Recently, I took both of my kids—a 5-year-old and a 5-month-old—to the local baseball stadium for a game. I’m not a fan of the team (go Red Sox!), and neither are my little ones (they better not be!). But I do love my kids, baseball, and the experience of attending games together.
Well, I used to think that. After this outing, my enthusiasm has hit a snag. I might just switch to soccer.
Introducing my kids to sports—both participating in and watching them—is a well-known joy of parenthood. Like many dads, I was excited about it. Among the first baby shower gifts my children received were onesies and booties adorned with Red Sox logos, and I even bought my 5-year-old a Miami Dolphins shirt for his first outing.
However, like many things with kids, the reality is often different from the dream. Taking a baby to a game results in startled screams with every cheer from the crowd, and enrolling my 4-year-old in soccer leads to tears and refusals after just one bad kick. Yet, we press on as parents, because giving up isn’t an option, we’ve invested time and money, and we want to teach our kids about perseverance.
I’ve taken my 5-year-old to several baseball games at Fenway Park, a true treasure for anyone under 5 feet tall. Each experience has improved for him—he’s grown used to the noise, made friends to come along, and discovered there are treats like ice cream and hot dogs. The souvenir stands? Don’t get me started—thank goodness for overpriced beer because I certainly need it after the adventure of wrangling two kids!
The real challenge lies in the amount of stuff you need to bring just to survive a day at the ballpark (you’d think I was preparing for an expedition!). The good part is, you end up buying so many souvenirs that, at least, your wallet becomes lighter and easier to carry.
But let’s face it, while the idea sounds fantastic, the reality can be chaotic. My kid barely watches the game because he’s too busy being a tornado, and I’m too preoccupied with keeping him from causing chaos. So, in the end, we splurged on tickets for a game he didn’t really watch and had to leave early because of a complete meltdown.
Play ball!
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In summary, taking kids to a baseball game is a mixed bag of fun and chaos. While the experience can be challenging, the memories created are priceless—even if they come with a side of melted ice cream and a bit of screaming.