I have six kids and every single one of them plays hockey.
Many have asked how I survive the driving, the expense, the equipment and – let’s face it – the hockey bag smell that consumes my home.
Other than using a lot of Febreze, here are my hockey season survival tips for busy moms and families:
I’ve put daughters and sons together and had kids play up or down a level if it meant being on the same team as a sibling. Because my kids are close in age, I occasionally have six kids on only four teams. There have been times when they have been on six different teams. That is most uncivilized.
Best case scenario is that this friend of yours is also a neighbour. While we all love going to games, those 6:00 AM practices are the pits. It’s great to have a family to carpool with for all practices, especially those early ones.
I know, I know. Some of you with only a couple of kids are hesitant to drive around in a mini-van, but it’s your ticket to effective carpooling. You can fit in loads of teammates and hockey bags. Sharing the driving is a sanity saver for busy families.
I have no NHL or Olympic hockey aspirations for my kiddos. They are well suited to play against kids in our very own town. Rep is fun, but it’s also expensive and takes families out of town for most weekends. If you go into it, have your eyes wide open. Hockey will be the number one priority for your family.
Looking at mid-range gear, including sticks and skates, you’re looking at about $700.00 per child. With so many kids playing hockey, it’s essential that we don’t lose equipment so I can hand it down to the next kid in line. My youngest kiddo is wearing the same gear his five older siblings did when they were his size. Take good care of the equipment and be sure to use name labels to ensure that lost glove in the change room finds its way back to you.
Has your family taken up the very Canadian tradition of playing hockey? How often do you have to face the cold arena each week?
Printer-friendly version