I am a darn good dance mom.
I am the one that teachers know they can come to at competitions, because I WILL have hairspray, or a safety pin, or bobby pins, or an extra lipstick. My kids have all their shoes and costume pieces impeccably organized in color coded, thoroughly labeled bags, that detail everything from earring color to tight color to every accessory involved. I have the programs, with all our studio's dances highlighted. I know exactly how long my girls have between dances, and we always know when to go watch the other dances from our studio. We are EARLY, not even on time, and I'm the one people go to with questions. I don't do gossip or drama. I get along with pretty much everyone, and my girls are (usually) calm and prepared and always, ALWAYS the ones who can be counted on.
I am a GOOD dance mom. Maybe even a great dance mom. I'm proud of who I am as a dance mom. I know it's important to my girls, and since I can't help them with any of the actual dance, I can certainly help them become more organized and make sure that they're ready.
I'm a decent homeschooling mom. I like to teach, so that part comes naturally. I WANT to be organized, so I really try. And I do want to reap the benefits of homeschooling, so I care. I get us involved in co-ops and on field trips and into classes, getting opportunities. I encourage the girls and cheer at their successes. I give them breaks when they need it. I'm tough when they need that too. I try to find fun things, to let them try things. I'm nowhere near the Instagram or Pinterest worthy homeschool moms, but my effort is good and my kids are learning, so I'll say I'm doing ok - most days anyway.
But now I've had to start the role of soccer mom, and so far, this is not where I shine.
First of all, I am so clueless that I didn't even know what I didn't know. I mean, I bought what was on the list, and I brought Reagan to the right field at the right time. But I didn't know that we were supposed to bring chairs. I didn't even know where any camping style chairs were in our house. I sent Reagan with a water bottle, of course, but I didn't know what to do when she guzzled that water in the first fifteen minutes of an hour long practice, because it was a warm day and she was running. I didn't know how to pack the car to be a soccer mom.
And I don't know how to react as a soccer mom. Reagan is really aggressive, but she's also brand new to the sport. And although she's a pretty decent dancer (I think?), she's all legs and growing quickly, so she falls a lot. A lot. I mean, on her team, she's pretty much the only one who spends that much time sprawled on the ground. Should I be concerned? Should I be worried? Is this hyper aggressive, or is this an issue? Should I be jumping in and being concerned when she tumbles and cries, or should I be calling to her that 'she's fine? Am I being too tough or too coddling? HOW DO MOMS DO THIS?
Do I individually bag up the orange slices when it's my turn to provide the halftime snack? Or is that an over the top thing. Some moms do, some don't. Do people prefer one over the other? Am I horribly wasteful or preventing germs?
Am I wearing the right thing? Do moms go to games in jeans? Sweats? Team colors? Are we cheering for everybody? How do I do this sideline thing?
I remind myself that I wasn't a prize winning dance mom my first year either. And it looks like I'm going to get some time to practice - Reagan has already decided she wants to keep playing! Maybe I'll transform from a not soccer mom, to a good soccer mom, by next season!
