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Youth Sports vs. Time Together
6 Tips for Finding Balance and Reclaiming Family
By Brooke de Lench
6. Coach your child's team on "kid time."
Too many parents fall victim to the idea that practices have to happen after an adult's workday is over. This falls during the dinner hour, when children should be spending time with their family. With the new statistics of parents (primarily mothers) working from home, why not get your coaching license and run the practice in the afternoon right after school is over? This will give you time to be with your children and their friends and still be home in time for dinner with the rest of the family. It is possible to create balance within your family's everyday life, even with children who participate in sports. But it is up to you as the parents to make certain that your kids don't over schedule and that they establish the right priorities.
Brooke de Lench, youth sports parenting expert and author of Home Team Advantage: The Critical Role of Mothers in Youth Sports (Collins, 2006), has helped more than 42 million moms and dads worldwide get the tools and information they need to make their child's youth sports experience safer, less stressful and more inclusive. For more information on balancing your child's sports life with your family life, go to momsteam.com and sign up for Brooke's free newsletter.