Parents Set Super-Relatable ‘Rules’ For Their Kids Who Play Sports

Temperatures may not exactly be Spring-like just yet where you live. But the reality of the Spring sports season is slowly settling in.

• Practices re-starting? Check.
• Games hitting your team’s scheduling app? Check.
• Juggling multiple kids’ games and competitions while trying to keep your sanity? Check.
• Dressing in multiple layers for that 8:30 a.m. tournament game when it’s still 30 degrees? Check.

Don’t forget remembering all of the equipment for the games, making sure the uniforms are all clean, and the laundry … oh, the laundry!

“Fit Sports Mom” Kellie Gimenez (@kelliegimenez) and her husband Chris recently posted a super-relatable reel of what they call “non-negotiable rules” that make all of us sports parents feel seen.

But there’s a twist.

Breaking Down the ‘Rules’ for Your Athletes

In the Reel that has more than 40k likes and almost 1000 comments, Kellie and Chris say these “rules” are to make sure their life “works as seamless as possible” with their two sons and daughter all in sports.

See if you agree.

Rule #1: Shoes

“Make sure you hide your cleats in the hardest location to find. But then don’t tell anybody you can’t find them until we’re walking out the door.”

Isn’t it incredible that your child may have more than one pair of cleats or whatever sports shoes they need, but they can’t find any of them when we are ready to leave? Sometimes it’s just one shoe missing. Or—have you experienced this one—you’ve asked said kid to have all their stuff ready to go multiple times but yet they seem totally surprised when it’s actually time to leave?

Rule #2: Water Bottles

“You’re not allowed to come home with a water bottle. You leave it at any field we’re at,” explains Kellie, adding they’re just donating to the cause.

We’ve all been there. You’d think our water bottle budget is in the thousands of dollars.

Oh—and speaking of forgetting water bottles—what about all of the money you’ve spent buying disposable water bottles at the convenience store next to the field because your kid forgot their water bottle at home?

Rule #3: The Stink

Chris chimes in with this one: “As soon as you’re done playing said sport, immediately, once we’ve gotten in the car, take all of your shoes off … because when in doubt air it out.”

Unless you can roll those car windows way down, none of us want that. There is nothing worse than a closed-up car with the smell of stinky feet after a game, or frankly in my family, even a dance rehearsal or competition.

Rule #4: The Laundry

“Make sure when you take your uniform off, cup, socks, all of it, I want it to be in a ball … so that I have to separate everything,” says Kellie.

I mean, this kind of applies to all clothes every day, not just sports uniforms on game days. How many times do you have to take underwear and socks out of pants that are all rolled up together?! Oh and I love it when my soccer player puts her “extra” jerseys in the wash, even when they weren’t worn but merely brought along just in case the other team is also wearing white.

Rule #5: Leaving Things Around the House

Speaking of cups, Kellie says, “You are going to take your cup out, you have to put it in a very visible place like the table, the counters…”

I’ll just leave that one there. I have two daughters.

Rule #6: Showering

Chris gives us the sixth and final rule according to the couple. “This is the most important one. After the game, when we ask you to take a shower, you immediately reply with, ‘why? I didn’t sweat.'”

Um, yes, you did. You not only sweated, but you likely also fell on the ground once or twice, came in contact with another player, high-fived a teammate, or maybe even wiped your nose with your hand.

Why do kids think they don’t need to shower? My athlete will have practice one night, and then say something like, “But I have a game tomorrow and I’m just going to have to shower again.”

Commenters Share Some Additional ‘Rules’

The Gimenezes asked others to chime in on some additional ‘rules’ their families follow and the commenters delivered.

One sports parent writes, “When you have late night practices or games, never bring food with you to eat on the way home. Come home, take at least 60 minutes to eat and shower, and get in bed no sooner than 11pm on a school night.”

Similar to the shoe rule, for this commenter, it’s the socks. “It’s super important to only have one sock in your laundry so that only the one sock for your uniform gets washed and then have absolutely no idea where the other one is.”

Another parent adds, “When you take off your cleats, baseball or football, make sure you shake them out all over the car or house so we get to enjoy those rubber pellets from the turf forever.” (In our house we call them turf turds!)

Then there’s those leftover drinks. “NEVER throw away your 1/4th consumed Gatorade bottles in the trash, they belong at the bottom of your baseball bag,” writes another commenter.

Finally, we’ve all heard this one from our athletes, so this is a good rule. “It’s pretty important to complain about having to go to practice a few times a week,” writes another parent.

Time is Fleeting, Enjoy the Ride

With one daughter in competitive dance and another who plays both soccer and lacrosse, I found myself nodding my head watching this video and reading the comments. And it’s so relatable not just for sports parents, but really all parents.

How many times has your kid forgotten their flute when they are going to orchestra rehearsal? Or the canvas they were working on for art class? What about their belt for karate? The same ‘rules’ apply to all children. But it’s all part of being a parent and helping your tiny human learn to (eventually) be a responsible adult.

And although the struggle is real, one day we will all miss those early morning games, lost cleats, extra laundry, and for those it applies to, yes, the cup left on the counter. Enjoy the ride. Laugh at the little things.

Does your family have any ‘rules’ when it comes to sports and activities? Let us know in the comments below!