Mom shares tips for managing stress during kids' sports season: 'Leave your shoes on'

If you have children who participate in school sports, you are likely aware of the stress and expense involved. Youth sports can offer many benefits to kids, such as opportunities to socialize, build trust with teammates, gain a sense of belonging and develop valuable life skills. However, for mothers whose children are members of a youth sports club, there can be numerous challenges to navigate. Nicole Jackson, a mother who goes by @ThicNicJack on TikTok, has shared a highly informative video in which she shares her tips for managing the sports season.

Jackson's video amassed over 890k views, and she begins by saying that she had just paid her son's sports fees and is about to pull out the "PowerPoint presentation" about the rules for this year's sports season.

"I don't know if anybody else does this. This is just me, and it's also titled, 'What we not gonna do,' cause this ain't that," she says in the video. She is well aware of all that goes around in the name of sports, such as the drama and absurdities during the sports season, the healthy food requests to sneaky sleepover tactics.

She is determined to not tolerate any shenanigans and has established a set of discipline protocols for her son. According to Jackson, children have a tendency to change their eating habits during the sports season, insisting on the healthiest and most organic foods and settling for a meager dinner of a lettuce leaf and a broccoli stem.

Furthermore, the mother is adamant that they will not be caught off guard by neglecting to prepare for game day or leaving essential clothing items on the field. Kids have a knack for losing socks or hoodies at school or during practice, but the mother is unwilling to accept such mishaps. "What we're not gonna do is not prepare our items for game day the day of or leave vital pieces of clothing at a field," she says in the video.

Jackson makes it clear that she is also opposed to the idea of hosting a sleepover with a "bunch of people" after practice, as it often leads to chaos and disruption. She also announces that she won't be giving in to any requests for expensive swag. "Between you growing yourself out of your clothes every one to three business days, fees, traveling... all of that good stuff... it cost me 1.9 million dollars. Bro, go middle of the road," she jokes.

Jackson also emphasizes the importance of recognizing life's responsibilities beyond the sports field. She says: "I watched you almost throw up when that coach had you doing burpees. And now, all of a sudden, you got the energy level of a hundred toddlers fresh off of a nap who ate 3,000 pieces of candy so you can play an endless game of 'Down A Man.' Bro, we got homework and meals to cook and preparations for the next day. Let's go."

Jackson adds that she will not volunteer to drive all the kids home. "Gas costs $3.9 million a gallon right now, and I am exhausted. The only kid I am taking home is you," she states. Lastly, to avoid the tedious task of hand-scrubbing heavily soiled laundry marked by grass and dirt, the mother has a simple solution - soak the socks in soapy water. This effectively removes all the grime and dirt, making the laundry much easier to clean. She also advises against taking off one's shoes in the car due to the strong stench it can leave behind. In Jackson's words, "it takes 15 business days to air the car out" before the foul odor dissipates.