Surviving the Chaos: A Real Parent’s Guide to Kids in All the Things

Let’s be honest: “surviving” multiple kids in sports and activities is the bar. We’re not out here thriving. We’re not "leaning in." We’re leaning over—into the trunk to find a shin guard that may or may not be crusted with last season’s granola bar. And that’s okay.

If you’re a parent juggling multiple kids with multiple schedules in multiple zip codes, first: I see you. Second: here are a few survival tips that are more “real talk” than “Pinterest mom.” No judgment, no pressure, just solidarity and hopefully a laugh or two.

1. Let Go of the Dream Schedule

Once upon a time, you thought a color-coded family calendar would save your life. Maybe it was even laminated. But now? That calendar looks like a rainbow exploded and half the colors are mystery events you don’t remember agreeing to.

You don’t need a perfect schedule. You need just enough structure to get everyone where they need to be most of the time. If you’ve ever pulled up to practice 15 minutes late with a kid wearing their soccer cleats on the wrong feet but still standing, congratulations. That counts as a win.

2. Accept That Dinner is a Suggestion

You may have once believed in the family dinner table. You may have even cooked real meals that required pots and pans. But now? “Dinner” is often a grab bag of snacks eaten in a folding chair at the edge of a field.

And that’s fine. There’s no trophy for quinoa. If your kids are fed, hydrated, and relatively upright, you’re doing great. Embrace the power of protein bars, drive-thru chicken nuggets, and those weird Uncrustables that somehow never go bad. You’ll be back to real food at a real table soon, hang in there!

3. Find Your People

You know who really gets you? The other parents in lawn chairs at 6am on a Saturday. The ones with coffee thermoses the size of toddlers. These are your people.

You don’t have to be best friends with every parent on the team, but finding even one or two who’ll give you the scoop on game times and remind you when it’s your turn to bring snacks? That’s gold.

Bonus: shared misery builds fast friendships. You’d be amazed what lifelong bonds are formed over bleacher splinters and forgotten water bottles.

4. The Car is Your Second Home. Treat It Accordingly.

At this point, your vehicle is less of a car and more of a mobile command center with crumbs. It smells like old cleats and hope. Embrace it. Keep a car kit: snacks, extra clothes, water bottles, Band-Aids, sunscreen, and maybe a second phone charger (because someone’s always at 3%).

5. Say “No” When You Need To

Here’s the secret nobody tells you: you don’t have to say yes to every season, every sport, or every extra-curricular that gets handed to you. It’s okay to say, “You know what, this is too much right now.”

Sometimes, doing less keeps the whole family from falling apart. If your sanity is hanging by a single piece of washi tape, permission granted to hit pause. There’s no activity on Earth more important than your peace of mind.

6. You’re Allowed to Not Love It All

It's okay if you don’t live for every single moment. That doesn’t make you a bad parent. That makes you human.

And hey, sometimes there are bright spots. A game-winning goal. A solo that didn’t make your ears bleed. A moment when your kid looks proud, and you remember why you said “yes” in the first place.

7. Remember: This Is a Season (Literally and Figuratively)

The chaos won’t last forever. The time will come when your Saturdays are weirdly quiet and your car doesn’t smell like sports. Until then, keep showing up the best you can—with mismatched socks, lukewarm coffee, and a whole lot of heart.

You don’t have to do it perfectly. You just have to keep going. And, if things are teetering on the edge at home while you’re in sprint mode, we happen to know a service that can be that extra set of hands you could use, wink, wink…ahem TULA Life Balanced!

And maybe—just maybe—remember where you put that other shin guard.