We've always been a "one sport at at time" family. The kids do a variety of activities - but they do them one at a time. If they want to take gymnastics...well, then they can't play soccer. If they want to take ice skating lessons...well, then swimming will have to wait. One thing at a time.
This sounds reasonable to me. But you'd be surprised how unusual we are. We are the exception. Most of the D's friends are in multiple organized sports.
This spring, I signed son D. up for two sports. (Soccer and T-ball) In my defense, I didn't think they were simultaneous. I thought they overlapped for maybe one week. I was wrong. They overlap for the entire month of May.
May is making me tired.
Other families do this all the time. Most of our neighbors have kids in 2-3 sports - ALL YEAR LONG.
How do they do it? This is so totally not working for us. May is over soon, so I'll make it. But barely.
I loved this article from a professor from my alma mater:
http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/greatergood/2008spring/Elkind344.html
My neighbor wrote another great commentary:
http://www.thedailypage.com/isthmus/article.php?article=22645
Ironically, Son D. loves both the sports and seems to be doing fine with the schedule. For those of you who are related to him, you can see him in T-ball action here: (don't click if you aren't related by blood....these things are fascinating for relatives but very,very boring for all others)
http://gallery.mac.com/dnelson1822#100000
But the rest of us? Not doing so well. Tired and over scheduled. Live and Learn.
Next spring, he'll have to choose.
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4 comments:
Definitely one at a time in this house and it isn't rare for our (slacker!) city neighborhood. We have friends who allow one KID at a time (Ellie plays soccer, and when it's done, then Tess can do gymnastics).
But I always exclude swimming lessons from any tally--that is a life skill, not a sport. Otherwise, it's one at a time.
I hear you!! so many of our friends run themselves ragged, from Scouts to soccer/football to baseball, etc. I don't know how they do it. Or why.
Our kids have swim & music lessons ... life skills, as B. says.
Otherwise, they're limited to one activity. For the Boy, it's Chess through the Fall into Spring. The Girl just finished the after school Tee-ball league at school, and usually takes dance lessons.
And we don't do anything except violin during the summer. Life is just too short.
did you hear these stories on NPR earlier this year?
http://tinyurl.com/2oa62f
http://tinyurl.com/285vg9
AB will be 5 after the summer. Several of his friends at preschool have been doing organized sports for a while already. Multiple sports. I feel we are behind, yet I feel that WE are the normal people and everyone else is a weird result of the DC-burbs go-go-go mentality. As you know, I've grown up here, but organized sports weren't such a huge deal until the past 15 years or so. Everyone used to play one sport at a time (except for the SUPER serious athletes, like my best friend).
I intend to do what you're doing: pick one sport per season.
We are definitely a one-at-a-time family. We have three children: how on earth could we manage more than one at a time...and why would we want to? *grin* But yes, we do seem to be the exception. Though when I tell people that we're only "allowing" one activity at a time, I often get "Good for you!" comments, so I wonder why it is we are such a novelty?
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