Your Child's Responsibilities....

Yes, your child should have responsibilities, even as a child-athlete. How many times have you arrived at the soccer field without a soccer ball? How many times have you arrived at the football field without a water bottle? Or how many times have you arrived at the hockey rink without a single skate?

My guess is that many of us can relate in some way to the above scenarios. Whose fault is it? Yours? Your child's?

Okay, I agree with you--it's most likely the child's fault. However, I encourage you to keep in mind that, as parents, most of us are over-scheduled and constantly in a hurry. Parents tend to throw in a load of laundry, microwave a hot dog, change a dirty diaper, and/or take a last minute phone call all while getting several children out the door to several different practices. Sound familiar?

A key responsibility for your child-athlete is getting themselves and their gear ready for a practice or a game. The following tips will help you and your child to avoid or persevere through moments of blame and forgetfulness:

1. Stay calm. Becoming irate does not help an already stressful situation. Take a deep breath and try to think clearly before reacting to your child's forgetfulness.
2. Assign a specific location to keep each child's gear. A specific location for each child's gear will help you and your child with being able to locate the proper gear quickly.
3. Assign a specific area for all sports-related dirty laundry. Dirty uniforms are often discovered just before a game. Prevent this by having your child place their dirty uniform or equipment in a specified area. You're more likely to have it ready if you are actually away that it's dirty!
4. Store away all old gear. Gear that is too big, too small, or not necessary for your child's current sport should be stored away. If you keep old gear mixed with new gear, you and your child will be confused when you're in a rush to get out the door.
5. Create an equipment check list. If your child is repeatedly missing equipment when he arrives at practice, consider using a check list that is your child's responsibility before you leave the house.
6. Suffer the consequences. Age permitting, if your child repeatedly forgets equipment, consider having him sit out of a game or practice. This is hard to do, but it might be a good lesson to learn.

Once again, remember that bringing equipment is your child's responsibility. But it is your responsibility to guide and teach your child. Try out some of the above tips, and let us know how they work for you.