....to be bloody well fed up of being up at 7.30am every single weekend? Even though it's my own sodding fault for encouraging the DCs to ^do things^

[TantrumsAndBalloons]

I have just worked out that the last time I did not have to get out of my bed at 7-7.30am on Saturday or Sunday was a very brief period in about 2005.

Honestly.

Would it be unreasonable to warn parents with younger children to never ever encourage them to do stuff that occurs at the weekend?

I have 2 to drop off to football training, plus half of their teammates apparently. This is because parents don't want to get up this early on a cold Saturday morning. So they think ooh, I know what I'll do. I will stay in my nice warm bed and let tantrums pick up my DS. And I won't even ask her, I will get my DS to text her DS, that way I don't have to feel guilty asking her.

Then I have a dd who has another drama production today. This is the third one in 2 months. I can only imagine they do this to justify the fucking extortionate cost of the fees.

I am cold. And tired. And I have to get up again at 6.45 tomorrow to watch ds1 football match and then ds2 football match.

I am not impressed

If I had known when they were young that this would require so much bloody effort I would never have encouraged them to do things.

I thought teenagers were supposed to stay in bed until lunchtime and then sit online or in front of the tv all day? Why did I have to get the ones that cant sit still for 5 minutes?

DS1 is missing rugby this morning for his nursery nativity play instead. At least its warm in the school hall.

Both boys in pyjamas, no activities!!

DS2 (and DH was coach) used to do football. Now he does badminton, no matches before 1. Perfect.

my old boss told me to choose extracurricular activities for the DC wisely. She said to make sure they are either indoor sports, with viewing areas (i.e. swimming or gymnastics), or summer only sports.

We have heeded her words and DS does swimming and gymnastics so far...

I have to get up at 6:30 on a Saturday to get DS2 to work for 8:00am.

On a Sunday I get up at 7:30 to get DS1's breakfast and packed lunch ready for work. Yes I know I am a sap, he is old enough to do it himself, yadda, yadda, yadda. But he stays up if DS2 needs picking up late at night so I can go to bed.

The Christmas holidays are going to be fun, DS2 has lots of overtime to do!

Its threads like this that make me happy that DS shows no interest in football whatsoever (although he is almost 5, so that may change). We have hectic after school activities (swimming, brownies, music lessons) but weekends are freeeeeeeeee (apart from all the bloody homework DD has).

I wish someone would have told me that.

All our matches seem to be in the middle of nowhere. Again my fault. They don't play in the local league. They could have but, being a PFB "soccer mum" all those years ago, when ds1 was invited to join a club who played in a higher division I said yes. It won't be too bad, it's just 20 minutes away.

Ha ha ha ha.

The home ground may be 20 minutes away. The away matches are not. Not at all.

Ds1 said to us last year, you are the only parents that ever come to our matches. They are under 15s.

I thought that meant he didn't want us to come any more. I was silently cheering. Until he said " I'd hate it if you didn't bother to come. I think it is cool that you guys are so supportive"

FFS

Boocanary sadly it may all change when he is 7, 10 or even as late as 13 in my DD's case. DS is a teen & reckons it's a good weekend if he doesn't have to put shoes on. I suspect he'll wake up at 11 having had 13 hours of sleep.

Tomorrow I wouldn't go to both matches. One is enough for any parent. Just say as Christmas is nearly here, you've got things to organise. And don't feel guilty!

My DS showed no interest in football till he was about 6 and the World Cup came along. He then became obsessed with it. However he doesn't actually play for a team (he did for a while but found it too much of a struggle, he has AS). He now plays hockey at 9 on a Saturday (cancelled today) and we did years of Saturday morning swimming lessons. It is a slog but I would rather do that than have them on the couch playing with Ipads all morning. Also would rather it was early to leave the rest of the day free for other things.

But which one excuse?

How do I pick which DS to watch

Last game of this year is 21at December. Then a break til the 1st week in January. So a little break

DS is doing football this year.

But the nearest place who do it is quite far away.

So we get up at 6:15

He absolutely loves football and he thinks getting up that early on a weekend when it's all quiet is fantastic.

I don't.

Organise a rota so parents take turn to drive kids to training. If they refuse, then don't give lifts.

You need a hip flask tantrums :)

I don't "do" regular routine activities for DC at the weekend. When they are old enough to get themselves to tennis/the gym/whatever we willingly pay up. We happily chauffeur to parties/one-off special activities. But no regular chauffeuring.

I think DC also need time off from adult-led group activities and need to organise themselves a bit.

So far this season, there has never been a Sunday when there's no game. If there's no game for 1 DS, the other has a game. Plus they both play for their schools and ds1 school plays matches on Saturday morning occasionally

bunnies last year, the last game before Christmas I was lucky enough to go to an away game with ds1 where they were serving mulled wine and hot cider.
That was the best match I've been to in 8 years

How rude are these other parents...tell em no, or yes only if they repay the favour.

I feel for you, I have never tried to get my kids to do 'stuff'

they do tae kwon do but that only requires a sunday morning start when they go to grading, once every few month or so

I did not encourage mine to play football.

Pushed for cricket instead, as only in summer and only one term a year!

Ooh no, YANBU.
DS is an only child and as such, has been encouraged to join in with activities to stop him talking constantly at us so that he can mix with his peers.
Sadly this has transformed into a constant round of matches, practises, concerts, rehearsals and a small fortune spent on transport and all the related "stuff" that is required (DS has lost 2 gum shields this season, only threats that he will be paying the next £10 himself have had any effect)
DH and I do tend to split it so one walks the dogs while the other freezes their arse off standing still in the rain.
Tragically I suspect he will also be a teenager of constant action

Good grief. What hell is this? Do ou live somewhere with no public transport or something? Surely they can make their own way to training and don't need you to watch every game? How old are they?

Mine horse ride and play rugby.

How happy was I when today's show jumping competition starting at 9am which meant a 6 am start was cancelled!!!