Who Goes Where

How do you decide who goes where when your children have two soccer games at the same time? Although we are only three weeks into our boy’s soccer season, they have played at the same time all three weeks. It is bad enough that the games have been at 8:00 and 9:15, which is way too early to be up and about on a Saturday morning (who am I kidding, we would be up anyway). If I am going to be up that early, I should at least be able to see both of my boys’ games. So far, my wife and have had to rotate, switch back and forth, in an effort to be fair. It may be fair, but it isn’t very satisfying, for any of us. I know that my wife and I would love to see both games. My boys have made it perfectly clear that each wants both mom and dad at there game and although they made say they understand after we explain why that can’t happen, I can see the disappointment on their faces.

It doesn’t get any easier when you factor in the flag-football schedule. The boys have played at the same time for the past two weeks. My wife and I can’t even rotate these games because I am the coach of my youngest son’s team. I didn’t really want to coach for this very reason, but none of the other dads volunteered, so I got “stuck” with it. Don’t get me wrong, I love coaching the team, but I hate missing my oldest boy’s games. I have even used the “I am your Scout leader, but I am not his, so I will be his football coach to make everything fair” argument. Again, he says he understands, but I can still see the disappointment in his eyes.

So, how do you decide who goes where when all the schedules conflict, without disappointing one or more of your children? I haven’t found the answer yet, but I have at least four more “Soccer Saturdays” and “Flag-Football Sundays” to find out.