Can you believe that school is starting already? I must admit that I am relieved that we are finally getting back into a schedule!!! I am also looking forward to the return of peace and quiet while I work ON my business. Oh man, I will finally be able to hear myself think and I can be far more productive. You see, during the summer months my older 3 are at home with a nanny and my thinking spot is typically the kitchen table. I am sure you can just about imagine how much work gets done!! I so badly want to get things checked off my to-do list and at the same time I want to be outside with them soaking up all that summer has to offer. It is always an inner tug-of-war. However, now that they are at school I can be focused on my work without feeling guilty.
What am I not looking forward to with school starting? The chaotic schedule that is SPORTS. Let me start off with saying that I love sports. I grew up with 4 older brothers who were all involved in multiple sports. I too grew up playing baseball, basketball, cheerleading, volleyball and whatever else my parents would say ‘yes’ to. How I loved every minute of it!!! Now that I am on the other side of the equation it has given me a whole new appreciation for my parents.
Managing the Schedule
Emerson showing off the foul ball he got at a Twins game in August
I don’t know how everyone else manages the schedules with a bigger family but here is how my husband and I are approaching it. This year our second son, Emerson, has the opportunity to do both Dickinson Dream and football during the fall. The two sports don’t overlap in times so he could potentially have both on the same day. However, this year we had to make a difficult decision and tell him that he had to pick ONLY ONE. I absolutely LOVE watching him play basketball and I love the 3-on-3 games on a Saturday morning but he did just get done with the Dickinson Dream basketball camp which was 3 weeks long. So, this fall Emerson decided to do football since he has never been old enough to play organized football before.
There is a part of me that feels terrible for not giving him the opportunity to do both but for the sake of my sanity I just can’t do it. Last year he was told that it would be his last year of hockey and he loves hockey just as much as he loves everything else but we could not make it work for another year. He is only 1 out of 5 kids and our lives can’t revolve around his and only his sporting schedule. Our oldest will also have football, Ahna has gymnastics once a week and the boys still have piano lessons and cub scouts as well. With each of the older 3 in only one sport we still have something every night. This takes a lot of scheduling with the younger two and with the events we have going on with the office. There are many days where I question my sanity with everything we have going on but when it comes down to it I LOVE watching them try all this stuff. I realize there are so many other parents out there who are dealing with the same chaotic schedules and some are much worse. This is our way of making it work for us.
Opportunities
Do I want my kids to have the opportunity to try new things and find what they really love? Absolutely! I also want to give my kids the opportunity to grow up with a mom who is happy and not stressed out all the time. The opportunity to be a part of a family where we all support one another, have supper together at the same time and at the same table! They deserve the opportunity to help around the house and learn how to become self-sufficient, clean a room, do the dishes, help make a meal, etc. I also want to give them a clear sense of reality and that in life there are times when you have to make some tough decisions and sacrifices might have to be made in one area in order to have success in a different one.
So here is to another school year kicking off! I know we will have our ups and downs but I pray that when it is all over we can look back on this year knowing we ALL did our best, that I didn’t stress out too much, that my kids matured, made new friends and had fun while learning and playing sports.
How does everyone else manage their busy schedules? Have you had to tell your kids they can’t participate in something? I would love to hear comments on how everyone else has managed this?