Another season is wrapping up and it appears our family has survived a winter with six kids in hockey. More importantly, the parents have survived six kids in hockey. I thought it would be worth sharing a few lessons I’ve learned in my prestigious role as a hockey mom.
Train them to be independent. Never carry their hockey bags for them. And teach them to dress themselves for hockey from a young age. With six kids in hockey, raising self-sufficient little players is key to my sanity.
Don’t judge a Coach by how many wins the team gets. Judge the coach by how many players want to return to hockey again next season.
Being a goalie mom is no place for the weak. I have one kid who is a goalie and when I got over the sticker shock of the price of goalie equipment, I had to brace myself for what it’s like to be in the stands when there is sudden death in overtime or a shootout.
Get involved. Two of my girls are on the same team and there was no team Trainer. I did the little online course so have spent the season in the change room with the girls and on the bench with the team. It has changed my whole hockey mom experience. I got to know all the girls really well and I’ve learned so much about the game from listening to the coaches.
Never resent sitting in a cold arena. I remind myself that in the blink of an eye I’ll have every Saturday to myself and I’m pretty sure when that time comes, I’ll be wishing I was sitting in a cold arena cheering on my kiddos. Don’t wish their childhoods away.
Make them responsible for their own equipment. Obviously, with six sets of hockey gear, every helmet, stick and elbow pad has a Mabel’s Labels hockey label. I can’t afford to be replacing lost hockey gear. And since us hockey parents have to stick together… here’s a coupon code for 15% off the Hockey Gear Label Pack. Don’t be fooled by the name! It’s perfect for summer sports like lacrosse, too! Just use code HOCKEYLABELS15 at checkout.
How did your family survive hockey season? Any survival tips you can share?
