You Recognize the child as one of your child’s teammates.

He’s almost always at Practice and the games, being a part of the team.

But you couldn’t pick his mom out of a line up.

She’s just a blur as she drops off her child or calls for her child to hurry up from across the field when practice is over.

Her child sometimes shows up with another parent on the team.

Or maybe you sort of recognize her, because sometimes she’s there.

Not at every practice. And sometimes she’s gone for part of the practice. And you know for certain that she’s even missed some games.

Do you judge her for it?

Because you love to watch your child play and you want your child to know you’re there for him. So you show it by being there.

But that mom who isn’t there? She still loves to watch her child play, too. Her child knows this.

Sometimes she has to show it in different ways than sitting on the sidelines for the entirety of every practice.

She shows it by making sure her child gets to practice, even if that means she can’t stay long because she has to get to work or get another of her kids to a different field across town. Or she gets him there by sending him with another parent (while she takes that parent’s other child with another of hers).

She can’t be in two (or three or four) places at one time, so sometimes, she isn’t there. Sitting and watching isn’t the only way to show support to your kids.

And she hates that she misses games. But again, she can’t be in more than one place at a time and so she alternates where she goes.

She’s doing the best she can and sometimes she wishes she could be like you and never miss a practice or a game. But, she knows she can’t do that- her work schedule, her other kids, or sometimes just life in general, won’t allow it.

Don’t worry about where she is. Her kids know. Besides, aren’t you there to watch your own child?