It's back to school, let's move!

By Sarah Baribeau founder of Bougeotte and Placotine.

That's it, it's already the end of the holidays. Already the time to think about the thousand and one sporting activities for children. Pre-registration newsletters fill our mailboxes, the alerts in your agenda are increasing! Gymnastics, karate, swimming, skating… Quick! Fast! places are flying!

But what sports activities do you and your family members want to do this fall? Do they absolutely have to be guided? Will the fall be made up only of hikes when you want? Would a mix of the two be better? It is you who know. One thing is certain, it is worth having a family discussion to ensure that everyone finds their benefit. What we especially want to avoid is overloading the children's agenda, our own, and forgetting ourselves, by burning the candle at both ends.

Also, going back to school always requires adaptation. After a more "free" period, we sometimes feel the need to set up a routine. Before letting you try, I propose a list of reflection.

Make a family list of activities you want to do.

Take the time to think about what activities each family member wants and what to do together.

For example, at home, we set aside ¼ of our weekends for an outdoor family activity. We plan them and we commit to them. We must therefore protect these moments.

Think about the best times for individual activities and for family activities

Do you think training is better done at lunchtime or in the evening? Do you like your children to go to school early in the morning or do you prefer to have time to sleep in?

I run early mornings, I don't bother anyone, and my coffee always tastes better. Thus, I do not put classes on Saturdays at 8:30 a.m., because I know that I will be doing longer outings, so minimum 9:30 a.m. My spouse goes to work by active transportation, so we really have the impression that we have saved time! In this way, we sometimes allow ourselves to choose a course during the week for one of our three daughters.

Gather activities at the same times.

Have you thought about checking if there are free swims during your oldest child's swimming lesson? Could soccer practice be at the same time as skating class? Is it possible that everyone moved before noon? Take the time, despite the pressure, to think about the time you have and what you want to do with it.

Here, my "middle" does gymnastics several hours a week, so I chose to register my youngest in an activity at the same time as one of her workouts and I will surely go for a run at this time. ;)

Remember that anything is possible.

The challenge in this period will be not to crumble under the pressure. If you take the time to think about what you want, you'll be less likely to overload your schedule with activities that you won't be able to keep to the schedule. Don't forget that life is long, and that it is better to seek quality and pleasure than quantity!

Welcome back parents.