For our kid, around 8 or 9 we noticed a lot of people were dropping off. I personally feel like 6 is too young for most sports (especially if it’s a parent volunteer coach).
We still stay at practice because we can, but often we’ll be on a phone call in the car, grading papers, going for a jog around the soccer fields or whatever, and not actually staying to watch practices.
Post by Patsy Baloney on May 4, 2023 17:05:29 GMT -5
Huh.
Granted, I’ve not been a coach or anything like that, but all programs I’ve worked on with kids become drop-off at kindergarten. Is there a reason you stay? Like, do you help with re-direction/concentration? Maybe when that starts to taper off you can have ‘em tuck n roll!
Post by Velar Fricative on May 4, 2023 17:05:52 GMT -5
I feel like it differs by sport.
We have never done dropoff for DD1 (9.5yo), who mostly plays hockey. I don’t see other parents do it either. But hockey parents are weird and think they are all NHL scouts lol (she plays co-ed and is usually the only girl on her team).
DD2 (almost 6yo) does swim and gymnastics. Parents do drop off for gymnastics but we stay since she’s new to it so far. I’d say it’s about 50/50 between staying and leaving. I’m tempted to drop off for swim because it’s a group lesson with an instructor and lifeguards and it’s at the Y, so it would be a great time to do a workout lol. But everyone else stays so I stay.
Granted, I’ve not been a coach or anything like that, but all programs I’ve worked on with kids become drop-off at kindergarten. Is there a reason you stay? Like, do you help with re-direction/concentration? Maybe when that starts to taper off you can have ‘em tuck n roll!
Mostly sideline coaching. 😂. But he’d probably be mostly better off without me here.
Occasionally tying a shoe and telling him to stop talking.
Granted, I’ve not been a coach or anything like that, but all programs I’ve worked on with kids become drop-off at kindergarten. Is there a reason you stay? Like, do you help with re-direction/concentration? Maybe when that starts to taper off you can have ‘em tuck n roll!
Yeah this, I'm pretty sure I started dropping off once they were the official district rec league sports and not the younger community leagues. I might have stayed for the first few practices for ds when he was younger to make sure he was behaving and paying attention, but for all the sports my kids have done, unless you have offered to actively help the coach (and they would accept the help I'm sure, but then you would be assistant coaching, even just for 1 practice, not watching your kid), the parents were way off to the side of the field and couldn't really step in even if their kid wasn't paying attention. If ds was having a hard time when he was younger, I would have talked to him after practice, rather than interrupt the practice to 'discipline' him.
I just had this debate with another mom last night. DS is 6 and I refuse to sit through an hour of practice. I drop him of and go for a walk. She claims it's a "requirement" to stay. =T
DD's practices (figure skating) are far enough from home that we stay. But whoever takes her sits in the bar, enjoys a drink, and continues working. It makes for an expensive practice.
All the parents still stay at DS's soccer practices and he's 12.
Oye!! Why?!? 😝
Yeah, as a soccer coach for DS' (14) soccer team the past few years, it would would stress me out to have parents standing around watching.
I think we stopped staying at practices around 6-7 years old. ETA: Yes, we still sometimes hang around the area if the drive home and back isn't worth it. But most practices are very close.
Post by winemaker06 on May 4, 2023 17:24:37 GMT -5
I’m still waiting at 9! (For baseball) I asked another parent this once and got guilted for not wanting to be there for all of the games and practices. Sigh. I would totally be comfortable leaving him, just, no one else does!
Depends on the sport. Unless it’s more convenient for me to stay (like a playground nearby for my youngest or too short of a practice for me to leave) I’m out of there! Covid really pushed parent spectating out which I’m grateful for. The games, matches are enough for me! I think by first grade my older kids were on their own for most practices.
After about age 7/8, I only stayed if I wanted to stay due to enjoying the nice weather or too far of a drive, but nothing out of obligation after that.
Kids are 10 and 12 and staying never even crosses our mind anymore. We had to train DD when he was 11 to come out of the gym for basketball practice. He would linger and shoot and never come out to the car line. So there was some training involved if they were leaving a whole building to our car as opposed to us going in and getting them. It’s pretty freeing to just roll up they get out and take themselves to practice and then roll up and they hop in. Never even have to leave my car which is crucial during midwestern winters.
I’ve been wondering this about my 6.5 year old for tball. I haven’t noticed any of the parents leaving. I tried to walk around the track at the last practice but then he hurt his leg and lost his shit when he couldn’t see me.
I do better when I don’t watch his every move and let the coaches deal with him. The temptation for me to redirect him all the time for dumb stuff is strong.
I just had this debate with another mom last night. DS is 6 and I refuse to sit through an hour of practice. I drop him of and go for a walk. She claims it's a "requirement" to stay. =T
DD's practices (figure skating) are far enough from home that we stay. But whoever takes her sits in the bar, enjoys a drink, and continues working. It makes for an expensive practice.
If it’s a league requirement then if needs to be written down somewhere. I wouldn’t have a problem if it was a league or coach rule that was communicated in writing or verbally.
But an unwritten rule from no one official? I’m going to do whatever I want.
I only stay if it's more convenient to stay than go home, or if I want to go for a walk or socialize or something around the park. This has been since...I don't know, maybe first grade?
I don't think any sports we've done had a requirement about parents past pre-school age.
I just had this debate with another mom last night. DS is 6 and I refuse to sit through an hour of practice. I drop him of and go for a walk. She claims it's a "requirement" to stay. =T
DD's practices (figure skating) are far enough from home that we stay. But whoever takes her sits in the bar, enjoys a drink, and continues working. It makes for an expensive practice.
If it’s a league requirement then if needs to be written down somewhere. I wouldn’t have a problem if it was a league or coach rule that was communicated in writing or verbally.
But an unwritten rule from no one official? I’m going to do whatever I want.
My kids had means to contact me starting around age 10, so I was happy to leave them at that point. It also depends on the activity. Their coaches all have my cell #, and can reach me easily. If it was a brand new team/coach, I may feel differently.
We never left DS because of circumstances (allergies and asthma and meds) but DD by 8? Depended on where and who always stayed anyway (familiar parents who stayed regardless were a nice peace of mind).
Mine are 12 and 13 and I still stay but not to watch them. For DD, her practices are too far away for me to come home and DS's are only an hour so not worth leaving and coming back. I do use that time for me though. I either go for a walk, read a bike, scroll through tik tok or call a friend. I make that time worthwhile for me.
Post by steamboat185 on May 4, 2023 19:15:42 GMT -5
Around 6. Our practices are only an hour. Sometimes it’s nice to sit and be quiet (we have a waiting area for dance and gymnastics) so we stay other times we do quicker errands.
We will get up and walk around with our younger kid, but I don’t think I’d be comfortable *leaving* leaving until our child’s old enough to have a phone or watch that could call us.