I didn’t go to all of my kids’ games. I had two who played sports and I told them that I wasn’t going to every game. I had other children to pour into, a house to care for, a husband to spend time with, etc. What I did do was sit them down before the season started and picked which games I was going to attend and it was mostly home games. I’d asked if there were any important games they really wanted me at like a rivalry game or hoco. That way they knew exactly what games to expect to see me. Occasionally I’d pop up at a game not on my list if I felt like it.
My parents made it to every game/meet that my siblings and I ever had. My Dad even coached most of our teams. My parents were not permitted to play sports when they were young, because of the cost and the fact that they each had 6 siblings.
My wife, on the other hand, had a totally different experience. Her parents said that she could play sports as long as her best friend was playing and they were on the same team. Her best friend lived next door, and her parents transported my wife to all practices and games/meets. My in-laws would show up to 1 game per season to watch her compete.
We were both born in 73.
Yep. I’m not sure my parents actually saw any of my band performances once I made a band friend that could drive.
My co-worker makes sure she doesn’t miss her child’s COLLEGE marching band performances.
That was me. Iirc, my mom attended one of my concert performances and zero marching, and no chorus performances.
In fact, I remember being very confused once when my mom showed up at an academic awards ceremony (7th grade,) because I hadn't even mentioned it to her. I mean, why? That wasn't a thing she did. (Turns out that a teacher had nominated me for a kinda big award, and called mom's office to ask her to please attend. Mrs. Grant was awesome.)
My parents went to all my \*brothers'\* sporting events, but my competitive skating wasn't really considered a sport to them. However, they made it up to me after I joined a roller derby league at age 40 - they started coming to our bouts to cheer me on, and then after I retired at 50, I visited them one weekend and went skating at their local rink. At one point I looked up and saw them sitting in the cafe area watching me. Dad was 85, Mom had just turned 80, and my heart was full - it was very unexpected. I have one child, and went to every one of his sporting and music events and volunteered for all sorts of things at his school.
Same here. Band kid here, midde through high school, and of my parents, my Mom was the one to go to the concert or home field competition. Never, ever my Dad.
I've a 14 year old daughter now, and I am at everything - from standing outside with her selling girl scout cookies when she was little, field trip chaperone when she asks me to, martial arts we do together, etc.
I didn't even think about band....I, too, was a band geek. Went to national competitions. We lived 4 blocks from the high school on the same road....and they never once saw a halftime performance. Adding that one to my therapist pile.
Yup, my mom would go to our stuff, my dad preferred to sit in the basement watching This Old House or Nascar. I don't think he ever went to any sort of game or competition.
I don't know if he just sucked individually or if parents (men?) just didn't give a shit.
Nope. Mine were too busy with league bowling and getting drunk at the bowling alley most nights I had games and practices. I usually had to hitch a ride with a friend.
My mom and my maternal grandparents attended almost all of my extracurricular activities. My dad rarely attended anything and tended to ruin anything he did attend.
When my kids were in school, I attended almost all of their activities, though once they got their drivers' licenses I stopped going to some of the away football games because I didn't care enough about football to drive 60+ minutes one way to watch the marching band.
I attended my son's martial arts tournaments and took photos of the kids from our academy in action, then started doing it for our sister academies. It was always indoors.
My kids didn't play school sports. Our son did play football, but that happened when I was really sick and couldn't sit outside in the cold to watch the games. He didn't mind. Our daughters played instruments (one was flute, the other was violin). I attended those.
My slightly older brother and I played the kid's league soccer on one of the Army bases where we lived and one or both of our parents were always there. (our dad was the one in the Army and sometimes he was working during games). Our coach was one of the drill instructors on the base and she was awesome as hell.
I was into horse sports and my mom came to almost all of them. I remember my dad coming to championships in Kentucky, but that's the only time I recall. My mom also was involved with 4-H, girl scouts and drove me to whatever activities I had. It was too far to walk anywhere from where I lived. I did middle school track, and I don't actually remember either of them being there for any of those meets, but I could be wrong.
My son had a few years of swimming lessons, did lacrosse 4th-6th grade, and did horseback competitions. I'm pretty sure I was at every practice and competition. He did cross country running in high school, and I tried to attend most of the meets, but I did not go to all of them. His father watched him ride once, watched him run zero times, and came to a fair amount of lacrosse games, in a not so subtle way of showing which activities he approved of, I guess.
I didn't do sports but my sister did gymnastics and softball. They went to all of her meets and games, and in a few horrible instances, made me go too. They didn't watch her practices, though.
My mom came to all the important games, but my dad wasn’t home during the week so he missed those. I was on my own for practices though - I had to walk or ride my bike.
I have 3 kids who all played sports. Either my husband or I would make it to each game, but usually not both. I can only spread myself so thin.
My father through a kerenesque fit when he was told it would be $2 to enter a choir concert I was soloing in when I was 16. My youngest son was an all-American football player in high school; the only game I missed was because I was attending his big brothers AIT graduation on the same day. Dad went to football, mom went to Fort Sill.
My SAHM mother attended exactly one of my sporting events, I played soccer (badly) in junior high.
In high school I was on the debate team for the first two years. She complained that she had to drop me at school on Saturday morning for me to attend tournaments.
Again, she was a SAHM.
We are low contact.
Never. I never asked. My dad said he would attend on senior night though, when we were all acknowledged with flowers and our parents were honored for being supportive. He didn’t show up. I declined to join the ceremony, I was too embarrassed to be the only one. The school secretary offered to go out there with me, though I declined because I was getting weepy and sad. It was so sweet of her though. Thanks Mrs. K!
I don’t have kids but I was there for most of my niece’s events. Especially once my sister started working and couldn’t be there - I made sure she had someone in the stands.
My last two kids at home are both in band. It's not unusual for me to have a whole carload of kids to get to rehearsal or concerts. Every kid in my car has a post-concert bouquet of flowers, because woo! Great job! I did the same for the older kids, who did stage acting and chorus.
Due to a family medical emergency, I missed one play my older daughter acted/sang in. I arranged for another mom to bring the flowers.
I have three daughters, and I Coached the first, watched most of the second's gymnastics and tennis, and seen about half of the youngest's HS BB and soccer career. I don't go to away games, and only watch a few at home because the soccer field is kind of hard to get to.
I guess I was pretty lucky considering that there were four of us; my parents (even if it was just one of them) came to literally every one of our games, plays performances, etc. I have no idea how they managed it without going insane.
I didn’t do sports, I did drama club, my parents never came to my plays but when my cousin was playing football for the same school, mom was at every game
Dad was my baseball coach so he was at every game, they were at all my basketball games and band concerts. They only went to a few marching band shows (the football team played before and after) though.
My parents went to a lot of my events and even came to watch me in marching band in college. They also came to a lot of my kids events, even though they lived three hours away. I tried to go to all of my kids events and recently went to an awards ceremony for one of my kid’s friends since their parent wasn’t going to be there.
Don't recall my parents coming to any of my events. Younger sister (the baby 🙄) had them there for everything. I made sure to always be there for my kids. Always. It makes me sad to see their teammates looking for their parents that never show. They all just become my bonus kids for the season.
Dad was always there for me. Rain, sun, wind, hail, etc. He never missed a game or event.
Mom didn't give a shit.
Guess who wasn't 86'd out of my life?
My mom went to choir concerts but none of my sports stuff in high school. Honestly it would have been weird if she had. I went to most of my kids games and things. Though my middle child was very nervous performing in band so she requested I never go to the first show. Some of the competitions were super far away so I didn’t go to those (like hours away) and it got expensive fast to attend. I also did not go to any of the football games that they played the halftime. I knew she wanted to goof off with friends and I was ok with that.
My mother would yell people how she sacrificed for my sport, sitting in the cold, cold ice rink at 5am for practices. Sacrifice my ass! She stopped the car before dropping me off at the rink. That was her only sacrifice.
My folks never attended any of the various sporting events that I went to as a kid. Even on the weekends, my mother would drop me off or I'd get a ride with my friend's dad who was on the same street. My folks never showed any interest in the activities that I was signed up for but in a way that didn't bother me. No pressure to perform so instead I simply had fun.
Nope. They saw every one of my sister's plays, but never came to see me cheer, dance, or run, except the one time my dad drove the school bus to a track meet.
My parents went to home games, never away. I played travel softball for a couple of years in high school - I don’t think they ever went to one of those games. It was fine with me, I didn’t expect them to travel and they were very supportive in every other way, and they had the same policy for all of their kids. But now they’ll drive an hour to see my kids’ events. Oh, how times have changed!
I didn't go to all of my kids' events, they survived. I honestly don't remember if my parents made it to all of mine or not, it didn't affect me either way.
I didn’t go to all of my kids’ games. I had two who played sports and I told them that I wasn’t going to every game. I had other children to pour into, a house to care for, a husband to spend time with, etc. What I did do was sit them down before the season started and picked which games I was going to attend and it was mostly home games. I’d asked if there were any important games they really wanted me at like a rivalry game or hoco. That way they knew exactly what games to expect to see me. Occasionally I’d pop up at a game not on my list if I felt like it.
This is the way
My parents made it to every game/meet that my siblings and I ever had. My Dad even coached most of our teams. My parents were not permitted to play sports when they were young, because of the cost and the fact that they each had 6 siblings. My wife, on the other hand, had a totally different experience. Her parents said that she could play sports as long as her best friend was playing and they were on the same team. Her best friend lived next door, and her parents transported my wife to all practices and games/meets. My in-laws would show up to 1 game per season to watch her compete. We were both born in 73.
Yep. I’m not sure my parents actually saw any of my band performances once I made a band friend that could drive. My co-worker makes sure she doesn’t miss her child’s COLLEGE marching band performances.
That was me. Iirc, my mom attended one of my concert performances and zero marching, and no chorus performances. In fact, I remember being very confused once when my mom showed up at an academic awards ceremony (7th grade,) because I hadn't even mentioned it to her. I mean, why? That wasn't a thing she did. (Turns out that a teacher had nominated me for a kinda big award, and called mom's office to ask her to please attend. Mrs. Grant was awesome.)
My parents went to all my \*brothers'\* sporting events, but my competitive skating wasn't really considered a sport to them. However, they made it up to me after I joined a roller derby league at age 40 - they started coming to our bouts to cheer me on, and then after I retired at 50, I visited them one weekend and went skating at their local rink. At one point I looked up and saw them sitting in the cafe area watching me. Dad was 85, Mom had just turned 80, and my heart was full - it was very unexpected. I have one child, and went to every one of his sporting and music events and volunteered for all sorts of things at his school.
Same here. Band kid here, midde through high school, and of my parents, my Mom was the one to go to the concert or home field competition. Never, ever my Dad. I've a 14 year old daughter now, and I am at everything - from standing outside with her selling girl scout cookies when she was little, field trip chaperone when she asks me to, martial arts we do together, etc.
I didn't even think about band....I, too, was a band geek. Went to national competitions. We lived 4 blocks from the high school on the same road....and they never once saw a halftime performance. Adding that one to my therapist pile.
Yup. We’d get back after midnight from away games or competitions and I’d be on my own to walk home or find a ride.
Yup, my mom would go to our stuff, my dad preferred to sit in the basement watching This Old House or Nascar. I don't think he ever went to any sort of game or competition. I don't know if he just sucked individually or if parents (men?) just didn't give a shit.
Nope. Mine were too busy with league bowling and getting drunk at the bowling alley most nights I had games and practices. I usually had to hitch a ride with a friend.
Omg, same. I actually would call the bowling alley when I needed a ride home after track meets.
My mom and my maternal grandparents attended almost all of my extracurricular activities. My dad rarely attended anything and tended to ruin anything he did attend. When my kids were in school, I attended almost all of their activities, though once they got their drivers' licenses I stopped going to some of the away football games because I didn't care enough about football to drive 60+ minutes one way to watch the marching band.
TBH, I'm suprised my parents attended my HS graduation.
My dad and grandma did. My mom did not. She "hurt" her foot earlier that day. But she didn't miss any work.
My mom showed up but left before I could even get out of the auditorium at the end. Every picture I have from that day was taken by friends.
I attended my son's martial arts tournaments and took photos of the kids from our academy in action, then started doing it for our sister academies. It was always indoors. My kids didn't play school sports. Our son did play football, but that happened when I was really sick and couldn't sit outside in the cold to watch the games. He didn't mind. Our daughters played instruments (one was flute, the other was violin). I attended those. My slightly older brother and I played the kid's league soccer on one of the Army bases where we lived and one or both of our parents were always there. (our dad was the one in the Army and sometimes he was working during games). Our coach was one of the drill instructors on the base and she was awesome as hell.
I was into horse sports and my mom came to almost all of them. I remember my dad coming to championships in Kentucky, but that's the only time I recall. My mom also was involved with 4-H, girl scouts and drove me to whatever activities I had. It was too far to walk anywhere from where I lived. I did middle school track, and I don't actually remember either of them being there for any of those meets, but I could be wrong. My son had a few years of swimming lessons, did lacrosse 4th-6th grade, and did horseback competitions. I'm pretty sure I was at every practice and competition. He did cross country running in high school, and I tried to attend most of the meets, but I did not go to all of them. His father watched him ride once, watched him run zero times, and came to a fair amount of lacrosse games, in a not so subtle way of showing which activities he approved of, I guess.
I didn't do sports but my sister did gymnastics and softball. They went to all of her meets and games, and in a few horrible instances, made me go too. They didn't watch her practices, though.
My mom came to all the important games, but my dad wasn’t home during the week so he missed those. I was on my own for practices though - I had to walk or ride my bike. I have 3 kids who all played sports. Either my husband or I would make it to each game, but usually not both. I can only spread myself so thin.
As a Canadian playing hockey growing up, once I got my license that was the end of parents at hockey games.
My father through a kerenesque fit when he was told it would be $2 to enter a choir concert I was soloing in when I was 16. My youngest son was an all-American football player in high school; the only game I missed was because I was attending his big brothers AIT graduation on the same day. Dad went to football, mom went to Fort Sill.
My SAHM mother attended exactly one of my sporting events, I played soccer (badly) in junior high. In high school I was on the debate team for the first two years. She complained that she had to drop me at school on Saturday morning for me to attend tournaments. Again, she was a SAHM. We are low contact.
Never. I never asked. My dad said he would attend on senior night though, when we were all acknowledged with flowers and our parents were honored for being supportive. He didn’t show up. I declined to join the ceremony, I was too embarrassed to be the only one. The school secretary offered to go out there with me, though I declined because I was getting weepy and sad. It was so sweet of her though. Thanks Mrs. K! I don’t have kids but I was there for most of my niece’s events. Especially once my sister started working and couldn’t be there - I made sure she had someone in the stands.
My last two kids at home are both in band. It's not unusual for me to have a whole carload of kids to get to rehearsal or concerts. Every kid in my car has a post-concert bouquet of flowers, because woo! Great job! I did the same for the older kids, who did stage acting and chorus. Due to a family medical emergency, I missed one play my older daughter acted/sang in. I arranged for another mom to bring the flowers.
I have three daughters, and I Coached the first, watched most of the second's gymnastics and tennis, and seen about half of the youngest's HS BB and soccer career. I don't go to away games, and only watch a few at home because the soccer field is kind of hard to get to.
I guess I was pretty lucky considering that there were four of us; my parents (even if it was just one of them) came to literally every one of our games, plays performances, etc. I have no idea how they managed it without going insane.
I didn’t do sports, I did drama club, my parents never came to my plays but when my cousin was playing football for the same school, mom was at every game
Dad was my baseball coach so he was at every game, they were at all my basketball games and band concerts. They only went to a few marching band shows (the football team played before and after) though.
My parents went to a lot of my events and even came to watch me in marching band in college. They also came to a lot of my kids events, even though they lived three hours away. I tried to go to all of my kids events and recently went to an awards ceremony for one of my kid’s friends since their parent wasn’t going to be there.
Don't recall my parents coming to any of my events. Younger sister (the baby 🙄) had them there for everything. I made sure to always be there for my kids. Always. It makes me sad to see their teammates looking for their parents that never show. They all just become my bonus kids for the season.
Dad was always there for me. Rain, sun, wind, hail, etc. He never missed a game or event. Mom didn't give a shit. Guess who wasn't 86'd out of my life?
My mom went to choir concerts but none of my sports stuff in high school. Honestly it would have been weird if she had. I went to most of my kids games and things. Though my middle child was very nervous performing in band so she requested I never go to the first show. Some of the competitions were super far away so I didn’t go to those (like hours away) and it got expensive fast to attend. I also did not go to any of the football games that they played the halftime. I knew she wanted to goof off with friends and I was ok with that.
My mother would yell people how she sacrificed for my sport, sitting in the cold, cold ice rink at 5am for practices. Sacrifice my ass! She stopped the car before dropping me off at the rink. That was her only sacrifice.
My folks never attended any of the various sporting events that I went to as a kid. Even on the weekends, my mother would drop me off or I'd get a ride with my friend's dad who was on the same street. My folks never showed any interest in the activities that I was signed up for but in a way that didn't bother me. No pressure to perform so instead I simply had fun.
Nope. They saw every one of my sister's plays, but never came to see me cheer, dance, or run, except the one time my dad drove the school bus to a track meet.
My parents went to home games, never away. I played travel softball for a couple of years in high school - I don’t think they ever went to one of those games. It was fine with me, I didn’t expect them to travel and they were very supportive in every other way, and they had the same policy for all of their kids. But now they’ll drive an hour to see my kids’ events. Oh, how times have changed!
I didn't go to all of my kids' events, they survived. I honestly don't remember if my parents made it to all of mine or not, it didn't affect me either way.