I Have Helium Hands ✋

Plus: What We Learned about Single-Sport Specialization for Kids

Author

Lakshmi Jayanthi
April 16, 2024

I Have Helium Hands ✋

Hello and welcome to The Parenting Pitch by Pickup Sports!

The Parenting Pitch is a newsletter for laid-back parents navigating the elementary and middle school years. Enjoy doses of humor, easygoing advice, and simple hacks to help your children grow, learn, and thrive—without the stress.

Definition:
Helium Hands: When You Just Can't Say "No"

The uncontrollable urge to volunteer.

I suffer from helium hands. The uncontrollable urge to raise my hands and say yes or offer to do something. Whether it’s my kids’ schools, sports, home tasks, or helping my in-laws with tech issues, I always say “Sure I’ll help!”

There are great things about this - I’m seen as responsible, I get a lot of opportunities and meet amazing people, and let’s face it, can anyone else really do it better? 😂 

But we know the major downside of this - I’m perpetually in a time crunch!!

Can you relate?

So to combat this, I’m working on tackling to-do lists this week, and I’d love for you to join me and a couple of my mom friends on Wednesday at lunchtime (EST) while we get hands-on in a free virtual Delegation Workshop for Working Moms

Conquering Your To-Do List (Laid-Back Style!)

We've got three productivity hacks (or maybe it's more like a "hack of the week") to help you streamline your day and reclaim your sanity.

Tip 1: Batch Similar Tasks Together

Feeling overwhelmed by a scattered to-do list? Group similar tasks together to maximize focus and minimize context switching. For example, answer all emails in one go, or dedicate a specific time block for making phone calls. This helps your brain stay in the "zone" and get more done in less time.

Tip 2: The Force of “Power Hour”

Identify your most productive time of day (morning person? Night owl?) and dedicate a focused "power hour" to tackling your most important task. Turn off distractions, silence notifications, and give that project your full, undivided attention.

Tip 3: The “Just Do It” (Mini) List

Feeling paralyzed by a long list? Write down just 3 things you absolutely MUST accomplish that day. Completing these small wins gives you a sense of accomplishment and motivates you to tackle the rest of your list (or delegate what you can!).

Bonus: Kids Single-Sport Specialization - Yay or Nay?

We recently hosted a webinar on this very topic, and guess what? We've got the recording (and a quick recap of the most-asked questions & answers) waiting for you!

Some key topics we discussed when it comes to kids in sports were: 

1. There are two developmental paths: Participation Model & Performance Model

2. Does early specialization lead to injury risk? 

3. The average age of specialization in elite athletes

4. When is it the best time to specialize based on your child's goals? 

5. How to balance what you know is the right path for your child vs. what your environment is pushing. 

We didn't solve everything, but we definitely gave you a lot to think about!