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Hockey Mom Tips
Hockey Mom Tip #7 : Keeping Energy Levels High
For those of you dreading the crazy schedules of school and sporting events, I have an easy and incredibly effective solution: a whiteboard in a prominent location with plenty of different coloured dry-erase markers. My kitchen whiteboard keeps me sane. This is what I write on my board:
- The date: there were many times that I needed to glance at my board to figure out which day it was (some crazy days I had to check more than once!)
- The weather forecast: so they can make appropriate decisions about what to wear with minimal nagging on my part.
- Assigned chores: everyone knows who is responsible for what (dog walking/feeding, laundry, cleaning, etc).
- The daily schedule: work shifts, times and places of games, practices, outings, etc. If someone is not home, a glance at the board usually explains why.
- What’s for supper and when: I leave specific instructions on the board if someone has to start preparing supper or setting the table before I get home. All kids eventually need to learn how to cook (unless you think that they will never leave the house and that you will always be around to cook for them!) so following a simple recipe or instructions is a great place to start. It is best to avoid fast food meals as much as possible (for health and financial reasons!). If we have to have an early supper to accommodate a sporting event, I will indicate this on the board and will plan a meal that is quick to prepare, or use my slow cooker.
- Snacks: I list the healthy snacks that we have on hand, including snacks in the fridge (yogurt, cheese, boiled eggs, prepared sandwiches, etc). I arrange the non-perishable snacks together in a basket on the kitchen counter (in individual serving sizes). This makes it easier (and faster) for kids to make healthy snack choices even when a parent isn’t home to answer the question “what can I eat?”
- Funny drawings, sayings or comments: Don’t be too predictable. Keep them guessing (and laughing).
A white board is a wonderful communication tool which helps to organize household chaos.
Once you start using one, you will never stop! Trust me on this one.
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Author
Margot Lacoste is a retired dietitian, an avid hockey player, and hockey mom to four. Her experience raising children and advising hockey players and teams who play hockey led her to self-publish the first version of the Nutrition Edge for Hockey Players in 2002. She brings her expansive knowledge of hockey schedules, arenas, tournament schedules, and teenage hockey player preferences to this great resource.
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