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Last week my children had baseball & softball tryouts. Now that both my children are older and have several years of ball-playing under their belts, we have learned a few things about the ballpark, practice/game times, and keeping a well-balanced family scheduled. Although most weeks run smoothly, there is always a day or two during the week that seem to just fall apart. Because of have the motto: Hope for the best, be prepared for the worst when it comes to time management.

Are you new to the after-school ballpark rush? Here are some easy tips so you don’t “strike out” when it comes to time management and balancing family inside/outside the home.

1. Always Plan Your Upcoming Week. What’s the Game Plan?
Regardless of your employment status, we are all mothers. Our job as mothers and household managers never ends. Use the weekend to plan out your upcoming week. When are practices/games for the children? Will both parents be at practice? Can 1 parent bring child 1. so that the other parent can stay with child 2 & 3? Will the entire family be at practices AND games? Decide your intentions and go from there.

2. Leave the Sunflower Seeds & Cracker Jacks At Home.
Concession stand food can be pricey. Even at practice you can find yourself shelling out big bucks for nachos, Slim Jims & sunflower seeds. If you think you may need snacks buy in bulk and bring a few in a sports tote for your player or the rest of the family. The occasional bottled water or Powerade won’t hurt, especially since the funds are going back into your local ballpark, but be prepared and buy ahead.

3. Buy Equipment Used or Discounted After A Season Ends
This tip may not always work especially for growing children, but normally you can pick up helmets and bats discounted after season or at garage sales. They’re good practice equipment and you can also resell after you have used them for your own children as well. join a sports trading group. Facebook or Craigslist generally offers sporting equipment that locals are reselling. Use that to your advantage or sell your own equipment to pay for new registration fees.

4.Plan Dinner Meals Ahead Instead of Hitting the Drive Thru.
For every sport our children play, we eat together before practice. This works for my family because I plan dinner in advance and find simple solutions for a quick meal. It is important to me that we eat as a family regardless of practice time. Believe me, my schedule is jam-packed, but even if we have 20 minutess of family dinner time, it’s 20 minutes we can enjoy as a family unit.

5.”Winning Isn’t Everything, It’s The Only Thing”
My children are very competitive but as much fun as it is to win, they have to lose occasionally. Make sure to teach your little ones how to be a “good winner & a good loser”. No one wants to lose, but if you do lose, you want to do it honorably.

6. Emotions Can Run Fast, You Don’t Strike Out From The Bleachers
We’re mothers so naturally we are there to defend our children & speak for them when it’s needed, but keep other parents & coaches in mind as well. Emotions can run high from the bleacher, but try to maintain dignity and composure. Only 1 time did I have to get in a coaches face & it was due to poor sportsmanship on his part. Always be sure to praise children, every child.

Do you have ballplayers in your family? What lessons have you learned from the bleachers?

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