‘Every week we fill the family planner with the schedules of all the clubs’
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When your child signs up for a new club, you can be sure that you as a parent will also be presented with an obligation to participate in no time.
Matthijs (40): “How many tasks can you take on? After being a lice, reading and lunchtime mother, my wife Marijke is also a football coach for our two daughters. That means leading two matches a week and visiting all training sessions between half past four and half past six. She is also a caregiver for her father.
I have no idea where she gets the time from. I’m very proud of her, but I feel like I have to introduce myself again at the end of the week. Fortunately, the football season ends at the beginning of May and we have a nice long summer break.”
Real hockey family
Syl (44): “After moving to the countryside, we had to build a new social life. Our children quickly made friends at school, I got on well with their mothers, but my husband Harm-Jan was less likely to connect with the neighborhood due to his busy director’s job. He emailed the local hockey club to see if there was still a vacant board position. He used to play hockey all the time.
“Before we knew it he was bombed to chairman”
And yes: before we knew it he was bombed to chairman. Not long after, our three children also became members and we suddenly formed a real hockey family. I myself have nothing to do with the sport, but I had to believe it anyway. Now I do trimfit on Sunday morning, a kind of fitness training with a stick. At least I can talk a little bit at home.”
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Military planning
Larissa (35): “If your child joins a sports club, you know that the parents are expected to do hand in hand. Associations run on volunteers, so it is only natural that you help. But yes, we have three children who attend four different athletics, judo, basketball and swimming clubs and Willem, my friend, also judo himself.
Willem and I fill the family planner with training schedules every week and use yellow (me) and orange (he) shading markers to determine who goes with which child, who works bartenders, is a taxi driver, coaches and sets out fields and pawns. With a bit of luck I can also go for a run somewhere myself.”
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