Parenting is truly one of the most humbling parts of life! To say you will never be prepared for what is to come once your little one enters the world is truly an understatement. Then, you have your second, and your whole world changes again, of course, for the better — but you are always comparing the two because you just want to figure it out or fix the problem.
Obviously, having a boy and a girl makes the experience radically different by biology alone. I remember bringing my son home from the hospital, and the first night he peed through every diaper and newborn outfit we had! We never had that problem with our daughter, and so it was a learning curve to figure out the best position and diaper style to keep him dry… and, that was just the beginning.
We navigated nap times, preschool applications, playdates, and birthday parties, but then came the fun of organized sports. Of course, when our daughter was little, we enrolled her in dance classes and gymnastics, which she absolutely loved and flourished in. As a mom who was a dancer all through my younger years, I loved seeing her dance and enjoy it.
My husband, lover of sports and very athletic, decided to sign her up for soccer. I remember going to her first game. She looked so cute in her cleats, shin guards, and bouncing little curls. She had no idea how to play or any of the rules of the game. About halfway through the game, she told her coach she would sit on the bench so that her teammates could go in — basically, she didn’t want to play. She didn’t like to run because it was hard and she would get out of breath and she didn’t want to get hit by the ball. Like anything in life, perseverance is an important skill that will serve them well throughout their lives. We tell our kids they must finish out the season of whatever they try — swim team, baseball, basketball, etc. If you start it, you have to finish it — you owe it to yourself and your teammates to finish strong.
Fast forward a few years, and gymnastics and dance are Charlotte’s jam, and she excels in both. Last summer, she had the opportunity to join a swim team, and we decided to try it out. She shocked us when she outperformed her super athletic brother, who had underestimated just how hard swimming is. As always, team sports are much more fun with friends, and that has been so true for both our son and our daughter. Sports make up such a huge part of our lives now, and it’s so fun to see the kids flourish together and support each other, helping with drop-offs and pick-ups or carpooling. Charlotte currently lives at the baseball field because her brother is on two different teams. She doesn’t always embrace the sports sibling life, but she does love the concessions stand. She has become an excellent babysitter and is always playing with and looking after the littles.
Just this year, her interest in sports has peaked! She joined a running club at school and ran for 6 weeks to prepare for the Gate River Run Fun Run. I think she enjoyed the camaraderie with her friends and the excitement of the race. It was also a great bonding moment for her and my husband as they did a couple of runs at home together, and he even joined her to finish the Gate River Run strong.
Fast forward a couple of weeks, and her school sent an email about a basketball clinic for rising 5th graders and middle school students to prep and learn skills and fundamentals for the tryouts for the middle school team. Never in a million years did I think Charlotte would be interested in basketball. She is learning the game, how to dribble, and how to shoot. I bought her a basketball for home, and she loves going out back to practice dribbling. As a parent, it’s so amazing when they find a hobby or sport that they love.
READ: When Your Child Finally Finds the Sport They Love
Once again, parenting and raising kids is the hardest thing I will ever do, and sometimes I am so surprised by my kids and their willingness to try new things, their resilience, and how their wants and desires shift over time as they mature. Sports or not, I am so proud of my kids and their commitment to trying new things and seeing it to the end — even when the going gets tough.
