Have you been racking your brain for ideas on how to keep a sibling occupied while at competitive sports events? Our daughter has a swim meet at least once a quarter and these events last up to five hours. That is a pretty long time to keep a six-year-old gainfully occupied and minimize on the “how many more minutes do we have left” question every 3 to 5 minutes. Child, we have hours left. Not minutes. Lord, help us.
I’d love to share with you a few things that help the hours go by faster and smoother, in between cheering because her races, or should I say heats (I’m learning) are never back-to-back.
1. Sticker books have been a major hit so far. I get some lovely ones at the dollar store that are Bible based. Score! These only last about 30 minutes, however, until our son is over it and ready to move on to the next thing.
2. After sticker books is snacks. I have learned that it is best to always pack more than you need. And a variety. Today we have tangerine, apple slices, carrots, chapati (an East African flat bread) and some dark chocolate his aunt brought him from Colombia. He has been saving it for a special event. Please do not forget to pack snacks for yourself and the child participating in the competition too. Water for everyone is a must.
3. Next is pen, paper and color pencils. A blank slate on which to let his imagination run free. You will be surprised what they come up with. As I type (yes, I’m using the time in between our daughter’s races to blog. That is one of the ways Mummy keeps it together while sitting in the pool viewing area for 5 hours, engulfed in chlorine filled air). As I type, he is drawing out this month’s calendar from scratch. March has 31 days so that is a square for each day, after which he will date each square and write a short blurb of what he did on that day. Pretty cool idea he came up with actually. HE was so proud of his work and that kept him busy for quite sometime. There is a sense of accomplishment when we create something out of nothing. It builds on self esteem and confidence. I enjoyed seeing him beam with pride as I genuinely gushed over his work.
4. I also brought two books for him to read later on when he is feeling more mellow. One was a favorite of his that he goes back to over and over, even though he has read it many times, and another is a new book I recently purchased for him because who doesn’t get excited about getting into a fresh new book? It is part of a series called 10 boys who changed the world. I purchased the books as a set, but only bring one book out for him to read every couple of weeks to keep the anticipation and curiosity high of which book will be next.
5. Make new friends. Strike up a conversation with the parent next to you and if they have siblings there watching too, chances are they will also get to chatting and even play together. You will most likely see each other next time and who knows, it just might be the start of a lovely family friendship.
6. The last hour was spent in bored silence, and that’s ok. There are so many people in a rush these days, always go, go, go. So, it is refreshing to be able to just sit still, relax and calm your mind. Even though it means being bored, that’s fine. Take in the sounds, take in the sights, breath in, breath out. Slow down for a couple of minutes, for an hour and practice patience.
7. Most importantly: pray! A friend of mine shared that she started praying before heading out for playdates and has seen a big difference in her children’s attitudes and how they interact with others. She prays specifically for a fun time, no accidents, no squabbles or disagreements and that no colds will be spread. Yes, it is great to ask our loving Heavenly Father for our specific needs, nothing is too small or silly to pray about if it matters to you.
So that is exactly what I did this morning. I prayed over the swim meet. I prayed for journey mercies as we went, for safety at the pool, for our daughter to a record better time on her heats than last quarter and to make good friends. 5 hours is pretty lonely if you are in a crowd but are by yourself. My heart almost burst with joy when I went down to check on her in between her heats and found her giggling with three clubmates turned friends. They were swapping snacks and swapping stories, and I was so there for it! Thank You Jesus is what I said in my heart. Our God is so faithful and full of kindness. He so completely answered my earnest prayers. Trust Him with your needs today Mom and watch Him come through in beautiful ways, better than you could have ever imagined or asked. We need God’s divine help in every aspect of our lives and families. Nothing is to small or insignificant. Bring it all to our loving Father. He wants us to call on Him because He is willing and ready to move mightily on our behalf.
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Read more of Rachel’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.
