Please note that this post was sponsored by Kraft. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
As the Fall season is quickly approaching and the comfort of our school day routine has settled back in, we are thriving in this busy but adored season in our life. The busy-ness of being a soccer mom to three children means that I either need to become a multi tasking queen (which, I am not) or I turn myself into an organized queen (Yep… That’s me!) I have never been good at juggling and I am also not someone that works well under pressure. I have learned a few tricks of the soccer mom trade that makes the soccer season go by so much more smoothly. I can’t wait to share them with you in this post.
1. Make a soccer checklist. I LOVE my checklists and have them all over the house. That is truly the only way I can function without forgetting something.
On my soccer checklist you will find:
– Soccer balls
– Shin Pads
– Soccer shoes
– Hair ties
– Snacks
– Water bottles
– Sports chairs
– Sports Umbrella for soccer games
I have created a printable check list for you. Use the link here to get the full sizedsoccer checklistand print either on card stock or normal printer paper. I took this sheet, cut out the check lists and laminated them. My kids then use a dry erase marker to tick off each item that is in their bag. I have left a few squares blank for you to add your own items.
2. The night before soccer games + soccer team practices, make sure the children have everything that they need ready to go. Have them check that everything is there. After they check, YOU check. Trust me, the last thing that you want is to be late for soccer and now there’s a shin pad on the loose somewhere in the house… we all know you aren’t going to find that shin pad until you’ve missed at least half of soccer practice and the excuse, “my dog ate my shin pad” doesn’t really work here. Have your children use the checklist I mentioned above.
3. Make sure you set a designated spot for your soccer items. When my kids get home from soccer, they immediately take off their shin pads and put it in our designated soccer drawer. When their socks and clothing get out of the washing machine, it goes straight into the soccer drawer.
What I include in the drawer:
– Shin pads
– Soccer balls
– Uniforms for games (Shirt and shorts)
– Hair ties (for the girls)
– Soccer socks.
I leave the check list above in this drawer with their expo marker and a paper towel to erase last weeks checklist.
4. Pack your car in advance. You would be surprised by how helpful this tip is for a busy mom like me. My husband sometimes thoughtfully packs my car and I promise, when I’m running late in the morning and I get into my fully ready car, my grateful heart whispers sweet love words to him in hopes that those good vibes and kind thoughts lifts up his day somehow.
5. Make sure your kids have eaten before soccer practice/soccer games! In all the rush, who would have thought that I’d forget to make sure the little one had eaten? Well, now I’ll never forget. My 4 year old seems to equate soccer with snacks. Feed them. It definitely beats having your child rush over to you every five minutes during practice, “Mama I’m hungry”, while all the other organized mama’s give you an odd look.
6. Grab easy on the go snacks that are full of energy and protein! The Kraft Snackfulls are perfect for this. These snacks are my new favorite go to snack for whenever I am on the run. These products have a great flavor and includes a perfect snack mix that gives a blend of energy with a kick of indulgence. My children grab always grab for these before soccer.
The Snackfulls flavors pictured above include:
Pack 1: Colby and Monterey Jack cheese, semisweet chocolate and banana chips.
Pack 2: Extra sharp white cheddar cheese, dried cranberries and semisweet chocolate.
Pack 3: Sharp Yellow cheddar cheese, dried cherries and semisweet chocolate.
Whether my almost 5 year old is waiting for her sister to finish her practice…
Or whether she gets a quick soccer snack break, Snackfulls keep her full and energized.
Snackfullsare also a wonderful snack for Mom’s too. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve run out the door ensuring that everyone else has everything they need, only to get to soccer practice and my stomach is growling.
These Snackfulls are kid AND mom loved too.
7. Create aSoccer mom gear “tool box”. The following items come in handy and so you may as well buy them when you’ve just begun your journey as a soccer mom: Sports umbrella, sports chairs for each person who will be at the games and practices, and a wagon.
8. Show your team spirit! Cheer for your child. Have siblings cheer. It ups the adrenaline and I always see the most adorable smirk on my children’s faces when they hear us cheering them on.
9. Split the soccer practices with your spouse or get a lift club. My husband and I both go to our children’s games (unless our children’s games are at the same time.) For practices, we split it. Either he does pick up and I do drop off or I’ll do one day and he does one day. If you have someone on your team that lives in your neighborhood, do a lift club!
10. Enjoy it… These moments are fleeting. One day, when your children are old and grown, you are going to miss these moments. You will miss the juggling, the chaos, the excitement and you will wish you could go back and live these moments again and again. Those tiny arms will be longer and your heart will miss the warmth and comfort of those once tiny arms and cheerful kisses. #FamilyGreatly
I am PROUD to say that I am a soccer mom and my husband proudly wears his soccer dad label too. What about you? Are you a soccer mom?
