kids activities: would you sign up for this?

alli2672

DD, soon to be 3, wants to sign up to play basketball at the YMCA like her brothers. The boys are 4 (almost 5), and 6.  Unfortunately, the way the age groups break down, they are all in different age groups. 3 year olds, 4 and 5 year olds, and kindergarten-2nd grade. 

I really don't want to spend 3 hours at the Y every Saturday morning. 2 hours seems like more than enough. Would you sign her up, or make her wait until next year? Or make them all just take a year off?

Just a little more info, DH isn't around on Saturdays, but we do have a babysitter who could help out. childwatch is also available (although I don't really want the kids sitting in childwatch all Saturday morning either).

alli2672

I know.  It doesn't seem fair to me either.  But I don't know if I can sit in the Y bleachers from 10am-1pm every Saturday. 

Hopefully, I can find a friend with multiple children, and we can take turns taking the kids who aren't playing to eat lunch in the lobby or go out to the playground or something. 

 

SunAndRain

I would ask the Y if there was a possibility that they could accommodate your family.  3 hours isn't reasonable. They might bend for you and let the youngest child in to the middle child's class...after all they are supposed to by a "community support" type of business

dashofreality

SunAndRain said:

I would ask the Y if there was a possibility that they could accommodate your family.  3 hours isn't reasonable. They might bend for you and let the youngest child in to the middle child's class...after all they are supposed to by a "community support" type of business

This. I would think that your youngest son playing up would make the most sense but obviously that is dependent on your kids.

Otherwise I would probably do it. But I am an only child and definitely struggle with what to do with siblings.

Virgo17

I think I would do it.  You're already there, DD already has to be there, what's one more hour?  If you have a babysitter or mother's helper, could you bring them along  to help you entertain the kids who aren't playing?

DiveFrog

Do you and the kids not in a class still need to be present in the gym? I would think you could take the younger two swimming for the hour the older one is in class, and have lunch, or do some other activity available while your middle son is in his class. Then maybe all of you are only sitting in the gym for your DD's basketball class. 

I know personally at  5 and 6 my parents were often dropping me off at my soccer practices, and other classes and running errands or doing other things and simply coming back to pick me up once the class/practice was over. 

jasminelorraine20

I would do it. One extra hour to watch all my children doing something productive and that they enjoy wouldn't bother me. I'd probably call a girlfriend, or befriend one of the other parents and chat just to make the time go by.

Leap08

DiveFrog said:

Do you and the kids not in a class still need to be present in the gym? I would think you could take the younger two swimming for the hour the older one is in class, and have lunch, or do some other activity available while your middle son is in his class. Then maybe all of you are only sitting in the gym for your DD's basketball class. 

I know personally at  5 and 6 my parents were often dropping me off at my soccer practices, and other classes and running errands or doing other things and simply coming back to pick me up once the class/practice was over. 

I agree. I would check to see if you have to be in the gym for the older two kids classes. My oldest is nearly 5 and I wouldn't have a problem leaving her at a class, especially a Y class, by herself. You could even make sure the coaches know you'll be in the building in case they need you.

alli2672

DiveFrog said:

Do you and the kids not in a class still need to be present in the gym? I would think you could take the younger two swimming for the hour the older one is in class, and have lunch, or do some other activity available while your middle son is in his class. Then maybe all of you are only sitting in the gym for your DD's basketball class. 

I know personally at  5 and 6 my parents were often dropping me off at my soccer practices, and other classes and running errands or doing other things and simply coming back to pick me up once the class/practice was over. 

We could probably do something like this. 

I would feel like kind of a crappy parent missing every single one of my 6 y/o's games, but maybe our nanny would come and take care of some of the other kids so I could watch. 

And then maybe we can take 1 or 2 of the Saturdays off and do something else fun, so it will really just be 5 weeks then. 

litzo27

I think it's fine. My DH often pulls the card that "it's not fair to DS2" if DS1 gets to do something that DS2 doesn't but I usually point out that since DS1 is 3 years older it's totally fine for him to do something that young'uns are not involved in. I wouldn't sit in the Y for 3 hours. If this was soccer at least you could be outside and run around but even then 3 hours would be too much. I do agree with PP about leaving the boys on their own either regularly or occasionally. DS1 has been on his own in karate practice since he was 5 (when he was 3 and 4 we sat in the room).

2chatter

I would just rotate who I watch (oldest, middle, youngest). As they get older, the chances of their games being at the same time increase. I don't even see my oldest two play every game, and often it's because another child's commitments mean one of the kids is getting a ride to and from the game with a friend- and DH goes to games, too. But if the older two have games, and the youngest one has a party, one of the kids has no parent at the game. Such is life. They are fine with it.

Make the other two hours fun. Or watch all three games. I love watching the kids play, and have resigned myself to the fact that it's how we spend Saturdays. The first couple years were rough, but now we are in a rhythm.

itsmevkb

Yea, I wouldn't be for sitting there for three straight hours.  At our Y, we don't have to watch, but you have to be in the building so there are no drop-offs.  I would probably either ask if the younger could join the little older group or wait a year to sign her up.

I'm at a similar point right now with my four and I'm putting off signing the youngest two up for anything right now.

carlab44

Personally, I'm not sure I'd push to put her with the older kids. You say she is almost 3, so actually 2 years old. And the next group up is 4 and 5 year olds? That's a BIG age difference for the coaches to work with. We had someone do that with DD's tennis lessons. The coach had to spend much more time with the two young kids and it really detracted from what the older kids were able to get out of the practice.

Can you just play basketball with her while the other two have practice?

74dragonfly

SandAndsSea said:

What age did you sign up the older two?  You could say that she can start playing at the same age they started.  I think it's only fair to let them all do it and I think sports are a great activity for children.  Maybe you could talk to the director and see if some of them can play in the same level so you aren't there as long.

This is where I am at...when did older kids start playing. I am a huge proponent of sports for girls so I think she needs to be encouraged and it is awesome she wants to play.