To not want all our weekends eaten up by ds's football playing?

Little kids football matches last less than an hour. They don't do 90 minutes till much later.
It doesn't have to take over the weekend. We end up taking a change of clothes for the muddy one and exploring an attraction/the shops in whichever town the match is in. It adds a new dimension!
Little sibling used to hate it but now loves playing with the other little ones. They are quite a club!

She should be more concerned about the COLD!!!!! - That's another issue ;-)

The OP's sister may have a shock when her DD's are a bit older - most of the girls DS2 is friends with all go to dancing/gym classes and the time (and financial) commitment there seems much greater; they have competitions most weekends, which can last a full day if they get through to the final stages, plus costumes/leotards are hugely expensive.

Football in comparison doesn't seem at all bad :)

Ha!

Stately home or football?

Let me ask my dc's.....

Fwiw, we do have lots if days out at those places too, just not during football time. (or any other time that dcs have activities on) it can be done. Quite easily if you can be bothered.

They are 14, 14, 3 and 1 BTW. And the little ones do have interests of their own despite your suggestion they are too young.

I'm surprised she wants to spend 48 hours solid all together every weekend .

We like to do a mixture of things; including both dh and I having some time by ourselves and some 1 on 1 with the dc.

both my DSs started training on sat mornings from the age of 4, and have been playing for teams since 5. It's only awkward when they are playing in 2 different places at the same time. As has been said, matches at that age are 20 mins, so it's only an hour out of your day, we used to try and have matches on a sun morning so everyone got their sun afternoons free.

it can be as time consuming as you want to make it tbh. I am involved with the club, help out at events etc but lots of parents don't. I used to go to all the boys matches when they were smaller, but even then a lot of the time only the 'dads' would turn up as mums were not that interested, or at home with younger children. I always used to take DS2 to watch DS1 play though even from when he was very small.

You really think that children want to spend their weekend at castles and stately homes? I used to hate it when I was a child.

Your SIL is really selfish.

One interest trumping the others?!

But you'd let one sacrifice his hobby so it didn't est into so-called family time?

We all take an interest in each other's interests, your attitude sounds a bit odd tbh.

I enjoy supporting all my dcs in everything they do, that's what I see my role as their mum is for. I have a very busy diary and do a lot of running about but wouldn't change it for anything!

How can this be a bad thing? Doing something they enjoy with friends and supported by their family and in turn supporting their siblings in their activities.

Well unfortunately it's part of being a parent.

Children have interests and hobbies. Being a parent means supporting them in their dreams. The other children will develop interests to and they may clash with lots of stuff. But that's what you do.
Lots of my friends spend their Saturdays and sometimes Sundays too ferrying various children to various activities.

Not sure I understand why 'family time' (whatever that is) should trump dcs developing interests out of the home. I'd much rather Ds was active than stuck at home playing computer games (which family time seems to mean to some).

Today someone had to explain what a Wii was. He knows what it is but we don't have one and it wasn't the first thought when someone said 'shall we go and play on the Wii' at the rugby club today.

I have sympathy with you sil
Ds1 wants to play, it would mean every sat morning 9.00 and tournaments on a Sunday. I'm a single parent and we already have swimming lessons at 10 on a Sunday.

Both boys do beavers/cubs on different nights.

I so don't want to commit to every day of the week having to be up, getting them ready like a school day. But feel really guilty that ds1 wants to play footie.

Still haven't decided!

no at Water Hall

It might not be 'time together' to your sil but I bet her ds would see it as family time, with his mum enjoying his hobby with him.

She sounds very selfish.

Football is all part of the growing up process, just the same as when the little girls get older they will want to go to ballet and evenings and weekends will be filled with dance classes.

Families dont need outings every single weekend, you plan your weekends around the childrens activities thats part of life when you have children.

ds9 lives and breathes football - we have also spent the afternoon at a tournament. training on saturday 9.30 - 11am. i must say though once you SIL goes regularly you will find parents start to help each other out - one drops off and the other picks up. he also trains wednesday 5 - 7pm and has a match friday 5 - 6pm with an hours training beforehand. oh and on a sunday 3 - 5pm.

i do it because i love him and i know how much he enjoys it. but yes it does feel like its taken over my life. i dont have a DH to share it with either.

cantsel - were you at Imber court?

matches will only be a half day per weekend - leaving a day and a half 'faily time' that's plenty of time imo. it's good for parents to have some one-on-one time with each child rather than always being all five together.

the matches are what all the trainings for

so youd your SIL would rather he just stayed at home and hung around with his mum instead of doing something he'd probably really enjoy

poorbugger

I take it the girls will be discouraged from doing anything enjoyable as well?

If they are saying no to any activities that aren't collectively what 'everyone' wants to do i can see them spending lot's of time sat at home.
It will only be a matter of time until 5 year old wants to take up an activity anyway.
Playing matches is really the main part of playing football and is why they learn the skills imo
However if mum and dad aren't commited to taking him no point half heartedly going into it

playing under 7's the games will be 20 minutes long so hardly going to take up the whole of a sunday and he probably wont be picked to play every game anyway.

couldn't agree more cantspel

a weekend taking the kids to their things is normal here, its good to encourage kids in sport/crafts/whatevers their thing

family time is what happens the rest of the week/weekend

emkana, I think your SIL or you needs to shake them selves up a big, get a pair of wellies and a warm jacket and get out their and support your son!

Do families have "outings" every week?

The football season is over during the summer, when most people go on outings anyway.

How old is the boy who wants to play football?

I have 4dcs. One plays football, sometimes the others come and watch (picnic and large bag of toys essential!) Sometimes we find a park nearby, sometimes I drop him off and don't watch, and occasionally dh is not working so he takes him.

Yes it takes up a large chuck of many weekends but not every weekend but he enjoys it and its good exercise.

Days out happen in the afternoons or when there's no football.

My ds also comes with us for activities for other dcs. It's part of being a family!