Baseball season is in full swing!
No pun intended. Surviving little league season means busy families everywhere are balancing school, work, dinner, and a busy practice schedule.
I now have five years of experience living the little league life.
Typically, we have practice 2-3 nights a week plus one game during the week and one on the weekend. Due to practice, the kids have the option of eating dinner at 4:30 or 7:00 p.m. Luckily, we are a two-parent household with grandparents to help with school pick up. One parent is usually leaving work early and taking a kid to practice, while the other parent is picking up the non-baseball kids and rushing home.
Here are my 10 tips for surviving little league season:
- Laundry every night: No matter what. Starting a small load every night (don’t forget the baseball uniform) will help you stay on top of things and not feel horribly overwhelmed at the end of the week.
- Nightly equipment check: Similar to doing the laundry, make sure you take a few minutes to check the equipment bag every night. This can help you avoid those last-minute panic searches for cleats, cups, and belts.
- Crockpot dinners: Taking time on the weekend to plan out a couple of good crockpot meals can really come in handy on practice days. With a crockpot meal, the food will stay warm and ready no matter what time you get home.
- Give yourself permission to take the easy route: For those mornings when you find you forgot to clean the crockpot or haven’t had time to grocery shop, give yourself grace and embrace fast food dinners. It makes life easier (and fun) for everyone.
- Make time for other kids: Baseball can quickly take over the whole family’s life. We get caught up celebrating and cheering at the games that sometimes the other kids can feel a little ignored. When I can, I like to carve out a little time for my stepdaughter when her brother is off at practice. This can mean watching a special show together at home or making a Starbucks run for a Frappuccino and a cake pop! We also encourage her to find her own passion. This season, she’ll be taking a musical theatre class on the weekends while her brother is playing baseball. And on nights when she has middle school band performance, we cheer just as loud!
- Keep all vehicles well stocked: This means blankets, chairs, toys/activities, extra layers, sunglasses, hats, and sunscreen. The weather can change a lot. Saturday morning games at 9:00 a.m. might be windy and freezing cold, but by noon, you’re sweating and starting to burn. Having extra supplies on hand will help you avoid running home or to the nearest store.
- Make time for homework: It can be so easy to forget. Then you end up scrambling at bedtime or first thing in the morning. Have a plan to avoid the last-minute panic.
- Plan out your week and update the calendar: We have a big dry-erase monthly calendar. Every month, we wipe it clean and update it. It’s so helpful to have it up on the wall, super visible, letting everyone in the house know the plan. We write down all the major projects, school events, and other important dates, too.
- Good communication: Let everyone in the family know the game schedule as soon as you can so that you’re not dealing with last-minute messages asking when the game is. You also want to be checking your phone messages. Our little league uses a group messaging app to stay organized and connected.
- Have fun and enjoy the games: I was never much of a baseball fan, to be honest, but watching my kid run the bases has me jumping and screaming every time. Don’t forget that this is all about fun. Be a little goofy, cheer loudly, and connect with your partner. If you’re having fun, your kid will have fun, too. Don’t get caught up in losses or failure. Just be present and enjoy.
Interested in signing your kid up for little league? Find your league here:
Bonus tip for extra fun
As soon as you find out your team’s name (such as the Dodgers, the Pirates, etc.), go online and order some fun team gear! Check out Etsy or vintage clothing shops for cute retro items.
How are you surviving little league life this season?
