Play-Learn-Grow-Repeat

From Wednesday Mom – Janelle:
There are pros and cons to minivan ownership. The abundant space is the best perk. We love how much stuff we can put inside our van. It’s made packing for family vacations a breeze, hauling kids and sports equipment simultaneously possible, and the gas mileage is reasonable. I’m always a little embarrassed walking up to my mom-mobile, but once I fire her up, I’m truly happy with our purchase.

Now that both Jack and Tate are involved in sports, we’ve met many families with a similar schedule. For the time being, my kids play in the same soccer organization and they share fields at two complexes. It can still get dicey at times when my husband is out of town, but somehow it’s worked out. However, some parents have multiple children playing different sports at different locations during all times of the day and simply can’t manage to get everyone where they need to be on time. (I have my own opinions about this dilemma, but we’ll save that for another blog post.)

As of late, with sport seasons overlapping, I am everyone’s chauffeur. I’m thinking the minivan is a big red flag alerting everyone just how many people it can haul. At first, I felt a little hassled keeping up with the amount of text messages I’d receive daily asking if I could take this person to a practice, and then another text asking if I could bring these children home, and another one asking if I could pickup or take home their children from school. It was getting to the point where I was so concerned I would leave someone stranded, I had to constantly set reminders on my phone who I was taking when and where. Honestly, I started to become annoyed. After several weeks of helping out, I realized I was being selfish, and my friends were extremely thankful for the support. I put myself in their position and recognized I would be very appreciative for the support, as well.

Jack and Tate love when we have company riding in the minivan. It’s almost like a mini-play date. They catch up with a friend, or tell funny jokes. I also like the fact that they see how we’re helping out a parent/friend. I hope they will learn to return the favor. I know a time(s) will come soon where I will be the mom asking for help, so I am happy to assist while I have the extra time and the means to do so.

From Wednesday Mom: Janelle:
Jack and Tate’s sports are gearing up again for the new season. The homework piles are larger, the schedules are expanding, and my brain is doing flips. I knew there would come a time when I felt completely overwhelmed with the amount of activities going on in our lives. With my husband gone for days or weeks at a time, I’m starting to feel the pressure of solo parenting.

I am thrilled my children are involved in sports. They enjoy playing and the interaction with other kids. However, it gets very challenging when two kids have to be somewhere at the same time.  More times than not, those places are at the opposite ends of town, and I also have a parent meeting at their school thrown in for good measure. I always think, “why couldn’t they be on different nights of the week, or at different times?” I know a lot of other parents face these same dilemmas and find a balance.

Although I don’t have family nearby, I do have a great group of friends who volunteer to help me out. Luckily, their kids are involved in the same sports so they can carpool with me and make sure my child gets to where they need to be, and I can return the favor on a day when they are busy. Part of me feels guilty for not being with Jack or Tate for any or part of their game/practice. I know they don’t need me hovering 24/7, but I like to watch them have fun and improve their skills. The other part of me knows that this is how life is going to be when I’m the only parent physically home to transport and carpool. The good news is, I’m happy Jack and Tate get the opportunity to play sports and that makes me a happy mom.  It truly takes a village to raise kids!