How A Seasoned Little League Mom Survives

It is Little League season for families everywhere! Controlled chaotic scheduling has become the norm. Grandparents have been called into active duty. It is all hands on deck while chauffeuring children between practices and games. 

If you are new to the game, you may enjoy some free advice from seasoned veterans. My oldest daughter is the mother of  five children, all playing ball at the same time! That’s where grandparents come in, isn’t it. My daughter played softball for 10 years herself. Her Dad played as well. It’s bred into our family.

How does a Little League Mom Survive?

SATURDAY’S AT THE BALL PARK

F-U-N, that’s my word for Saturday’s at the ballpark but in order to get to the point of having fun, a lot has to happen behind the scenes.

Organization is essential to your sanity. If you ever lose your grip on the schedule, everything will fall apart so you will have to eat, breathe and preach the schedule during ball season when  you have a large family.

BE PREPARED

Below is a check list for Game days. Although you may not need all of these items at the same time, you will eventually need or wish you had them all. FREE PRINTABLE LISTS ARE BELOW

• Cooler on wheels
• Ice (Try to remember to dump your ice bin from your ‘fridge’ and save it all week for Saturdays)
• Drinks of choice
• Collapsible chairs with a strap for easy carrying (like this)
• Wagon for small children and all your ‘stuff’
• Sunscreen
• Sunglasses
• Bug Spray
• Umbrella for the Sun and the Rain
• Snacks (sunflower seeds, dry roasted peanuts)
• Money for Concession Stand
• Picnic to avoid concession stand 
• Sportbbrella is nice for small children and fair skinned folks
• Toys for the little one’s
• Big Blanket for babies/toddlers to play on or you to stay warm
• Hand Wipes

Keep bottled water and beverages on hand to stock the cooler for game days.

WHEN TO PACK A PICNIC

Those Saturdays during Little League season when you have multiple children playing at different times which means you will be at the ball park most of the day. Those are good days to pack a picnic. You may want to also add those days into you budget and plan for concession stand cash.

Get the kids in the habit of each receiving a small concession stand allowance. That way they will learn what to expect and hopefully stop asking for money after their concession stand allowance is spent.

My smart daughter frequently cooks hot dogs for our ball park pic nics. She just places the cooked wieners into the buns and seals them back in the bag the buns came in. This will sort of ‘steam’ the bun and keep the hot dogs warm for a while. It makes a quick and easy ball park meal and saves on the budget.

Home Organization is essential for a stress free season

• Uniform storage, there simply MUST be a designated location for ALL pieces of the uniform. This a great opportunity to teach your child responsibility
• Storage bins in the Garage or other designated area are needed for equipment when not in use, One bin for each child
• Bat Bags are great for keeping all of the equipment for each child and can be stored either in the garage or the trunk

NEW BALL SEASON MOM? Here Is What To Expect

• There will be a Team Mom who will serve as an informer and a collector. She will inform about things like Team pictures and collect money for things like coaches gifts, pictures and a team party near the end of the season.
• Coaches will inform you about practice schedules, typically via either e-mail, or text. Printed schedules are not iron clad. Weather will cause unavoidable changes.
• Games are generally NOT cancelled due to a little rain. Lightening will stop a game.  A torrential downpour could possibly delay a game.
• Coaches do not like for parents to coach from the bleachers or the fence. Please respect that. Coaches are volunteers. 
• Expect to arrive at the ball park about an hour early for pre-game practice.
• Expect a team meeting after every game, generally very short. This is one of the times your coaches will announce the next practice.
• Expect to participate in some form of a fundraiser for your ball park.

FEEDING YOUR FAMILY DURING BALL SEASON

Freezer meals, Crockpot meals and Casseroles will help with meal planning and avoiding blowing the budget eating out all season. 

Ball park picnics as mentioned earlier will save your budget on long Saturday’s at the ball park.

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PRINT THE GAME DAY CHECKLIST FOR MOMS

Baseball Mom Checklist

Soccer Mom Checklist

Football Mom Checklist

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Thank you for sharing!