Car (and Life) Peace With Kids' Sports
Fall means a lot of things, like a certain seasonal latte, crunchy leaves, cooler temps, and for many of us, an abundance of car time transporting kids to their various sports engagements. Since all of that time in the car probably means our vehicles are becoming mini storage units of athletic gear, we’re here to offer you some organizational tips along with some favorite products that might help keep this busy season a little more peaceful for you. Let’s get into it.
#1: Keep an extra in the car
An extra what? Well, that depends on what your sport needs, but ultimately there is going to be SOMETHING that, if forgotten at home, means your kid or someone else’s kid doesn’t get to play in the game. Things like socks, mouth guards, shin guards, and other safety items are generally inexpensive and are required for games, so even if your child said she knows “for sure for sure” that she put both of her knee pads in her volleyball bag, you can rest assured that she’ll get to play even if she “for sure for sure” didn’t because you have an extra set in the car, just in case.
#2: Buy the next size in advance
It would be super fantastic if our kids sized up in shoes in perfect time to buy a new pair for their sport season, but we all know growth spurts don’t work like that and it’s not unheard of for the shoes your kid wore at the game last week to suddenly not go on their foot this week because they’re too small. To avoid this sweat-inducing pre-game moment, I like to buy the next size up in advance so that when this happens, we can quickly and easily transition to shoes that fit. In our life, that means extra ballet slippers and jazz shoes, but in your life that could mean extra volleyball sneakers or soccer/football cleats.
#3 Keep creature comforts in the car
Having one kid in a sport means the rest of the family is going to be watching a lot of games. If your kids’ sport is outdoor, it’s a great idea to keep a waterproof blanket in the car to either lay down on the grass, or to use for warmth in the chillier months. You might also want to keep folding chairs or stadium seats in the car, because forgetting them in the garage means sitting on the cold, uncomfortable bleachers for an hour. No thank you. If you have younger children, keeping some small toys and extra snacks/waters in your car is also important because a bored and hungry toddler will surely ruin this for all of us.
If, like me, you don’t live in a place where your car is your main mode of transportation, now is the time to invest in a sturdy cart or wagon like this for containing and transporting all of this gear. You can keep the wagon packed with all of the items mentioned above so that it’s easy to grab and go.
As we make our way through the fall sports season, I hope these tips and products help streamline what can easily become a very chaotic time. Have specific questions? We’re always here to help. Feel free to drop us a DM on Instagram, and don’t forget to follow our Like To Know It account where we’re sharing all of our kids’ sports must-haves this month.
— Colleen
PS. You can get to know me and my family a little more here!
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