Do you stay for all of your kids' local sporting events?

[Brenda]

We do not stay for all of Abigail's softball practices and games. Either Luis or I will stay for at least part of every game (beginning or end), but we do not stay around for practices. Her games are 1.5 hours long in this league, and the late games don't start until 7:30. With the younger kids having an 8 pm bedtime, we must get them home. Her coach also wants them there an hour before every game for practice. I cannot expect Simon to be patient for 2.5 hours at the park, and it can be pushing it for Vincent at that time of night too.

The other week, I stayed for 25 minutes at the start of her game and then started to leave with the other three. Another parent made a surprised comment about the fact that I was leaving already. I didn't think it was a big deal to miss part of the game, but I wonder if we are weird for not being there the entire time.

We do stay for the entire 45 minutes for Vincent's baseball, but that is a reflection of his age. We always stayed when Abigail and Isabella were in the early years too, but Abigail is 10 now. I don't expect to stay for all of Isabella's (8 years old) softball every week this year, but last year we did. The park is close by, so it's not like I have to drive them fifteen minutes or more to get there. I can bike there and back in 10 minutes. She is supervised by her coach the entire time, plus she has the ability to contact us if the game is called off unexpectedly.

Are we odd?

[indigo]

We do not stay for all of Abigail's softball practices and games. Either Luis or I will stay for at least part of every game (beginning or end), but we do not stay around for practices. Her games are 1.5 hours long in this league, and the late games don't start until 7:30. With the younger kids having an 8 pm bedtime, we must get them home. Her coach also wants them there an hour before every game for practice. I cannot expect Simon to be patient for 2.5 hours at the park, and it can be pushing it for Vincent at that time of night too.

The other week, I stayed for 25 minutes at the start of her game and then started to leave with the other three. Another parent made a surprised comment about the fact that I was leaving already. I didn't think it was a big deal to miss part of the game, but I wonder if we are weird for not being there the entire time.

We do stay for the entire 45 minutes for Vincent's baseball, but that is a reflection of his age. We always stayed when Abigail and Isabella were in the early years too, but Abigail is 10 now. I don't expect to stay for all of Isabella's (8 years old) softball every week this year, but last year we did. The park is close by, so it's not like I have to drive them fifteen minutes or more to get there. I can bike there and back in 10 minutes. She is supervised by her coach the entire time, plus she has the ability to contact us if the game is called off unexpectedly.

Am we odd?

One of us always did stay for the games, because if we left, guaranteed, it would be the only time all season the kid got a hit.

No, I don't think it's weird, but we do always go to the games. That was actually a league rule for C's league (age 10.) A parent had to be there for ever game and practice. (I sure didn't see every parent there for the practices, though.)

If my kids were into sports all year long I don't know if we'd always go, but they're not too involved, so it's something that we do go to when they play.

[Bonny]

no.

Granted, my kids didn't get into competitive sports until middle school age, but I try to get to all the home swim meets that I can, and as many of the football games as I can. Much depends on childcare and cost of the game.

I've never thought to stay for practice.

[aleutsi]

We do not stay for all of Abigail's softball practices and games. Either Luis or I will stay for at least part of every game (beginning or end), but we do not stay around for practices. Her games are 1.5 hours long in this league, and the late games don't start until 7:30. With the younger kids having an 8 pm bedtime, we must get them home. Her coach also wants them there an hour before every game for practice. I cannot expect Simon to be patient for 2.5 hours at the park, and it can be pushing it for Vincent at that time of night too.

The other week, I stayed for 25 minutes at the start of her game and then started to leave with the other three. Another parent made a surprised comment about the fact that I was leaving already. I didn't think it was a big deal to miss part of the game, but I wonder if we are weird for not being there the entire time.

We do stay for the entire 45 minutes for Vincent's baseball, but that is a reflection of his age. We always stayed when Abigail and Isabella were in the early years too, but Abigail is 10 now. I don't expect to stay for all of Isabella's (8 years old) softball every week this year, but last year we did. The park is close by, so it's not like I have to drive them fifteen minutes or more to get there. I can bike there and back in 10 minutes. She is supervised by her coach the entire time, plus she has the ability to contact us if the game is called off unexpectedly.

Am we odd?

Practices, no. Games, yes. During Basketball, we slipped a little. Some of the games were so far away that DS would carpool with another family - and if DH has to work and I'm sick.. those are the exceptions. But normally we go and stay for all games, even the grandparents come along and sometimes even an uncle or aunt will come.

[indigo]

Practices, no. Games, yes. During Basketball, we slipped a little. Some of the games were so far away that DS would carpool with another family - and if DH has to work and I'm sick.. those are the exceptions. But normally we go and stay for all games, even the grandparents come along and sometimes even an uncle or aunt will come.

Oh wait, that's true. When K was playing on school teams and they had an away game that was far away, we wouldn't always go. Since she went on the bus, we didn't have to, and the traffic was often horrendous and they were really far away. Especially for cross country.

[Rosemary]

be there, and sometimes with 3 kids playing sports it does happen. DH coaches M's team so he is there for most practices. One of us generally stays for all of A's practices soccer practices. We rarely stay for F's soccer practices but if I'm doing the picking up for any of them I always try to get there near the end just to check out how they are doing. I loathe baseball practices so you will never find me there!

We do not stay for all of Abigail's softball practices and games. Either Luis or I will stay for at least part of every game (beginning or end), but we do not stay around for practices. Her games are 1.5 hours long in this league, and the late games don't start until 7:30. With the younger kids having an 8 pm bedtime, we must get them home. Her coach also wants them there an hour before every game for practice. I cannot expect Simon to be patient for 2.5 hours at the park, and it can be pushing it for Vincent at that time of night too.

The other week, I stayed for 25 minutes at the start of her game and then started to leave with the other three. Another parent made a surprised comment about the fact that I was leaving already. I didn't think it was a big deal to miss part of the game, but I wonder if we are weird for not being there the entire time.

We do stay for the entire 45 minutes for Vincent's baseball, but that is a reflection of his age. We always stayed when Abigail and Isabella were in the early years too, but Abigail is 10 now. I don't expect to stay for all of Isabella's (8 years old) softball every week this year, but last year we did. The park is close by, so it's not like I have to drive them fifteen minutes or more to get there. I can bike there and back in 10 minutes. She is supervised by her coach the entire time, plus she has the ability to contact us if the game is called off unexpectedly.

Am we odd?

[Peggyann]

At this age, yes. I am there for every practice and game, and if it's not me, it's my parents or Mel or Mandi. But someone is always there with him.

~PA~

[kokoro]

I stay. I have to stay because of his allergies but even without that I think I would try to always stay because my parents stayed at my swim practices and it meant a lot to me. Ask me again when he is in high school doing something 2 hours a day 5 or more days a week and just might have a very different answer!

[Holly]

There are times when we have to divide and conquer or like tonight, both Greg and I had other commitments so my Dad took Evan to baseball practice and stayed with him the whole time.

[libbylibbylibby]

This is generally why I stay as well. The allergies just worry me too much.
I will drop Hunter off at the field and go look for a place to park if needed. And I have run an errand maybe once or twice, or stayed in the car on a cold night.
Andrew, OTOH, will grill me on "did you see this? why weren't you watching? I looked up and you were *knitting*!" So he apparently needs that. :)

[Brenda]

First of all, I am mortified by the typo in the last line of my post that I now cannot even change because it was immortalized by the quote feature. :ohno: I swear I know proper grammar!

I guess we are odd for not staying every week, eh? Neither my parents nor Luis' even came to most of our sporting events as kids (my dad came to one game in 5 years for me), so only staying for part of the game most of the time feels reasonable to us. This is interesting.

Okay, now to expand the question, how about other events your kids are in? Like the play Abigail was in last winter. We went to one show only. The girls also had two shows for their dance recital, but we only went to one. Weird or normal?

[indigo]

Okay, now to expand the question, how about other events your kids are in? Like the play Abigail was in last winter. We went to one show only. The girls also had two shows for their dance recital, but we only went to one. Weird or normal?

I really don't think it's weird or anything. My kids don't have that much that they're involved in, and I only have two kids, so I do usually want to go to their stuff. I'm sure that there will be stuff that I don't feel like I really want to go to, but it hasn't happened yet exactly (except as I realized in this threasd, the sports things that were far away.)

[jump4joy]

Okay, now to expand the question, how about other events your kids are in? Like the play Abigail was in last winter. We went to one show only. The girls also had two shows for their dance recital, but we only went to one. Weird or normal?

I go to every show Asa is in. DH and Mackenzie usually only come to one, usually the closing night. Often I'm volunteering backstage when I'm not in the audience. It seems like it's always the same moms volunteering and the same ones doing the drop-off routine, so truth be told I really appreciate the parents who stick around and help out.

[mirage1]

I guess we are odd for not staying every week, eh? Neither my parents nor Luis' even came to most of our sporting events as kids (my dad came to one game in 5 years for me), so only staying for part of the game most of the time feels reasonable to us. This is interesting.

Okay, now to expand the question, how about other events your kids are in? Like the play Abigail was in last winter. We went to one show only. The girls also had two shows for their dance recital, but we only went to one. Weird or normal?We ALL go to her games and stay for the whole thing, even XH's GF did except on the few occasions when she was out of town. (They broke up a few months ago, but she came to Cassie's b-ball game last night, when XH was out of town, and she's coming Thursday, also...I don't know if she'll come to EVERY one still but I suspect she'll still be at a lot of them!)

Whoever brings her to practice also stays, most of the time. Once in a while I might run to the grocery store or something but generally I'll stay.

If she had two performances we'd probably arrange it so one of us was at each one.

I would guess that the differences might be partly a function of only having one child, AND being a split household...Neither of us feels like we get all our Cassie time in each week, you know? So we don't tend to give up opportunities to support her.

It's also partly because it's a social thing, an opportunity to sit and chat with the other parents, or XH's XGF (LOL).

We've NEVER had anything crazy like having to be there an hour before to practice for an hour and a half game, though. That would tax my patience, especially just being a short ride from home.

What do your kids think of it all, I wonder? They might not think it's any big deal, or might even appreciate the independent feeling, you know?

[anastasia]

We do not stay for all of Abigail's softball practices and games. Either Luis or I will stay for at least part of every game (beginning or end), but we do not stay around for practices. Her games are 1.5 hours long in this league, and the late games don't start until 7:30. With the younger kids having an 8 pm bedtime, we must get them home. Her coach also wants them there an hour before every game for practice. I cannot expect Simon to be patient for 2.5 hours at the park, and it can be pushing it for Vincent at that time of night too.

The other week, I stayed for 25 minutes at the start of her game and then started to leave with the other three. Another parent made a surprised comment about the fact that I was leaving already. I didn't think it was a big deal to miss part of the game, but I wonder if we are weird for not being there the entire time.

We do stay for the entire 45 minutes for Vincent's baseball, but that is a reflection of his age. We always stayed when Abigail and Isabella were in the early years too, but Abigail is 10 now. I don't expect to stay for all of Isabella's (8 years old) softball every week this year, but last year we did. The park is close by, so it's not like I have to drive them fifteen minutes or more to get there. I can bike there and back in 10 minutes. She is supervised by her coach the entire time, plus she has the ability to contact us if the game is called off unexpectedly.

Are we odd?

We do try to be there for all of Nick's tournaments and Natalie's meets, although sometimes they happen at the same time so we have to split up.

I take Nick to one fencing class, and I usually drop him off and go grocery shopping with Michael (Nat is at gym) and then come back for the last 1/2 hour of the 1 hr 15 minute class. DH takes him to his private lesson on Saturdays and stays with him (or goes for a coffee refill and then comes back) for that half hour. Very few parents stay for the entire fencing class. Most do stay for private lessons because they're much shorter.

Natalie's practices are long and will soon be getting longer, plus I don't even drive her to most of them anymore, so I rarely see her practice. Sometimes I am the one who picks her up and if I can, I get there a little bit early so I can watch. Quite a few parents do stay for practices, even though they're 2.5 hours long. Next month when she moves up to Level 5, they will be 4 hours long, but I do know a few Level 5 parents who stay through every entire practice. There's one girl whose mom, dad and older sister all come to every practice and stay the whole time. :dunno: That's SO not for me!

[anastasia]

First of all, I am mortified by the typo in the last line of my post that I now cannot even change because it was immortalized by the quote feature. :ohno: I swear I know proper grammar!

I guess we are odd for not staying every week, eh? Neither my parents nor Luis' even came to most of our sporting events as kids (my dad came to one game in 5 years for me), so only staying for part of the game most of the time feels reasonable to us. This is interesting.

Okay, now to expand the question, how about other events your kids are in? Like the play Abigail was in last winter. We went to one show only. The girls also had two shows for their dance recital, but we only went to one. Weird or normal?

Aside from school plays, my kids have not been in anything that had multiple performances. I imagine that if they were I would not go to more than one unless I was helping out somehow.

[elizabeth]

We started dropping off for practices at age 10ish. Usually at least one of us attends the game, but if we can manage it, we both attend, as well as the sibling.

For swimming, I generally have to work the meets to get in my obligated volunteer hours, so I stay for the entire meet, but dh and Themi show up right before it starts (an hour after Sophia has to arrive) and leave at the end of her last event).

This weekend, Dh will take Themi to his soccer tournament and I'll take Sophia to her swim meet.

For winter swim, I do stay for practice, but that has to do with distance/time. Practice is an hour, it would take me 25 minutest to get home and 25 minutes to get back, so it's pointless. Other practices are less than 5 minutes from the house.

[elizabeth]

His parents rarely, or never, attending his sporting events and he always wanted them there (or to at least acknowledge that sports were a huge part of his life, and that he was very, very, very good at them), so he is really into attending the kids' events. Sophia is competing at a high enough level that her games are really enjoyable.

[MorgnsGrl]

At this age, yes. I am there for every practice and game, and if it's not me, it's my parents or Mel or Mandi. But someone is always there with him.

Yes, this is us, too. We've only done t-ball so far and one of the league rules (at this age) is that a parent must be present for all practices and games. The coaches aren't allowed to administer first aid, and the bathroom is very far away across the fields. And the kids are only 6-7. Don't know how I'd feel when DS is older, but at this age I wouldn't leave him.

[Rosemary]

First of all, I am mortified by the typo in the last line of my post that I now cannot even change because it was immortalized by the quote feature. :ohno: I swear I know proper grammar!

I guess we are odd for not staying every week, eh? Neither my parents nor Luis' even came to most of our sporting events as kids (my dad came to one game in 5 years for me), so only staying for part of the game most of the time feels reasonable to us. This is interesting.

Okay, now to expand the question, how about other events your kids are in? Like the play Abigail was in last winter. We went to one show only. The girls also had two shows for their dance recital, but we only went to one. Weird or normal?
I don't think it's odd or not odd, everyone is different. I don't stay for gymnastics practice, it's 3 freaking hours! There are moms that do stay though - I get there the last half hour about once a week. We've never had two day dance recitals, but have had one day gym recitals, which we go to, whoever can. There have been times where it's just me, and I feel odd because there are parents, grandparents, cousins and tons of flowers. I don't do that.

Believe me, there are parents who need to stay away from sporting events, but that will never happen :P

We just go because we do. I don't know, I never really considered not going unless we couldn't go, and we do have to tag team it with 3 kids, so it's not like we can all go to all games at the same time. We also have the issue now of the 14 year old who prefers to not go to his siblings games, and that annoys me, because we have and still do cart him around to hall his stuff constantly, but we sometimes let him have a pass.

[Rosemary]

and yeah, the higher level stuff is fun to watch for sure. The baseball, ugh, some days I think we should all bring drinks to get through it!

His parents rarely, or never, attending his sporting events and he always wanted them there (or to at least acknowledge that sports were a huge part of his life, and that he was very, very, very good at them), so he is really into attending the kids' events. Sophia is competing at a high enough level that her games are really enjoyable.

[Holly]

practices and vice versa. There are parents whose company I thorougly enjoy at Evan's practices and a few at Bella's as well. My husband always helps on the field during both their practices and he enjoys that as well.

[elsie]

I am almost always at Abel's games and practices. I only leave if there is something very pressing to do.

I don't have other kids, and I think this makes a big difference here. If I had littles, I would go do other things with them more often, instead of staying.

I like staying. I like chatting with the other parents during little league. I bring my knitting and have some time to just sit. I don't like the feeling of dropping A. off, rushing back home, trying to get things done on an hour, and getting back on time to get him.

We've only had to deal with twice a week games/practices so far. I feel as he gets older, and as practices increase (next summer it will be 4 instead of 2), I won't stay as often. But pretty much, I'm gonna be at every game.

My parents never, ever came to a single game I played. Not a tennis match, softball game, basketball, nothing. It really affected me, and I want to make sre Abel knows I support his activities. I'm sure there will come a time when he'd rather I just drop him off sometimes, and I'll do that for him, but for now, he says he wants me there.

[ellis]

I try to make most of her softball games, but there's never been a game where all the parents were there the whole time. Kids get dropped off or one parent brings 2 or 3 of the kids. None of the parents hung around at practice except for me (I did stay for a few because there's a playground right there and DD2 (5) likes to play on it.)

DD1 dances and does karate and I don't hang around for those practices/classes either. Some parents do, some don't. I think it mostly depends on whether they can make better use of their time doing something else or whether it's more efficient to just wait around, because the parents that stay are usually reading, knitting, doing work, etc.

She is in a lot of shows and up until now we have had at least one parent at every performance, but we are just now making the transition to having her perform without a parent present. She is in a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and there are a total of 9 performances. It's just too much time, and the tickets are expensive. This is a good time to test the waters because her role (children's choir) is not stressful for her so she doesn't really need the support of a family member in the audience. If she had a major role I'd probably still want one of us there all the time just for support and in case something happened. So far she's done two shows with us there and four without us and everything has been just fine.

I was a swimmer and my mom came to every meet I had for the ten years that I swam. But she didn't hang out at practices.

[Brenda]

It's also partly because it's a social thing, an opportunity to sit and chat with the other parents, or XH's XGF (LOL).

I have never gotten to do the sit and chat thing because of having to chase around a toddler or run a preschooler over to the playground area. It would be a lot more enjoyable if I could do that.

We've NEVER had anything crazy like having to be there an hour before to practice for an hour and a half game, though. That would tax my patience, especially just being a short ride from home.

I think that is a very long time, but Abigail loves it. Softball is just over at that park we walked to, so really, really close to our house.


What do your kids think of it all, I wonder? They might not think it's any big deal, or might even appreciate the independent feeling, you know?

LOL, if Abigail had her druthers, she would get to bike all by herself there and back too! We'd show up for a little while during the middle of each game, see her get a good hit and then leave so that she would have to bike home later. She is itching for independence!

Vincent's baseball started last night too, and that is a 10 minute bike ride the other direction. That runs from 5:15 until 6, so when Abigail has 6 pm games, she will kind of get her wish if Luis and I cannot divide and conquer that night. The 13 year old on the corner is happy to bike over with her if this happens because we are not ready to let her do this alone yet!

[Brenda]

I go to every show Asa is in. DH and Mackenzie usually only come to one, usually the closing night. Often I'm volunteering backstage when I'm not in the audience. It seems like it's always the same moms volunteering and the same ones doing the drop-off routine, so truth be told I really appreciate the parents who stick around and help out.

For the dance recital, it was required that parents are responsible for their own kids and helping them with their hair, makeup and costumes. So I was backstage helping them get ready, but then I took a book (Green & Black's Chocolate Cookbook :chef:), went out to the lobby and read instead of watching them a second time. I was in the building, but I was using it for my time instead.

[anastasia]

I don't think it's odd or not odd, everyone is different. I don't stay for gymnastics practice, it's 3 freaking hours! There are moms that do stay though - I get there the last half hour about once a week. We've never had two day dance recitals, but have had one day gym recitals, which we go to, whoever can. There have been times where it's just me, and I feel odd because there are parents, grandparents, cousins and tons of flowers. I don't do that.

Believe me, there are parents who need to stay away from sporting events, but that will never happen :P

We just go because we do. I don't know, I never really considered not going unless we couldn't go, and we do have to tag team it with 3 kids, so it's not like we can all go to all games at the same time. We also have the issue now of the 14 year old who prefers to not go to his siblings games, and that annoys me, because we have and still do cart him around to hall his stuff constantly, but we sometimes let him have a pass.

Nick HATES coming to gymnastics meets, so I try to find him somewhere else to be. I can't blame him really—they're long and, TBH, rather boring even for the parents. But now of course Natalie is complaining that she doesn't want to go to his tournaments, which I also can't blame her for—they can also get long and boring. I was hoping they'd grow up supporting each other's activities and cheering each other on, but at this point it's not looking like that. :-(

[Wendy]

this is the time when most of us moms get together and have a nice time just chatting about things going on in our lives. There are 5 us moms whose kids have been playing baseball togethers since 1st grade and our kids don't go to the same school so it's a nice relaxing time when we are not watching the games to chat.

One of us is always at the games though. And with two kids playing competitive sports we split it up. Sometimes it depends on the sport. With football, Tim coaches so which ever kid he is coaching I attend the other game. Thankfully we have not had much over lap in regards to games.

Now on the flip side, I can totally see your point of view. When Catherine was younger there were time she just did not want to be at the game or it was going to be way past her bed time so we would always ask the kids which parent they wanted to stay.

And really, in the end, if it works for your family that is what matters the most.

[Rosemary]

Nick HATES coming to gymnastics meets, so I try to find him somewhere else to be. I can't blame him really—they're long and, TBH, rather boring even for the parents. But now of course Natalie is complaining that she doesn't want to go to his tournaments, which I also can't blame her for—they can also get long and boring. I was hoping they'd grow up supporting each other's activities and cheering each other on, but at this point it's not looking like that. :-(
Oh I hear you, things like meets and tournaments can sometimes be out of the range of normal acceptable suck it up. I did make Mike come to one meet last year but he was punished and I wasn't allowing him to just stay home. Things like this create a problem, for isntance on Sunday F had a tourney and since it was at a German club that has a pool DH and I actually enjoy going, as does A, as used to M, who has played in this tournament since he was 9, but is now too old LOL. Well, he didn't want to go, and neither of us were comfortable with being an hour away for an extended period with him just wandering around. We made a deal and he came up with a friend's parents and stayed for a game to watch, went swimming and he and DH went home after a couple hours.

[Bonny]

I don't bring my littles to swim meets -- well, they go once in a while if it's a YMCA one. They're too long and hot and boring for them (and the school ones cost me $5 apiece to get the kids in). My ds, otoh, enjoys going to some of the meets. I think it's got a lot to do w maturity level and will probably change as time goes on.

[Bonny]

who's playing what? (nt)

[Annamarie]

I would go to both shows if something else wasn't standing in the way. Unless there was a grandparent who could only go the second night and I might allow them to take her and bring her home. I don't go to EVERY kung fu practice because a grandparent might take them but if I am there, I stay because it just cost too much in gas to drive there twice...for baseball/softball, yes...one of us was always there during practice and games from start to finish.

[Bonny]

huh. I wonder if my neice and nephew are playing over there this summer .....

[mirage1]

LOL, if Abigail had her druthers, she would get to bike all by herself there and back too! We'd show up for a little while during the middle of each game, see her get a good hit and then leave so that she would have to bike home later. She is itching for independence!Oh, that's right! She's all grown up. :-)

[lisabelle]

I am a horrible sports mom. The whole thing is foreign to me and makes me incredibly uncomfortable. It's partially because I had no exposure myself to it as a child (my parents didn't have the interest or money to put me or my brothers in sports) and it's also partially because Matt just plain isn't very good at team sports. But let me qualify that...if I could see that he wasn't very good but was trying his best, I'd be very proud. The truth of the matter is that he goofs around a *lot* and it infuriates me. It makes me mad over the money we've spent and it makes me mad for all his teammates who are out there trying their best.

The sports dh makes Matt do are soccer in the fall and baseball in the spring. Dh has usually acted as an assistant coach so he's there for all the practices. The past couple of years I have been much better about going to all the games (I think I only missed one game this past soccer season and baseball season). I didn't go at first because I'd be so cranky by the end of the games. But now I go and socialize with the other parents and try not to focus Matt's performance. There's this one coach in both leagues that makes the other parents crazy, so I try to go in and keep the peace. I like to think I'm making things easier on Matt's team's coaches.

But little by little I'm trying to make headway with the dh. I appreciate where he's coming from--he wants Matt to move his body and he wants Matt to experience teamwork. I can't fault him for either of those things. But I'm thinking Matt might be better suited to sports where he's trying to exceed his personal best. So this summer Matt's doing golf lessons (he has great hand-eye coordination; I think he only struck out once this whole Little League season), and then he and I will be training to run a 5K. In one of his writing prompts right after the new year he was asked to list 10 things he would like to accomplish this year. One of the things he wrote was that he's like to do a fun run with his dad (dh runs half marathons). So I'm going to try to help him achieve that goal.