If you feel like juggling school schedules, rehearsals, competitions, family commitments, and rest is an impossible task… Welcome. You’re in the right place.
Balance—for dancers, families, and anyone entering the competitive season—can feel like a shimmering oasis always just out of reach. Elusive might be the perfect word. One of the biggest realizations parents come to is that balance isn’t a fixed destination but a moving target. It shifts from year to year as our kids grow and their commitments evolve.
We get multiple chances each year to reset and reclaim our sense of balance. And for dance families, one of the toughest times to find it is competition season. This season is exciting, but it also highlights exactly where balance feels strong—and where it’s slipping. That makes it the perfect moment to pause and ask:
What does balance need to look like for our family right now?
Where can we simplify?
No matter your dancer’s age, they still need you—just in different ways as they grow. Younger dancers may need hands-on help packing costumes, applying makeup, or fixing buns. Older dancers may have those skills down but face new pressure from schoolwork, friendships, leadership roles, and the need for more rest during a physically demanding season. It’s easy to assume that as kids grow, our workload naturally lightens. But really, parenting shifts from hands-on helper to support staff—and both require real energy. Remembering that shift allows us to give ourselves a little more grace.
Competition season demands a lot from families, but a few thoughtful adjustments can create the breathing room you need to stay afloat.
Identify Your Priorities: Reassess what matters most, and make time for those things. Talk with your spouse or partner, then share your priorities with the whole family so everyone understands the plan. With so many ways to spend time and money, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters.
Organize Your Calendar: Find an organizational tool that works for you—an app, a shared digital calendar, or a paper planner—and stick with it. Use it to track everything, and make updating it a habit.
Lean on Your Dance Community: Carpools, shared hotel tips, pep talks… Other dance parents understand the chaos. Leaning on your village can make the season feel smoother from day one.
Make Space for Rest: Parents and kids need downtime. Whether it’s a walk with friends, a quiet evening, or a family movie night, schedule rest the same way you schedule everything else. It matters.
If balance feels hard right now, it doesn’t mean you’re behind. It means you’re supporting a child who’s passionate, committed, and growing—and you’re doing your best to keep your family grounded. We all get “caught in the weeds” sometimes and need to step back, reset, and realign.
If you’d like to hear more about balance and other topics in the competitive dance world, join us over at Two Dance Moms Podcast! Find us wherever you listen to podcasts. New episodes drop every Wednesday!
Listen to the Episode below!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/
Two Dance Moms Podcast
A weekly podcast with Amira & Cayse. Sharing their own wins and fails as dance moms,
with the tips and tricks they've learned along the way! Helping dance parents find a little
more fun and a little less stress at their dancers' next competition.
