Getting More Organised For The Summer

Life has just gone up a notch. We've now joined a weekly BMX class to add to football and dance class AND we've also joined a completely new Football Club. Deep breath. For long time readers you'll know Aaron's been cycling since he was three years of age so you won't be overly surprised, except the missing part of the story is that hubby put me on a cycle ban when pregnant and it scuppered Aaron and I cycling everywhere. Also, so too did the presence of a buggy when Lottie came along. Alas I discovered via the BMX class that Aaron's cycling skills have suffered as a result but we're now both fully committed to getting him back where he was. I'd say from just 1 hour Tuesday night he's 85% there. It did break my heart though to witness it taking an hour to get back to where he was four years ago. Aaron on the exact same track 4 years ago, just with a different bike and more confidence: Aaron cycling 4 years old. There's something about being 8 years of age - it's like he's more self conscious and unsure of himself, but I'm definitely alongside him to ride it out and LITERALLY.

The football club we joined last night is a proper club as opposed to the weekly kick about he's done every Friday for FOUR long years. So hallelujah to not having to give up my Friday nights anymore (I'd already done that for 6 years as a Yoga Teacher) but we still have to go tomorrow to our old class, to finish the term as it's trophy night. We only tried our new club yesterday but we already have a tournament of matches to go to Sunday. Talk about going in at the deep end. And I thought with tomorrow being the last day of our school term, I thought I'd be looking forward to a slower pace of life for 6 weeks but as our new football club continues throughout Summer obviously that's going to be far from true. No harm though as Aaron's got so much stamina he'd be climbing the walls otherwise.

BUT there is a silver lining and that's after tomorrow NO MORE SCHOOL RUNS. I hate the school run with a passion. I have a "thing" about lateness or rather punctuality. So if you want to get my heart racing put me and 2 children who need to be at school on time in the same room. I mean don't get me wrong we are NEVER late. But sheepishly I tell you I cannot say the say for my stress levels. I could however say I'm never sane. Except of course when I'm asleep. I fully chill then of course. If only I didn't have to be horizontal to do so!!!!!!!!!!

So in an attempt to be more "organised Mum" and less running from the seat of her pants "stressed shrill Mum" I think it's time for a noticeboard and some other organising aids, like actually PUTTING things in an ACTUAL diary even if it is just online (and preferably so so that I get the reminders and can share it with hubby. I know the organised amongst you are probably gasping or at the very least taking a sharp inhale at the fact that we don't already use one. Well yeah, now you know why my memory is gone and my brain is FRIED. The hard drive of my brain is burnt out too busy thinking for four people. No harm in practicing good habits in the 6 weeks leisure time ready to be fighting fit for September though when the doors to YEAR 4 open. I really want to get Aaron up to academic excellence so we will be doing some book work, the 3 Rs, all through the Summer.  It does make me laugh that the 3 Rs are 

reading writing and arithmetic

... given that only 1 of them begins with an R. Clearly spelling doesn't always matter LOL.

And the Whiteboard notice board above could be used as a visual aid. I know in learning Aaron is very visual so to be able to do daily to-do lists on a white board through the Summer would be invaluable even if it was just a schedule starting: "book work 10 - 12, lunch 12-1, Nintendo Switch 1-4.....  I just have to get him into a habit where he EARNS his Nintendo Switch Fortnite time with academic book work time. The only thing that's getting my goat is we have the same teacher next year and I'm worried she may have already pigeon holed Aaron. I don't know how to get her to look at him with fresh eyes in September and not just assume his academic skills will have got rusty over the Summer. I play on practising his handwriting, and reading and maths/timetables all Summer even if it's just an hour a day.

Anyway this is my life currently (even last night whenever he wasn't actually playing football he'd just break into dance. Him and his BFF were both new last night and they both kept doing it whether it was Hype or Floss or Orange Justice etc... The other players just looked on. It didn't help that professional players were doing it during the World Cup so they are now role models and they're like sod what our actual peers think. But yeah life lately is like this:

Things for you to do when the footie’s on TV

Does the man in your life live for football? And if that’s the case, what do you do when he’s watching? 

When football’s on TV, it can take up a lot of time – whether it’s mid-week evenings or during the day at the weekend. 

Is this a familiar scene in your living room?

Photo credit: CJS*64 A man with a camera

Even when it’s not the Premier League he’s watching, other tournaments get in on the TV schedules, such as the Champions' League, so during the winter months it can feel almost like there’s nothing else on! And every other year, there’s a major international tournament such as last year’s World Cup or the European Championship – look out for Euro 2016 next year! 

The 2015-2016 fixture list has been released by the FA. Make a note of the key dates if you want to get busy doing something out of the house to leave him and the TV alone!

So, how do you spend the time when your man’s watching the footie?

If you’ve got children, it’s a great time to do any kind of making or baking project. Getting all the paper, glue and scissors out or helping them to make fairy cakes. There can be something quite nice about the background noise of the football match on the TV in the next room while you’re doing something else. You know he’s enjoying watching, but you don’t have to sit there twiddling your thumbs pretending to be interested when really, and quite frankly you have no desire to learn the offside rule!

Of course, this year’s football season is just about over now. Even if you have no interest whatsoever, you’ll probably have heard that Chelsea won the Premier League. The only other major events left to be decided is the Champions League finals. And if you feel you have to show willing and watch, one way to make it more fun is to have a small wager on the matches. For the uninitiated in football betting, get up to speed with the latest news at http://www.bet365.com/news/en/betting/football. 

Just for info, it's Barcelona playing Juventus in the Champions League final on 6th June 2015.

If you have kids, you can hope that when they’re old enough to take an interest, they might share your partner’s passion for football, so you don’t have to. 

Currently, Aaron loves going to football club on Fridays but hasn't adopted the habit of watching on TV yet, and hasn't even started supporting a team.

Generally, it’s a given with boys, but that’s not to say that girls can’t like football, too. My niece has played in a team FOR YEARS; matches, the lot! 

If you’ve got a baby or toddler now, you can look forward to a future time when your partner and the kids are wrapped up in the football, which will leave you with lots of free time to relax. You could book a massage to coincide with the game, for example, or head out for a shopping trip by yourself, without having to take the kids with you.

You can shop 'til you drop without the kids in tow

Photo credit: by Svadilfari

If you’re a crafter, you could work on your current project while the football fans in the family are gathered around the TV in the other room, leaving you to do your scrapbook-ing or work on your sewing or crochet project. If you’ve never been the ‘crafty’ type (like me!), it’s a great time to learn a new skill. Going online you can teach yourself to do virtually anything from ceramics through to jewellery making, and all the materials can also be ordered online.

Don’t see football as a blight on your family time – grab it as time to spend doing something wholesome with the kids if they’re not interested, and if they are interested, look at it as some valuable mummy ‘me time’.

Football gives children the run around

Children have boundless energy and, as parents, we are constantly finding new ways to wear them out. 

Oh my gosh, this is so my life right now. Aaron took me (yep!) to the park after school Wednesday Thursday and Friday last week. As the blue skies are continuing so too are the after school park sessions this week. In fact last night we got home at 18:15 after school pickup at 15:15..... my fingers were numb with the cold by then. We did playground, farm, BMX track, playground again and finally home! In just last night's session at the park I took 58 photos...! I love the one above of him trying to look like the scarescrow at the farm.

In the above pic you see how far away the fireman pole is. But I taught him last night how to stand (instead of sit) so as to take a leap of faith and reach it. Instant progress. He's been able to do it for years, but this one was particularly far to reach.

We gave up Friday after-school football for Winter, but I am realising that my energetic 4 year old needs it back in his life. We only stopped as we used to cycle there and back after already cycling home. It got too cold and too dark, but I feel we need it back in our lives!

This was us back in September:

Once they’ve outgrown a toddle around the playground, it’s time to start thinking about organised activities that will leave them ready for bed.

To think, once upon a time, we'd only have to go swimming for 40 minutes for him to need an afternoon nap. Those days are long gone. He literally has a limitless supply of energy.

Football is the natural choice. It’s not the most popular sport in the world for nothing! It’s exciting, challenging and skillful and there’s a level of play for every age group and ability.

Hundreds of millions of people all over the world are devoted to a sport that has long been known as 'The Beautiful Game'. Some turn out every week in all weathers to support their club while others prefer to watch the action on telly, assessing the odds to predict the first goal scorer or the winning team in each match.

But there’s nothing like taking part. Every week around 5 million people lace up their boots to play at schools or colleges, community centres and playgrounds.

Most die hard footie fans caught the bug as children and with so many local clubs and schemes attracting young people to the sport, there’s no danger that its popularity will wane anytime soon.

Children as young as three can take part in toddler and pre-school football sessions. These are usually run by your local club and give wee ones the chance to develop strength and co-ordination in their little legs.

Kids who are just starting school can join after-school skill sessions, where the focus is on fun rather than technical ability. But if they are beginning to show an aptitude or interest in playing properly, consider joining a Saturday session where activities are more structured.

The Friday sessions we went to last year were all about fun. It's the only after school activity Aaron's done so far and we signed up as soon as he started school. Twenty pounds for 4 classes of an hour each.

It took 2-3 sessions before Aaron understood that one team plays the other, and that a team shares/passes the ball to each other. I took for granted he'd know this, but no. The first session began with them doing a lot of ball skills with a ball each, so it was a big shock to the system to then put on a bib and go into teams, but he got it. I think 2015 maybe is the year where we can pursue this with more proper football. Maybe I'll even get him football shorts and shoes as he just has the green top currently.

Older children might get picked for the school team or start to progress through their local club's training system. If your budding soccer star is good enough, they could even be offered a place at a centre of excellence or football academy.

Football is a brilliant training ground for team play, discipline and confidence-building. Oh my gosh, discipline!!! Their Coach is SO good at getting them to do as he says. I was in awe the first time I went to Football. But he drives all the way from Birmingham to take our class, because he said there, the kids don't listen, I guess because they're used to the accent etc... but for our lot. Boom! He shouts an instruction and they're off like lightning. Considering the terrible threes, the threenager years, were SO recent, seeing this "stand to attention" and do as coach says, behaviour, really tickled me. So I actually used to enjoy sitting on the sides watching. We really MUST start going again!

All of this good stuff about football of course applies to girls too. In fact my Niece is in her school team.

And the rise of the England Women’s Football Team is offering up some great female role models for girls keen on the sport.

Football Crazy. Football Mad. 4 Year Old.

We're not really a family who watches football on TV, although there is the odd match that Daddy won't miss. That said, the after school football has begun in earnest.

We went the week before last, for the first time and Aaron loved it, but there were two issues (1) he loved all the solo work they did for 3/4 of the class with a ball each, but he got a bit miffed when two teams were chasing one ball up and down the pitch, and didn't really get it (2) he felt like everyone had numbers on their back apart from him.

When reviewing the photos afterwards I could see that only about a third of the children had numbers on their backs, but off we went to the shops anyway. Because we were in a sports shop and not a Football Team store, the football shirts did not even have numbers on their backs. They'd need to be ordered for an extra TEN POUNDS....... we went away to think about it.

Well a few days later I looked in the wardrobe, and came across a H & M football shirt I'd bought in the summer for 2.99 GBP (sorry my pound sign does not work).  Because it said aged 8-10 on it I'd hung it up.

I dug it out the other day and Aaron said he loved it; both the colour, green, and the number, 10! WIN! What he didn't know was that I was rather over the moon too, as it says Ireland on it! #Result

We tried it on, and it fit - or maybe my oversized school uniform eyes tell me it does ;-) So after missing last week's football (he was too tired after his first week of full days at school), off we went.

I was so incredibly proud of him:

Even though he wasn't there the last week, the coach KNEW he was the one who did not GET the team thing a fortnight ago, so what did he do? Before he even put the 4 colours of bibs on, he picked captains. He picked Aaron as one, as he knew him (somehow) and knew that level of responsibility would get Aaron off the "bench" (literally a P.E. bench where the parents sit).

So up he went, happily put on his bib, even though we'd agreed at home he wouldn't do "this bit". The coach started from the far end, and let each Captain pick their team name. When he got to the 4th team, far left, Aaron's team, he said "what's on your shirt?" and got Aaron to name his team Ireland. It was genius. It was also no coincidence that he gave Aaron's team the green bibs.

So when they were off and running, Aaron ran up and down the pitch, tried to tackle, and just generally participated. It was a 1,000% improvement on a fortnight ago and I literally couldn't be more proud.

So these coaches, in any sport, if they know what they are doing, they can be life changing for a child, even in a matter of weeks.

I'm a very proud mum right about now:

Oh I must finish off by telling you something funny.

It's Saturday, so I should resurrect #SaidItSaturday... when we arrived at football he said "not everyone has numbers on their back". I thought "I know this" and then he followed with "I want football shoes" to which I said "But Aaron then you'll want football socks, where does it end?" To which he replied "it won't end I will then want football SHORTS!" *sigh* hides under duvet with my empty purse!!!