Back to School—Back to Busy

If your kids play rep sports or take part in other competitive activities, things start getting really busy.

During the summer months, for many families, schedules relax and routines fall to the wayside, but with school just around the corner, you may want to start gearing up for fall.

Here some tips on balancing the many demands of school and competitive activities:

 Get an over-sized calendar

One of my must-haves is an over-sized calendar with big squares to write all our time commitments down in. An online calendar is great, but when you are held up in traffic and your spouse is trying to figure out what arena the game is at they don't have time to turn on your computer and try to find your calendar. We keep ours tucked under the kitchen cupboard for easy access. Oh, and make sure you write in pencil – my first year as a rep parent, I thought I was so smart to write in all the practices from September to March using ink. I wasn't too happy when I had to scribble out 4 months of practices after a scheduling change.

I also recommend writing the earliest events at the top of the day and later ones at the bottom. We once missed an evening birthday party because it was written above the 4 pm practice. Oops! I am still paying for that one.

Plan your meals

Meal planning is another lifesaver. I plan out the meals for the week on Sunday and write them on a small, magnetic white board that hangs on the fridge. That way everyone knows the plan, and if someone is hung up with work, or homework, someone else can get dinner started. I would also recommend making the slow-cooker your friend if it isn't already.

During that hour before a game when you have to hang around the rink, or field or gym – trade recipes with the other parents – you have a wealth of knowledge right in front of you most of the time.

Get creative with homework

Homework can be another struggle, but if you approach it right, you may find this is one area that competitive sports can actually help with. Before my son began playing rep hockey, I think I hated homework as much as my son did. He would procrastinate, complain and a 30-minute assignment would end up taking up our whole evening.

My husband and I made it clear before my son even tried out for the rep team that any of that kind of behaviour would end his hockey career very abruptly. We found he actually focused much better and used his time more efficiently knowing that schoolwork was the priority. That being said, we were sometimes creative in *where* the homework was completed. If your child can read in the car, then make use of the driving time to and from out-of-town games. My son can't read in the car, but he can practice his times tables, spell out loud and discuss subjects being taught.

Try to carve out time whenever you can – after school *and* before school. If the teacher gives your child a few days to complete a project, have him/her do the bulk of it on the days when you don't have a practice or a game and leave the easier stuff for the busiest nights.

Generally, my advice is to plan, plan, plan.

Good Luck!