Football Mom

It was probably when I was in middle school that I first heard the term, "Soccer mom".  The visual I concocted back then was of a mom who brought snacks for the team, drove a mini-van, and made sure her kids were ready for the big game on Saturday. So when I became a mom I wondered what sports and activities my kids would participate in as they got older.

Fast-forward a few years and here I am a Dance Mom and a Football Mom.  I'm also a Track Mom and a Basketball Mom. If I knew then what I know now, that just means I spend a lot of time in my SUV taking kids to and from practices and games.  My weekend plans must be scheduled around games and some of those games are spent on very hot fields or tracks with the sun cooking me to a crisp.

I'm learning what we need for this gig I call Football Mom. Last weekend was the first real football game and I had NO idea a game for 7-year-olds could last 2 hours! I was so hot and hungry I could have chewed off my arm, it was cooked to medium-well by then. So I will definitely need to pack a cooler - on wheels thanks to a suggestion made by my older sister who's been there done that - with snacks and plenty of water. Hopefully we can get some kind of umbrella, tent, get-out-of-the-sun coverage mechanism soon because I refuse to sit and fry again! I figure it'll be freezing cold soon enough and it'll still be useful on those cold, windy days. Sadly, I'd almost rather not go to the game than sit and be as uncomfortable as I was last weekend!!!

The expectation in our house is that the kids will be active. With childhood obesity rates climbing every day, keeping the kids moving will help offset weight gain, so it's worthwhile to us. But I've come to the realization that keeping them active means a full schedule of planning ahead for snacks and water bottles, driving to and from games and practices - which aren't always close by! Oh and lots of money spent on uniforms, pads, running shoes, ballet shoes, and cleats. I'm sure Dance/Track/Football/Basketball Mom is no different a gig than Soccer Mom is, only I don't drive a mini-van.