This weekend, we celebrate Mother’s Day and as the mom of four fencing kids I look forward to the extra family time to connect and enjoy one another.
While the joy of watching our children thrive in a sport they love and are passionate about is part of why we chose to do all of this, it doesn’t make it any less exhausting at times.
I know I’m not alone in this. Being a fencing mom is often a thankless and tiresome endeavor that involves a lot of extra thinking, planning, organizing, worrying, and executing of all of these plans and organization.
That’s why I’d like to share with you the one thing that your fencing Mom might want to get this Mother’s Day, and every day.
Why Mom Deserves a Break
Many moms work full time, are also running a household, are shuttling other children back and forth from school and other after-school activities. They keep track of homework and projects and deal with stressful academic challenges. They also somehow manage to keep their kids healthy by shopping, cooking, feeding. All while also becoming the de facto experts in all things fencing related.
How many times has mom been there when you’ve had a tough loss? How many times has mom encouraged you when you were feeling discouraged? How many times have you looked for your mom the moment you know you’ve won a bout? She’s handled your losses, and cheered your successes, many times, as if they are her own. You can honor this support and this love by doing the most simple thing: Give Mom a day off.
How to Give Your Fencing Mom a Day Off for Mother’s Day
Probably the one thing many moms want more than anything is a chance to sleep. Let your mom sleep in AND possibly also take a long nap later in the afternoon.
While she’s sleeping, make yourself breakfast, or lunch or dinner! Even better, is to make HER any or all of these meals. (Extra points if you make her favorite meal!)
Carve out some time with her that doesn’t involve fencing: watch a movie together, read a book together, go shopping – whatever she enjoys and sacrifices to be able to travel with you and attend your fencing competitions.
Mom’s have a sweet spot for anything that their children make, draw, or write for them, so consider doing one or all three of these as a way to celebrate her being your mom
How to Give Your Mom a Break All Year Long
Moms often go above and beyond when it comes to making sure their fencing kids are well cared for and supported. Usually, they take on much of the logistics and grunt work so that you can focus on the game, your training, and your goals for success.
But it doesn’t always have to be like this. There are ways you can help her and give her a break all year long.
We all see the moms who lug around all of the gear for their kids. They’re also usually the ones staying up late or getting up early to finish washing the fencing gear. (Which sometimes can’t just be thrown in a washing machine, as much as we would all prefer that!)
If you can easily carry your gear, please do so. Consider it a mini warm up as you’re walking in from the car. Even if she ends up carrying a bunch of other things as well, she will thank you for the effort and the thought of helping! (And this goes a long way, trust me.)
Also, consider wearing shorts when you are stretching on the ground instead of your knickers as a way to keep your whites clean! There’s no reason to get them dirty on the ground like that. Even better, learn to wash your fencing clothes and gear. If you continue to compete after graduation, you’ll need to learn this anyway so why not get a jump start.
Try to rely less on your mom to manage and keep track of your schedule. You are almost an adult and with that comes the ability to take care of your own itinerary. You can remember when your next competition is, and in many cases manage to either register or remind her to register.
If you have a shared family calendar, you can use that as a convenient place to write important dates and reminders. If you don’t have one yet, maybe this can be another great mother’s day gift that can be the gift that keeps on giving.
One other small thing you can do to help in a big way is to check your fencing bag before and after training. Many times we find masks lying around the club, or on the other side, perhaps a spare glove or jacket may have been left at home. When this happens, your mom must run back home (or to the club) to retrieve it.
In a worst-case scenario, if you’ve lost something, your parents will need to purchase an entirely new item (which can be expensive and frustrating)!
Make Every Day Mother’s Day
As a mom, it’s no secret that we want the best for our kids in any and everything they want to do. And we will sacrifice so much to make their dreams come true, particularly when it comes to playing a competitive sport.
This Mother’s Day, you can honor these sacrifices by choosing to do any of the above (or all of the above if you’re feeling truly grateful)! But if you can only do one thing this Mother’s Day, show your mom how grateful you are in some way even if it’s simply saying, “Thank you.”
R
Thank you for suggesting that the *fencer* is responsible for carrying their equipment and washing their kit; as well as their scheduling! At a recent tournament, I told Y10s’ parents to let them carry their equipment as well as hooking and unhooking themselves.