I can’t believe I’m actually in this phase of parenthood already-the running phase. The phase where one kid has karate twice a week, another has soccer on the opposite end of town, and how are we going to shuffle to it all when I work an hour away *and* have dogs to take care of, too? I’m exhausted just thinking about it.
I call this phase “the running phase” because I might as well carry a pair of running shoes in my bag wherever I go; I’m always going to be in a hurry to get to one place or another.
I love that my kids are getting to experience extracurricular activities. It’s great for them! But I am wondering how I’m going to handle it. My husband works two jobs-we are so grateful for how hard he works, I work an hour away from where I live, one practice is five minutes from home, the other is halfway between work and home, and oh yeah, don’t forget we need to stop and let the dogs out. Then, if I manage all of that, I get home to the evening rush of dinner, tubs, bedtime. *Then* I still need to walk the dogs for their long walk (and my mental health).
I know we can make it work. It just sounds like so much writing it all down. Our days are already so long, I can’t even imagine making them longer!
I also cannot even believe we are already to this stage of parenthood. I knew it was coming. I’ve seen countless friends and family members doing the sibling shuffle, but it always seemed so far away for us. BAM! Here it is.
Parents doing this shuffle now have it a little tougher, though, than people of generations past. Our world is different. We are living in the anxiety era where the demands are high but the reward is low. Since the pandemic, employees have been asked to really step up their game when it comes to their job-regardless of their profession. We had to try to make up for lost time, to get back to where we once were. Yet some of these employers seem to be forgetting that their own employees are doing things like the sibling shuffle.
Not only that, but we keep hearing talk of inflation. That doesn’t exclude your child’s extracurricular activities. For your child to even join a sports team is a much heftier fee than years past.
So, yes, it is not an ideal time to be in the height of the shuffle. But-I wouldn’t trade it for the world. At the end of the day, no matter how tired I am, I know my kids are so happy seeing me and my husband cheering them on from the sidelines. And that is the perspective we all need to keep. We’re in it for them.
