In all honesty, there are times when it's hard to enjoy the season when you're juggling little ones, taking care of the house, and working full time. In my community of coach's wives, I have people ask all the time how do you navigate the chaos of the season with kids. My answer, you just have to find what works for you. Having been at the Division I level for three seasons, I can tell you that what works for you at one school may not work for you at the next school. We are currently at a smaller Division II school now, so I have found a little more freedom.
Nonetheless, I would like to offer some of my life saving hacks on surviving the season, with a smile, and two little boys.
1. Enjoy summer and the downtime.
We enjoy a lot of time as a family before camp starts. You can make this small activities around town and simply having family game nights or movie nights at home. You can also take one last weekend getaway before football steals daddy away.
2. Communicate with your kids.
My five year old is gaining a better understanding of what it means when camp rolls in and the season starts. It helps him to enjoy the time that he does get to see dad.
3. Take the kids to see coach as much as your time, and his time, allows.
Towards the end of camp I always take the kids up to watch practice and see dad. My boys love being around the team and at the field. The last Sunday of camp the team attends church and we also go. It just another moment for our family to bond with our football family. If my boys are really missing dad and it's been a few days since they've seen him, we pop in the office and just visit for a little bit. They get just enough of dad time to fill their love tanks and then they are happy campers again.
4. Set up play dates.
If you have other wives on staff with young children, set up play dates! Enjoy the adult conversation and the time to unwind.
5. Set a routine. Live the routine.
As any parent knows, children flourish on structure. Fall camp means back to school as well, so when camp starts, we start our back to school schedules. Our evenings fall back into the usual regimen:gym(for mom of course), dinner, bath, bedtime. This can prove challenging during the season because sometimes they want to stay up to see daddy, but I try to stay consistent with bedtimes. As I mentioned earlier, if dad has made it home three nights in a row without seeing the boys then we will make a visit to the office and see dad.
Now, switching gears, lets talk about hanging with little during the season!
Here are some life hacks on handling football games with littles, like a boss!
1. If your children are young, invest in noise cancelling headphones. As the season progresses and it gets cooler you can swap out headphones for ear muffs or neoprene headbands. Both of these will provide noise reduction as well as keep the ears warm.
2. Dress for the weather.
When the season begins, we are usually plagued with smoldering hot conditions! Kids need sunscreen and hats. I also dress mine in dri-fit so they stay cool. As the weather cools off, be prepared for cooler temps. At kick off it might be sunny and 78, but as the sun goes down and it cools off to the 50s or 60s, chances are that you'll need a jacket or long pants for the littles.
3. If you don't have stadium seating, invest in a good set of stadium seat pads! They will change your life! Especially when that one year old starts to snooze during the fourth quarter and you need to lean back.
4. Fill the sleep tanks!
If we have an early kick off I will wake the boys up early so that they can take an earlier nap. If we don't kick until 6:00, I let the boys sleep in later thus they take later naps. Nap time is everything and we never miss a nap time on a Saturday.
5. Snacks/Drinks
Pack snacks and drinks! I know this luxury isn't an option for everyone, but if your stadium has more lenient rules then take advantage! I use a plastic container with compartments. You can find these at Hobby Lobby and Joann's. They make packing snacks so easy!
6. Electronics
I pack iPads for a security measure. Just in case we get antsy, I can put on Netflix and they're manageable for another good hour or so.
7. Help kiddos understand the game.
Our oldest is five now and he's taking more of interest in the game. This gives us a chance to bond and they learn about what daddy does all day. We read children's books about football so we can talk about what is happening on the field. One day he will impress his daddy with all his knowledge.
8. Avoid strollers.
On a regular day, I am all about strollers. However they are not ideal for a stadium. If you have young little ones, I would suggest baby wearing. If you've never worn your baby, this is a good time to start! Your hands are free. Baby is usually pretty happy being snuggled up to mom. You don't have to worry about an escape from the stroller. (Side note: both of my boys were Houdini when it came to getting out of their strollers.)
If you see a fellow coach's wife struggling to wrangle in her herd at games, lend her a hand. She may not thank you immediately but in her heart she will! The saying holds, "it takes a village." It truly does and in coaching, your football family is your family.
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