By Julie Cliff
Weekend or extra curricular sport can be busy, stressful and exhausting.
Get to the game and you’ve forgotten the mouthguard. Or while preparing to go to the game you realise the uniform is not washed.
Sometimes there are multiple events to go to on the weekend, which can leave you feeling rushed and anxious.
But you can reduce your stress levels by working with the kids to create a number of checklists they can follow.
They may hand write and decorate the list with their favourite characters, or create something on Google Slides or Powerpoint, etc.
Here are a few checklists to start with:
Checklist 1: Things to take in the bag on the day
- Water bottle
- Spare set of clothes (undies, socks, t-shirt)
- Mouthguard (other protective equipment such as shin guards, headgear)
- Footy boots (other special footwear)
- Towel, plastic bag for dirty boots/shoes
- Blanket for car
- Medication (if applicable)
- After game snacks.
- If playing in summer, consider packing sunscreen, a hat, extra water, etc
Checklist 2: Things to wear on the day
- Team jersey
- Team shorts/dress
- Socks
- Undies
- Tracksuit
- Shoes
- Don’t forget to pack your own stuff including coats/jackets, beanies and umbrellas (you can tell I’ve been to many rugby league games in the Melbourne winter). If your kids are doing summer sport, you may need a hat and sunscreen yourself
The night before
When our eldest son played rugby league we would often need to be in the car and heading to the event at 7am on a Saturday. For this reason, we prepared for the event as much as we could the night before. We would lay it all out on the kitchen floor with the footy bag so it was ready to pack in the morning.
After the event
Get the kids involved to unpack everything as soon as you return from the event (sweaty footy jumpers are not nice to deal with a few days later). It’s also a good idea to:
- Wash the uniform
- Clean the mouthguard
- Wash the water bottle.
- Repack the bag so it’s already to go for next time
Next steps?
Getting the kids involved in this way helps them learn responsibility for their actions. If they forget the mouthguard and can’t play, this may remind them to pack it next time. Planning ahead is a great skill to learn. Get the kids to create the checklists required.
Julie Cliff is a Professional Organiser at Space and Time., which helps busy mums live easier, less stressful lives through simple and easy to implement organising systems. Sound familiar? Julie would love to hear from you – info@spaceandtime.com.au
