After school activities and sports is crushing us

[Anonymous]

I have 3 kids. When kids were younger, each kid would play 1 sport per season that consisted of 1 practice and 1 weekend game. I now have 1 kid in elementary, 1 in middle school and 1 in high school. Middle and high school kid sports have practice 3-5x per week plus games and my elementary kid has an activity 2x per week.

How do people manage these sports?

It literally takes up all our time.

[Anonymous]

I also have 3 kids - 2 in MS and 1 in HS. We have the same problem. We have just accepted that every evening involves driving kids to sports. My work is flexible so that I can work around the driving schedule. I am counting the days until my oldest can drive, as that will solve some problems. He is one year away from that.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, I don't. My kids have to be able to walk or take the bus. Maybe they'll tell their therapists that they were neglected in a few years.

[Anonymous]

Carpools! But yes, that's just the stage of parenting kids that age. I try to remember that in a few years they won't need me to run them around and I'll be wishing for more time with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have 3 kids. When kids were younger, each kid would play 1 sport per season that consisted of 1 practice and 1 weekend game. I now have 1 kid in elementary, 1 in middle school and 1 in high school. Middle and high school kid sports have practice 3-5x per week plus games and my elementary kid has an activity 2x per week.

How do people manage these sports?

It literally takes up all our time.

Correct.

That's it. My kids are high school/college age now, but that's how it was for us, till Covid. What a shock that was going from "everything all the time" to nothing.
You could try to do some carpools if you have room in your car to do your part too. Otherwise, it's just power through. There's no magic trick.

[Anonymous]

We have 2 kids 4 years apart, that helped tremendously.

[Anonymous]

Can you work out carpooling for the older ones?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Carpools! But yes, that's just the stage of parenting kids that age. I try to remember that in a few years they won't need me to run them around and I'll be wishing for more time with them.

This. Also your high school kid shouldn't need shuttling around. They can pack a bag and stay at school doing homework or whatever until practice starts. Just pick them up after.

[Anonymous]

The answer is in your title. Stop. It’s not worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Carpools! But yes, that's just the stage of parenting kids that age. I try to remember that in a few years they won't need me to run them around and I'll be wishing for more time with them.

This. Also your high school kid shouldn't need shuttling around. They can pack a bag and stay at school doing homework or whatever until practice starts. Just pick them up after.

Op never said the practices take place at their school. I know when my oldest was in high school and was in XC, practices took place about 2 hours after school, in a more remote location about 5 miles from the school.
I'd imagine many high schools that don't have a pool onsite have the same issue for the swim team.

Also, at my kids' high school they aren't allowed to just hang out on school grounds. Students are expected to be picked up immediately after school or activity has finished.

[Anonymous]

This is a very first world problem of your own creation.

Carpools, as others have suggested and just suck it up. Or, cut back on the sports and activities.

[Anonymous]

It is a season of life that will last just a few years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have 2 kids 4 years apart, that helped tremendously.

I have two kids three years apart and we are just as swamped as OP. I mostly miss eating homecooked dinners together and having reasonable bedtimes.

[Anonymous]

Only solution is to drop some activities. You sound over scheduled

[Anonymous]

Don’t have 3 kids