Girl Scout outings a month.

When I fill out the monthly schedule it's amazing how one 10 y/o girl can fill it up so quickly! She would like to play soccer as well but soccer and softball have schedule conflicts and I don't think it's fair to the rest of the team when a player has to leave one game, or practice, to go to another one. But that's just me, apparently.

I grew up in a family of 4 kids, 3 girls and 1 boy. My mom was a stay at home mom but none of us really had any interest in sports. That was back in the day when girls didn't really play sports. We did a little Girl Scouts, but that was about it.

I know as DD gets older it'll get worse. But I refuse to over schedule her day. She's one of those kids who needs a little down time, even at WDW. Some time to read (she's already at 400% on her AR goal at school-a school record!) as well as time to play with her LPS and draw.

In May I'll be working for the Census so I'll have to let my DM help me out (luckily we live together) and also luckily, DD is out of school during May. If I have to get a regular, full time job, I'm not sure what's going to happen with her sports schedule. I guess I'll just have to let my DM and other moms help out. It is hard for me to do that but I will if I have too.