My first family gameday -- Suggestions?

Submitted by 608Monroe on

Big day Saturday for me and the family.  Not only is it opening week for the Maize and Blue, but for the first time, I’ll be taking my wife and our three girls (ages 15, 12, and 8) to the game with me.

 

I can choose two paths with this opportunity.  I can:

 

·       Force them to adhere to my pre-game traditions of getting to Ann Arbor by 8am.  Breakfast at Brown Jug by 8:30, and then to the golf course where I’ll hang with friends who have created ever larger, more elaborate tailgates -- including one dude who will get there the night before with his hitch-mounted, 60-inch smoker.  This, of course, means spending the precious morning hours socializing with other “enthusiasts,” only some of whom may be accommodating to children, let alone those of young impressionable ages.  High likelihood for too much sun for the kids – and alcohol for the parents.

 

Or, I can create a family-friendly agenda which will look something like this.

 

·       Wake everyone up at 6:30 with obnoxiously loud M Fanfare/The Victors, out the door by 7:00.  Parking on campus by 7:30am. 

·       Breakfast at someplace less greasy than the Jug.  I’m thinking Afternoon Delight. 

·       Quick stop at MDen for a Jumpman hat and poms for the girls.  Run across N. University into Diag to chase squirrels.

·       Walk to Union.  Have children spin cube;  Buy off-market t-shirt (preferably something horrible about ohio); Bathroom break in Union where I’ll talk about how there used to be a “ride board” downstairs.

·       Walk down State, making sure to have children ignore inappropriate bed sheet signs and fraternity craziness.  I’ll want to buy wings at Spots, but wife will say no.

·       Get to Revelli Hall around 10:15 with drinks.  Camp until MMB Drumline finishes their show, and walk to Big House with the band.

·       Leave at beginning of fourth quarter since 8-year old won’t shut up about being hot, and 15 year old won’t shut up about cell coverage.

·       Quick stop at Stuccis, where 12-year old will ask if we can go home now.

·       Home by 4:30.

 

Did I miss anything vital?

 

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UMgradMSUdad

August 30th, 2016 at 3:40 PM ^

Definitely do option 2.  With any luck, at least one of the children will like it enough to want to do it again.  That's what happened with me and my 3 daughters.  Two of them liked going to games with dad, the middle child liked staying at home with mom.  Plans were much easier without the wife and a 3rd child along: much less in the way of debating what to do when or where to go. 

Joined: 07/02/2011

MGoPoints: 13184

amaizenblue402

August 30th, 2016 at 4:17 PM ^

Does anyone know when the team buses show up at the stadium to drop the players off? Looking to be there for when that happens, if I can.

Joined: 09/18/2010

MGoPoints: 14596

Blue Bo

August 30th, 2016 at 7:07 PM ^

Stacked pastrami, egg. green pepper, onion amd mayo on a grilled challuh.  10.95 at the Maize and Blue Deli.  Then ask the kids what they want.

Joined: 03/07/2016

MGoPoints: 49

bnoble

August 30th, 2016 at 10:37 PM ^

I'm a big believer in under-selling. Give it time. Some people get it right away. Other people take much longer to come to understand how special this place is.

When I first took my daughter to games as a pre-schooler, she was all about the kettle corn. In grade school, she was willing to stay long enough to see the band at halftime. She might have been in eighth grade before she finally stayed through an entire game. I'm still not sure she's stayed through post-game, and she's only seen drumline's step show a handful of times.

But, tomorrow we are moving her into MoJo, and tonight she posted this to her FB feed:

"I've lived in Ann Arbor my whole life and have always been a big Michigan fan, so the honor and excitement of becoming a student here hadn't really sunk in for me yet. But tonight, when I came out of the Pioneer stadium after watching the last soccer game of my brother's that I'll see in a while, I saw the block M illuminated on the back of the Big House, and I felt such a sense of pride and a feeling of belonging to this University, one of the most powerful feelings linked to beginning college that I've experienced yet. I can't wait to start the beginning of my next four years as an undergrad and the rest of my life as a Wolverine. Go Blue! 

Joined: 01/02/2011

MGoPoints: 412