Skates, helmets and tournaments – oh my, it must hockey season! Between driving your hockey superstar to endless practices, organizing fundraisers and maintaining equipment, there’s no denying that being a hockey parent is a busy – and rewarding – job. The team camaraderie is infectious and seeing your little one’s determination on the ice is priceless.
Here are some ways to prepare for hockey season’s worst, to ensure it’s the best:
1) Develop a routine: Because the hockey season is so busy, establishing a scheduled routine is key. This includes making time for homework between school and practice, ensuring the hockey bag is packed ahead of time and coordinating carpool schedules. Pro tip: create a check-list for your child to follow so they can learn to manage their own time and ensure they’re well prepared to hit the ice.
2) Banish smelly gear: It’s always surprising how such a big smell can come from a small kid! Hockey equipment is bound to collect sweat when your kid is skating their heart off on the ice so make sure you stop odors before they start. First, air out all equipment after each use. Do not – I repeat, do not – leave everything in a zipped up hockey bag! Second, regularly wash items that can be machine washed. Pro tip: Use a detergent that’s up to the challenge such as OxiCleanTM HD Liquid Laundry Detergent and Arm & HammerTM Plus OxiCleanTM Cold Water Power Paks – they are my go-to favourites!
3) Maintain a positive attitude: The number one goal (pun intended!) for your child during hockey season should be to have fun. Whether it’s a “win” or “lose” in the end, each game teaches your child how to work as a team and participate in friendly competition. These important life values are the true prize at the end of the season!
4) Get to know your fellow hockey parents: Creating a network of other parents can add a fun social element to the experience for you. Plus, it’s a great way to stay connected and easily be able to coordinate carpools and call-in a last minute favour if you can’t make a practice.
5) Make some memories: Your before hockey advice and after hockey breakfast runs are the stuff memories are made of. Pro Tip: Create a pre or post hockey tradition for you and your son or daughter to share!
To help ensure you’re ready, we’re giving away some great hockey season essentials for at home and on the road games:
- OxiCleanTM HD Liquid Laundry Detergent
- Arm & HammerTM Plus OxiCleanTM Cold Water Power Paks
- Arm & HammerTM Baking Soda
- Arm & HammerTM SpinbrushTM battery powered toothbrush The Ultimate Spider-Man TM
- OrajelTM Spider-ManTM Anticavity Fluoride Toothpaste
Enter in the giveaway* widget below and good luck!
Do you have kids that play hockey? If so, what are your survival tips for the hockey season? If not, what is your favourite winter sport?
*this giveaway is open to Canadian residents only.
This piece is sponsored by Church & Dwight. Emily Smith is a 2016 Ambassador for Church & Dwight.
I am done with hockey. My son played for many years. I enjoy hiking and cross country skiing.
No kids in hockey, but my favourite winter activity is cross country skiing!!
We do not have hockey in our area I would think because it’s too warm. My daughter played soccer in high school and she also played basketball from the 5th grade thru the 12th and it was our absolute favorite.
I don’t have kids that play hockey. I don’t have a favorite winter sport. I like to stay inside and keep warm and I read a lot.
No my girls don’t play hockey but our favourite winter sport is skating.
No hockey here, but we do get out to snowshoe.
Yes i have grandkids that play hockey and my survival tips are go to bed early,lots of Tide for those stinky clothes
I don’t have kids in hockey. It’s not really a big thing in Indiana. We enjoy football and basketball.
Love skating 😀
My kids play pond hockey with friends. My tip is to layer your clothing to stay warm.
My favorite winter sport is ice skating … my kids do not play hockey.
No but we watch. Our favourite winter sport is ice skating!
My boys are grown and never played hockey. My little grandsons are taking skating lessons. My favorite winter sport would be ice skating.
luckly not yet. but my cowokers sons are in it and they have no weekend 🙁
Not a hockey family, but we’ll be teaching the kids to ski in a year or two, and that will be its own craziness 🙂
I did have a son play. Now one of his friends plays in the NHL. When our son played it seemed like so much organising but believe me you will miss it. Enjoy every minute of it. From the early mornings to the stinky equipment. I would love to go back and do it all over again. Every family has their own way of doing things to “survive” the hockey season. My advise. Always have gas in your truck. It never fails your running late or your lost & can’t find the area and your vehicle is on empty 🙂
I really like the Stone Drink Dispenser and the On the Rocks Set
My son and daughter both play hockey. We live at the ice arena during the winter months.
no hockey here – although we enjoy watching and cheering for the Sens! Skating is a great winter sport to enjoy!
I enjoy cross country skiing
No hockey loving kids, but we do skate and go for walks in the snow!
No hockey playing kids, and my fave winter activity is snowshoeing!
I’m a ‘retired’ hockey mom. It is nice to see my grown son continue with on a recreational men’s league. I’ve taken up winter trail walking instead of walking around an arena.
No kids that play hockey, but I am a huge hockey fan and love watching it!
I need coffee every morning before hockey! We got a coffee maker with a timer that makes the coffee for me before i actually get out of bed !
My kids do not play hockey, they are into soccer. We also like watching hockey on tv though
My kids don’t play hockey on an organized team, just with the neighborhood kids, but we do enjoy ice skating in the winter.
Not hockey but skiing is our thing. Mostly local, not the expensive places, but it is fun.
My boys don’t play hockey but LOVE tobogganing in the Winter!
No kids that play hockey as of yet (too young) my favourite sport would be Ice Skating!
we love to go skating
Carly was a figure skater so all the same type of routine, make memories, make friends, families need to supposrt each other
Kids don’t play hockey, but they love to ice skate!
My favorite winter sport is skiing
Nobody in our family plays hockey but we love to go skating.
This will be the first winter that we will be in Canada so my (7 year olds) have never even seen (much) snow! We will definitely be taking them ice skating. I’ll be interested in reading any tips on how to stay warm!!!
Besos Sarah
Journeys of The Zoo
My 8 year old plays hockey, and my main tip is remembering to take the hockey stuff out of his bag immediately! (something I am guilty of forgetting….too often…)
I played hockey ,but my kids are into soccer ! My sister’s son plays hockey, he is 6 and he loves it !
No my kids do not play hockey (or any organized sport for that matter). My favourite sport is hockey however. Love watching the NHL especially the Calgary Flames.
My grandson is on a Tyke hockey team, so watching his games is my favourite sport.
My son use to play Hockey and my tips is lots of coffee especially for early morning practice!
My stepson is looking forward to playing hockey this winter!
my kids are grown but they loved to play street hockey when they were younger
No kids playing hockey here. My favourite winter sport is walking on local trails. Watching snowmobile races is another favourite.
No my kids don’t play hockey but my favorite winter activity is ice skating
Two of my grandsons play hockey, my best tip is to wear lots of layers as some of the areans do not have the heaters on!
Our kids do not play hockey but they love playing out in the snow and skating 🙂
Yes our family plays hockey we are a big hockey town our grandchildren also play
I think my youngest son will be the hockey player of the family
No, my kids don’t play hockey. They love playing in the snow though (if we ever get some).
my tip is to get a good coffee mug for those early morning practices
No kids at home anymore. Our son now loves snow skiing.
No kids in Hockey here, but we do love a good family skate!
I do have a 17yo ,that has been playing hockey since he was 4! My survival tips is to bundle up warm!! And get a seat cushion for your bum to keep it warm during games!.lol
No hockey player yet, but we’re a skiing family. Always dry your gear out as soon as possible!!!
Toboganning or tubing down a big hill is my favourite Winter sport.
Fave winter sport is ice skating
I don’t have kids that play hockey (although one really wants to), and I don’t really love winter that much so my favourite winter sport is indoor volleyball which I love to play all winter until beach volleyball season starts. I live in BC and in my city winter really just means rain, not snow; if I lived near snow then cross country skiing would be my favourite winter sport!
We like to go skating
I don’t have any children, but my nephew plays hockey. My favourite winter sport is skiing.
My kids don’t play hockey and my favourite winter sport is skating! Thanks for the chance!
My favorite winter sport is ice skating!
No children into hockey. However, my husband is so into hockey! He has put on an annual hockey tournament for over 25 years…
My favorite winter sport is downhill skiing but we do not get out much because it is such a long drive. It is usually better to go to the mountain and stay overnight to ski the next day.
Our son is only 9 months, so no hockey here! My favorite winter sport is ice skating.
My kids weren’t really interested in hockey. The youngest loves basketball though.
My favourite winter sport is biathlon, which is what my son plays.
I like ice skating.
No my kids and I don’t play hockey but we love to go skiing every winter!
I have 3 boys that will be going into hockey when they get a little older. Still too young. We love ski-dooing, ice fishing and building snowmen
Not yet – my kids are still young. but, if my hockey-loving/hockey-playing husband has any say in it, they will both play hockey at some point.
My favourite winter sport is skating!
Our five year old does play but I do! (his 43 year old mom 🙂 )
We watch a lot of hockey but nobody here plays!
Our fave winter sport is igloo and snow building . They never turn out how we plan but that is not the point lol
we don’t play hockey but we do snowboard!
We dont play hockey but we love going skating and sledding!
My favourite winter sport is cross country skiing.
I don’t have a child that plays hockey but have a good friend that does. its exciting.
Our son is not in hockey but our niece and nephews are. We love skiing in the winter and sledding