Jenny in GA Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 All three of my kids are signed up for swim team this summer. We've never done this before. I'm dreading it, but I feel they need it and they will enjoy it. Anyway, I'm looking at the schedule, and see that five days a week, they will be at practice for two and a half hours. Of course they are all on different teams (ages 10,8, and 5) so each of them will only spend 35-40 minutes of that time actually in swim practice. The rest of the time they will just be sitting and waiting with me, I guess ... How does one juggle this, especially with the younger ones??? I can just picture them climbing all over me and complaining for an hour and a half. Every morning. All summer long. Since every summer morning will be officially "shot" for me, I'd love if I could at least spend that time reading a book, but I don't see how I could. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calandalsmom Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I have often been in that situation. It always makes me think of Cheaper by the Dozen and Unavoidable Delay. Things that worked well: card games like Uno/ go fish/ old maid/ memory match etc yahtzee puzzle games like mad libs, sudoku, word search etc electronics- the nintendo ds/ iPod Touch or iPod were created for these times if room allows for more active stuff, jump rope, ball, etc simple projects like stringing beads workbooks barbie dolls/ small toys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gailmegan Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 There are usually other families in the same situation, so there should be other kids hanging around too. It's a great way to get to know others on the team. Our swim club has a baby pool (for 7 and under) open during the older kids practice and a badminton court and tether ball, etc. Cards, books and board games are good too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 There have always been plenty of other younger sibs around. They all just seem to play during the older kids' practices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annabanana1992 Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 We did summer swim team with 3 kids at different times, and it was wonderful. All the extra siblings would play together and the moms would hang out or read books. I loved it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieC Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 You could ask the pool if you could combine the 8 & 10 year olds so you have only two practices to attend. Some teams will allow this, others will not. We always had siblings hanging around our pool, so most kids never seemed to have a problem waiting for a sibling to do their practice. Bring plenty of snacks, water and games/toys and you should be be okay if you have to wait. Lastly, you might want to consider not attending all 5 days of practice. My daughter attended all 5 practices of our team for the last two years (at almost 5 and almost 6) and by the end of the summer she was really burnt out. This year we will be attending a max of 4 practices and possibly only 3 (with an almost 7 year old and almost 5 year old). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 All three of my kids are signed up for swim team this summer. We've never done this before. I'm dreading it, but I feel they need it and they will enjoy it. Anyway, I'm looking at the schedule, and see that five days a week, they will be at practice for two and a half hours. Of course they are all on different teams (ages 10,8, and 5) so each of them will only spend 35-40 minutes of that time actually in swim practice. The rest of the time they will just be sitting and waiting with me, I guess ... How does one juggle this, especially with the younger ones??? I can just picture them climbing all over me and complaining for an hour and a half. Every morning. All summer long. Since every summer morning will be officially "shot" for me, I'd love if I could at least spend that time reading a book, but I don't see how I could. Any ideas? Well...the thing about swim team is...lots of sitting around. Meets can take 4 hours or more....and of that time, your kids are in the pool maybe a total of 3 or 4 minutes....:D We usually bring lots of snacks, puzzles, games etc. for our waiting kids. If they do get involved in all year round swimming....that is even more wait time. Just the nature of the sport. Faithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in GA Posted May 11, 2011 Author Share Posted May 11, 2011 Lastly, you might want to consider not attending all 5 days of practice. My daughter attended all 5 practices of our team for the last two years (at almost 5 and almost 6) and by the end of the summer she was really burnt out. This year we will be attending a max of 4 practices and possibly only 3 (with an almost 7 year old and almost 5 year old). No kidding??! See, I thought all practices were required to be able to stay on the team. (No one said this officially, it was just in my head for some reason.) In fact, my oldest was just invited to a party that I thought we would have to decline because of swim team practice. As far as other siblings ... well, we will know nobody there because it isn't our neighborhood and of course our kids don't go to school ... so I'm almost expecting to be a social pariah. But maybe we'll be lucky and the kids will still hang out together. Goodness, that would be wonderful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Our team practices are not mandatory...encouraged...but not mandatory. :D But we go to almost all, unless we have a more important conflict (i.e. church). Our club has a playground and so my littles hang out there during practices. Same with meets. Most clubs have a playground nearby. Otherwise, we just bring card games, coloring books, iPods, other handheld games, etc. I love/hate swim season. It's intense but short. :D And this year I actually have more than just one of my kids participating! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 No kidding??! See, I thought all practices were required to be able to stay on the team. (No one said this officially, it was just in my head for some reason.) In fact, my oldest was just invited to a party that I thought we would have to decline because of swim team practice. As far as other siblings ... well, we will know nobody there because it isn't our neighborhood and of course our kids don't go to school ... so I'm almost expecting to be a social pariah. But maybe we'll be lucky and the kids will still hang out together. Goodness, that would be wonderful! Actually, I would recommend making it to all the practices you can make it to. They are not required, but highly recommended. They will be missing enough practices due to bad weather. I would not miss a party because of swim practice, though. The nice thing about swim team is that it is a great source of new friends. Especially for the ones that have to stay for their siblings' practices. I hope it turns out that way for you!:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Could you car pool with other moms? Maybe the first child who practices can get a ride with someone else, and maybe that someone else has another child who will need a ride home at the very end, or something along those lines... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 There have always been plenty of other younger sibs around. They all just seem to play during the older kids' practices. :iagree: You hit the jackpot if this is the case. We do classes and music lessons every week that require waiting by the other child. We keep a backpack ready with books, games, cards, notebook, pencils, colored pencils, etc and rotate things in and out. For a commitment of that level considering the ages of your kids, I wouldn't feel bad about missing it now and then! My 10 year old is signed up for a 6 week run of tennis this summer. This is an inexpensive and laid back league, so his attendance will be spotty (we have vacation and other camps conflicting.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5forMe Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 We are a swim team family. Ages 14, 12, 10 and 7 that swim. We've been doing it for 5 years. I agree, there are usually other sibs around for the kids who aren't swimming to play with. Our practices are in the evening. I would LOVE to have morning practices, by the evening time, everyone is a bit tired and grumpy. Although it is usually cooler in the eve. Also, our pool won't let us use the baby pool during practice. I wish they would allow that, it would've made my life much easier. It is a great family sport and wonderful all over body exercise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Mama Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Swim team was a great experience for us. I, of course, can only speak for our team & experience, but there were always other kids around to play with while one of the girls was in practice and the other was not. One of my kids liked it better than the other, but they both enjoyed. I bought a pack of UNO H2O cards and kept those, along with other fun outdoor things in our pool bag. Oh and snacks. I always had a water bottle and an apple or other piece of fruit, hard boiled egg, nuts, etc. Pool bag & cooler were always with me! Best of luck. Swim team was my favorite part of summer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5forMe Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I forgot about the importance of snacks. Always pack snacks, swimming makes them hungry and if I don't pack a snack for them, they want money for the vending machines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Where is the swim team held? My kids aren't on swim team, but take swim lessons at the same place. Our is at the YMCA, so there are other things to do there while you wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 All three of my kids are signed up for swim team this summer. We've never done this before. I'm dreading it, but I feel they need it and they will enjoy it. Anyway, I'm looking at the schedule, and see that five days a week, they will be at practice for two and a half hours. Of course they are all on different teams (ages 10,8, and 5) so each of them will only spend 35-40 minutes of that time actually in swim practice. The rest of the time they will just be sitting and waiting with me, I guess ... How does one juggle this, especially with the younger ones??? I can just picture them climbing all over me and complaining for an hour and a half. Every morning. All summer long. Since every summer morning will be officially "shot" for me, I'd love if I could at least spend that time reading a book, but I don't see how I could. Any ideas? The practice times and ages may not be as rigid as you think. My girls were in the younger class and they were supposed to be there at 7:00 a.m. I agreed to drive two other kids to practice, and they went to the 6 a.m. practice. One of the coaches told me that my girls were welcome to the earlier practice. They actually were glad they could stay longer for both practices. Don't panic, just ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linders Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 You might want to check - at our pool, only part is blocked off for practice, the rest is open for recreational swimming so the kids do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Lea Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Mine were swimming but stopped after a couple of years. Didn't love it enough for the time they needed to be in the pool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cassiemc Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 The friendships are one of the great benefits of swim team. The younger kids always have other siblings to play with :) The kids swimming have a great time cheering on the teammates and there is lots of down time to play during the meets. Our last meet, we had a kid swimming every couple of events. It went by quickly! We love swim team, ours is year round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 No kidding??! See, I thought all practices were required to be able to stay on the team. (No one said this officially, it was just in my head for some reason.) In fact, my oldest was just invited to a party that I thought we would have to decline because of swim team practice. As far as other siblings ... well, we will know nobody there because it isn't our neighborhood and of course our kids don't go to school ... so I'm almost expecting to be a social pariah. But maybe we'll be lucky and the kids will still hang out together. Goodness, that would be wonderful! Our team asks for a minimum of 3 practices a week. Summer leagues are usually more relaxed than year round teams. My kids play with other kids while they're waiting. Between the before/after practice playing and the meet playing, they have made really great friendships. There hasn't been an issue with us homeschooling, even though our community is very school centered. I LOVE swim. You're gonna have a summer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 I've watched this for several summers' worth of swim teams: the parent who interact with their kids too much during the waiting actually keep their children from making friends with the other siblings. So not only do the over-involved parents not get to relax, but their kids miss out as well. As others have pointed out, there are always younger and older siblings who will want to play with yours. If they take something they can do with other kids (balls, cars, ,etc.) they'll be set. We have found swim team families to be very friendly. I hope it goes well for you all. Terri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunriseiz Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 We did swim team with dd(7 yo) for the 1st time this school year and they practiced 2x a week. If there weren't other things going on, I can see 3x a week being ok. 5x/week all summer for the 1st time out might be too much for everyone (would be for me!). Talk to the coach and see what they say. I know it takes practice to be great, but our dd is doing it for the fun of it and exercise. I think if she really has a knack, there will be plenty of practice time in her future, but that's MHO! To answer your original question ;), lots of kids have legos, hot wheels, books etc with them depending on their age. Our pool is really a training pool, so no playing around in it while big sister is at practice. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sleepymommy Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 This is a timely post for me, thanks OP and to all the posters who have given such great advice. My boys are going to be on a summer swim league for the first time and I am kind of dreading the early morning swim times. I like sleeping in a bit:D. I more worried about the meets though. My youngest won't be in the actual meets but they will sometimes have mini-swim type contests after the meets. Keeping him busy until then is not going to be easy. There will be meets every Wed and Sat and all swimmers are highly encouraged to attend both meets even if they will not be in both. No kidding??! See, I thought all practices were required to be able to stay on the team. (No one said this officially, it was just in my head for some reason.) In fact, my oldest was just invited to a party that I thought we would have to decline because of swim team practice. As far as other siblings ... well, we will know nobody there because it isn't our neighborhood and of course our kids don't go to school ... so I'm almost expecting to be a social pariah. But maybe we'll be lucky and the kids will still hang out together. Goodness, that would be wonderful! The bolded part is our same situation. Plus we are new to the area. I'm hoping it all works out though. I think it would be a great experience for my boys and hopefully a good way for them to make some friends in our area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
My3Monkeys Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 No kidding??! See, I thought all practices were required to be able to stay on the team. (No one said this officially, it was just in my head for some reason.) In fact, my oldest was just invited to a party that I thought we would have to decline because of swim team practice. As far as other siblings ... well, we will know nobody there because it isn't our neighborhood and of course our kids don't go to school ... so I'm almost expecting to be a social pariah. But maybe we'll be lucky and the kids will still hang out together. Goodness, that would be wonderful! There are actually quite a few homeschooling families on our swim team :) On top of that, most of the kids don't know each other going in (unless they were on the team before). Kids on our team come from several local public grade schools as well as the Catholic schools and private Christian school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 As for meets, they are indeed 3 hours of boredom punctuated by 4 instances of intense yelling... The first couple of years, my kid was so distracted that he came close to missing his races more than once. I ended up paying one of the older kids $1 a race to get him there on time. Cheap, considering the stress reduction. :0) We also got him one of those little Nintendo thingies; the only time he was allowed to use it was at meets. All the boys had them and they just traded them around and had fun hollering at each other about who "ruled" at some game or other. Our team has "buddies." The new kids are paired up with the teenagers. It works really well 90% of the time, (til you get a teenager who would rather play with their iphone than their buddy.) The buddy eases all the anxieties of the new swimmers and gets them to the blocks on time. Dd still emails her little buddy who moved three years ago! Can I also say, as a swim coach, that those Nintendo things cause more missed events than anything else? And the kids don't cheer for each other's swims when they're playing Nintendo. We actually banned them one year, they were such a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momofkhm Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 All three of my kids are signed up for swim team this summer. We've never done this before. I'm dreading it, but I feel they need it and they will enjoy it. Anyway, I'm looking at the schedule, and see that five days a week, they will be at practice for two and a half hours. Of course they are all on different teams (ages 10,8, and 5) so each of them will only spend 35-40 minutes of that time actually in swim practice. The rest of the time they will just be sitting and waiting with me, I guess ... How does one juggle this, especially with the younger ones??? I can just picture them climbing all over me and complaining for an hour and a half. Every morning. All summer long. Since every summer morning will be officially "shot" for me, I'd love if I could at least spend that time reading a book, but I don't see how I could. Any ideas? My kids were in the pool all at the same time. They had different coaches for the U6s than for the rest. So I just had to be at the pool because I had kids under 10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5forMe Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Our team has 5X per week practices but this is only meant to make practice convenient for everyone. You are really only requested to make 2 or 3 practices per week. The more you practice though, the greatest improvement in swim times you will see in your kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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