Sports for DC and both parents work FT?

If you and your DH both work full-time jobs with regular workday hours (8-5) what kind of sports do your children participate in? I get upset because all the sports teams have practices during the week and the coaches make them at 5:00. Even if we worked in town, how the heck do you make that happen? This is the third time I’ve signed up for a sport and can’t take DC to any of the practices. Am I the only person who doesn’t get home until 6-6:30ish? What do all these people do for a living and what am I doing wrong, lol. We do brownies & boy scouts, but those meetings start at 6:30. Are my children just doomed to not play sports, lol.

Re: Sports for DC and both parents work FT?

I coach soccer, and my practices have always been on Saturdays, and the games on Sundays. The fields are usually filled on Saturdays, which means that most other coaches also practice on the weekend. I tried doing weekday practices, but I get home earlier than most people (5:30 or so), but even starting at 6 is getting late to be outside for most of the year.

I also encourage parents to sign up to coach, because then you get to make up the practice schedule...

Re: Sports for DC and both parents work FT?

That's really annoying. I lucked out because all of my son's coaches work also so practice, at the earliest, starts at 5:45. I don't get how coaches can expect kids there any earlier either. If they started any earlier, he would get there when he gets there. Can you request that he be put on a team that holds later practices?

Re: Sports for DC and both parents work FT?

I work and commute and often don't get home until 6:00-6:30 and my son plays baseball.

We actually lucked out with winter practices this year because they were both days on the weekends and Wednesday at 7pm.

Last spring/fall, he'd miss some, my SO took him on occasion, and my parents helped out. They don't have to make every practice/game, especially if they are little

Sports for DC and both parents work FT?

all of our stuff starts at 5. My husband coaches 2 teams and every kid gets there by 5 (sometimes I am even surprised at that!). Once my kids started getting into these things - I changed my hours so I can leave at 4:30. Also, my mom watches them after school so she takes them to some activities and I met them there.

Re: Sports for DC and both parents work FT?

Lots of help.

My son does in-house and also Travel baseball in the Spring, Travel Baseball in the Summer, and Football in the fall.

my daughter has dance, soccer and gymnsatics.

I carpool a lot with teammates moms, my mom helps, sometimes I work through lunch and leave early (I have a flexible job, thankfully).

I was just saying to my boss today when we were discussing our kids sports for spring how I dont know how we both make it work, but we do.

Re: Sports for DC and both parents work FT?

Thats tough!

Idk how families do it! Plus how do you eat dinner as a family?!

I would suggest finding another league or asking other parents for help.

Re: Sports for DC and both parents work FT?

We can generally make the practices work between us. There are a few weeks at the end of the fall season where soccer practice starts at 5ish because it gets dark so early. We just get there late. DS1 (3rd grade) plays 2 sports per season so our Mondays-Thursdays are booked. DH does the earlier practices because he works closer to home. Baseball games during the week tend to start around 5:45. Other sports just have practice during the week and games on the weekend. Some practices start at 5:30, but others don't start until 6:30 or 7. It's hectic and a balancing act, but we're lucky that we can leave at a reasonable hour at our jobs.

Sports for DC and both parents work FT?

My DS doesn't work M-F but, most practices seem to fall on days he's working.

I either work from home that day, carpool with another parent or have my inlaws help.

This baseball season has been tough so far - the practices have been pretty early and both boys are playing which makes it even tougher. Tomorrow, thankfully I'm working from home since we have 4:30 and 5:30 practices!

Re: Sports for DC and both parents work FT?

For the most part the practices for DS has always been a 5:30 or 6pm start time. It's STRESSFUL as all heck trying to get there on time, so I've realized - I'm just not going to get there in time. I work at home now, but when I didn't it would be such a rush to get out on time, pick him up, get him dressed and out the door...snack in the car - GO GO GO...

What I would hate, is I would purposely sign him up for a sport based on the practice times, and then the coach we'd get would change it based on his schedule. Hey - that's great - you volunteered, but I wouldn't have signed up it was based on your schedule. There have been times I've had to switch teams because of this. Thankfully the league was able to make this happen.

I've been told to "make friends and carpool" with other team members. But if I don't know them well enough, my kid is not getting driven by a "stranger".