DIY Life

Soccer season is heating up across the nation. This means that soccer moms everywhere are getting out their portable soccer chairs, packing lunches, juggling schedules and tending to sore ankles. Soccer moms catch a lot of flack for everything from being overzealous to wasting precious gas. But since I am a dedicated sideline watcher to my two older kids, I have a certain soft spot for this population. We work hard to prepare our kids for s sport they love and we try to be prepared for everything from a tearful player to a hungry team to any sort of injury.

We have only just entered the serious injury state of the game in our home. My son has left the recreational league for the high school game; the stakes have risen considerably. This type of soccer requires two practices a day, 8 mile runs before 7 a.m. and weekend practices. I knew our life had changed when I saw my 14 year-old with an ice pack wrapped around his ankle while he was relaxing one afternoon. I realized we needed to have a variety of items on hand and in the car for this new phase.

This week my oldest son, Loren, started soccer practice at his new high school. He must be at the practice field every morning at 6 a.m. and then again at 6 p.m. until school begins on September 4. As I sit in the car and watch the seemingly endless drills and scrimmages I marvel at the fact that these boys are willing to go through this efforts all in the name of teamwork. Sure they get gym credit for their efforts, but it seems like a lot of sweat and sore muscles. One morning when it seemed as thought the drills would never end, I wondered what kids do who might not play an organized high school sport. A child might be highly involved in a sport not offered by the high school, but it seems only fair that credit should be received for that activity.

I am not the only person to wonder about this idea because many schools across the country are offering P.E. credit to students who are dedicated to activities that are outside the realm of traditional school sports. Following are a few guidelines to consider when trying to get credit for an activity that falls outside the box of traditional sports:

With three sons close in age, it's not always easy to sort out what toys, clothes, and sports equipment belongs to whom. A few years ago, I hit on an idea that helps me organize all their stuff and also lets me know at a glance who left their wet towel on the bathroom floor.

I've assigned each one of my boys a color and buy bedding, towels, school supplies, cups. and sometimes even toys accordingly. Now, when I find a wet swimsuit on the laundry room floor or an errant cup in the family room, I can tell at a glance who needs to pick up after themselves. When school backpacks are lined up at the door at night, I can see right away who still needs to gather up their homework. I even keep color-coded folders in the kitchen for permission slips, party invitations, etc. so everything I need is right at my fingertips.

As my kids have gotten older, it's been interesting to watch them adopt the system in their own lives. They're getting old enough to make some decisions for themselves, but still almost always choose "their color" whenever it's an option. While wandering through the grocery store recently, one of the employees offered us balloons and, of course, the boys chose red, blue, and green. I got yellow. Why should kids get to have all the fun?