So after my return to swimming over the summer, I now need to plan how I am going to keep up the swimming once schools are back.
I was so fortunate where we used to live, being 5 mins or 15 mins from the pools I trained at, plus we trained late 8.30-9.30pm and 8-9.30pm so husband would be back to look after the kids.
So come 23rd Aug I need to leave home at 7.30am to get bigger small child to school. My nearest masters team is a good 30mins drive and practices 5.15am-6.30am, so I'd somehow have to get out of the pool at 6.30, drive through the rush hour traffic (albeit kind of against the traffic, but still..) get home have 2 small kids breakfasted, dressed and out the door all within the hour.
Husband is currently heading up some global finance project which means conference calls at all hours, so while he may be around at home, he may also have a 7am call with Europe, so can't rely on him to help out - and if he doesn't have an early call he would leave the house at 8.30am and likely stay in bed until 8.15..GRRR...
Plus by the time lunchtime comes around I'd be pooped - getting up at 5.45am this summer saw to that, so I have no idea if my body could cope with a 4.30am wake up. Smaller small child is 3 and will start pre-school 2 mornings per week, so will need entertaining the rest of the time (can't just pack 'em both off and go back to bed)
:blah::blah::blah:
So just how do you moms with small kids do it?
I do have a couple of other options to get some lap swimming in, but being coached and swimming with the team would obviously benefit my swimming the most.
Parents
Former Member
I have five kids ranging from 2 to 17. Two are still at home, the other three have school (of those, the elementary kids go to a year-round school on mornings-only schedule, and this school is about a 15 minute drive each way). My husband works at home, and though he is extremely supportive of my swimming, there is a limit to how much I am willing to ask of him. Also, having my teen regularly babysit is not an option for me, personally--I just don't like that idea. There is a team locally to me that I'd LOVE to join. They offer 3 workouts a day, but alas, two are in perfect conflict with "our" schedule, and the third is iffy, so I just don't see it happening for me there for a few years, and I have accepted that. I've been working out on my own now for almost 3 yrs and I love it. Even though I'm coachless I am still improving and getting faster.
Swimming got a LOT easier for me when a fitness club with a 25 yd pool opened just 3 minutes from my house. (I added strength training, too!) How I work it is during the latter part of the morning, while my elementary kids are at school, and my two yr old is taking his nap. I always have my stuff ready to go so I can leave the second he goes down. That still leaves my preschooler still awake and needing supervision. But he is older (almost 5) and easy; he loves to watch his father work, and can be counted on to do quiet activities if his dad needs to take a phone call.
This doesn't work if the littlest fellow won't nap. Another thing we do is have me go in the afternoon soon after the elementary kids are home. I prepare a lunch, and when everyone is assembled at the table, little guy in his high chair, I leave for the gym/pool. This is a much easier situation --my husband can still get work done while the kids are eating, the older ones are happy to pour milk or whatever for themselves and for the littlest guy. Then it's homework time for the school kids (and the preschooler likes to watch THEM work)and my husband has found he can scootch the baby's high chair into the next room by the other kids and give the little guy a cookie or an otter pop... and it's not too demanding to supervise. If all else fails he'll put on a dvd and let TV assist his babysitting.
Under this system, I usually swim 4 times per week. Give or take 1. I love the weekends, I have much longer workouts since there's no school, and since on those days my husband often takes the kids on outings or does other special Daddy Projects with them.
I have five kids ranging from 2 to 17. Two are still at home, the other three have school (of those, the elementary kids go to a year-round school on mornings-only schedule, and this school is about a 15 minute drive each way). My husband works at home, and though he is extremely supportive of my swimming, there is a limit to how much I am willing to ask of him. Also, having my teen regularly babysit is not an option for me, personally--I just don't like that idea. There is a team locally to me that I'd LOVE to join. They offer 3 workouts a day, but alas, two are in perfect conflict with "our" schedule, and the third is iffy, so I just don't see it happening for me there for a few years, and I have accepted that. I've been working out on my own now for almost 3 yrs and I love it. Even though I'm coachless I am still improving and getting faster.
Swimming got a LOT easier for me when a fitness club with a 25 yd pool opened just 3 minutes from my house. (I added strength training, too!) How I work it is during the latter part of the morning, while my elementary kids are at school, and my two yr old is taking his nap. I always have my stuff ready to go so I can leave the second he goes down. That still leaves my preschooler still awake and needing supervision. But he is older (almost 5) and easy; he loves to watch his father work, and can be counted on to do quiet activities if his dad needs to take a phone call.
This doesn't work if the littlest fellow won't nap. Another thing we do is have me go in the afternoon soon after the elementary kids are home. I prepare a lunch, and when everyone is assembled at the table, little guy in his high chair, I leave for the gym/pool. This is a much easier situation --my husband can still get work done while the kids are eating, the older ones are happy to pour milk or whatever for themselves and for the littlest guy. Then it's homework time for the school kids (and the preschooler likes to watch THEM work)and my husband has found he can scootch the baby's high chair into the next room by the other kids and give the little guy a cookie or an otter pop... and it's not too demanding to supervise. If all else fails he'll put on a dvd and let TV assist his babysitting.
Under this system, I usually swim 4 times per week. Give or take 1. I love the weekends, I have much longer workouts since there's no school, and since on those days my husband often takes the kids on outings or does other special Daddy Projects with them.
