I'm a bad mom when it comes to signing my kids up for stuff. Sometimes I hear other moms talking about all the things their kids are in and I feel like my boys are really missing out. The problem is that it complicates my life too much. They have performing arts club after school and cub scouts once a week, but Dave really wants them to be in sports also. Well we've tried several sports, but they kind of took over our life. Then half the time I had to drag them to practice because they just wanted to stay home and play with their brothers. Plus I have other children with me while I'm watching, bored to tears. Then a couple months ago we heard there was a roller hockey season starting. Spencer and his cousins have recently gotten into roller blading, so I thought it would be good. It has turned out to be so fun for us! Here are some of the things I like about it:
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1. It's in the evening, so Dave can take him most of the time.
2. It's indoors, so we don't have to swelter or freeze while we're watching.
3. It's so exciting to watch!
4. It's once a week, combining the practice and the game into one night. There's an optional practice another night, so Dave's takes him to that too if he can.
5. The other boys love to go also b/c there's a big group of younger siblings running around, playing air hockey and hide and seek.
6. It's way less stressful than soccer - no banner, photos, team mom, snacks, coach gift, party - all the silly extra things that added stress to soccer. Everyone's just there to play.
7. Spencer loves it. Even though he's a beginner among well-seasoned players, he is improving quickly and having a fun time. And doesn't he look cute in all his gear?
3 comments:
That's cool that you found an activity that's fun for all and manageable, too. I say resist feeling bad about not being in more stuff or "missing out." Hogwash, I say. Everyone just gets burnt out that way.
I did a psych paper way back when back when I was an undergraduate on the importance of free, imaginative play and the emotional/psychological dangers of overscheduling kids. It was a problem back then and seems like everything has been speeding up ever since. So relax -- and just pick the activities that work for you.
i totally agree, and i really don't want to add more stress to our lives. i have to remind myself of that when those feelings of inadequacy creep up in me.
Oh, how fun! I SO get what you mean about over-complicating your life. If I can't stay on top of things, the family fell apart fast. And I do believe a lot of "us" tend to fall into a cycle of overstimulating our children in activities. I've heard great things about the roller hockey, so I hope he has tons of fun and it works out for all.
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