Is your kid playing every sport under the sun? From basketball to soccer and hockey, it can be hard to keep up which uniform they need to pack, let alone being able to attend all of their games, am I right?

Some parents are able to make it to every single game their child plays in, and that’s awesome for them. But sometimes, that might not be practical, especially if you’re a working parent. Someone needs to pay for these hobbies!

So is there a right or wrong answer to the question of should parents go to every one of their kids games? First, it’s important to determine how much it means to the child.

Do our kids even want parents to come to their games?

In most cases, yes, your child is probably hoping that their parents will show up to see them kick the ball or puck into the goal or shoot that slam dunk.

“In our research on this very question, we learned that almost 100 percent of youth soccer-playing kids ages 7 to 14 wanted their parents to attend their games,” says sports psychologist Richard D. Ginsburg, co-author of “Whose Game Is It Anyway: A Guide to Helping Your Child Get the Most From Sports. “Our kids want us to watch them play, to witness the wins and losses, the accomplishments and the disappointments.”

But missing games can sometimes creep up on parents as guilt. But should we feel guilty for not being able to go to every one of our kid’s games?

“There may be situations when our children would prefer that we don’t come to their games,” Dr. Ginsburg says. “As children get older and the competitive environment intensifies, some athletes may feel nervous playing in front of their parents for a variety of reasons. In extreme and mostly rare cases, children may find that we can be a distraction, either through how we cheer or, at times, yell during games.”

It’s important to see how your child really feels about you coming to their games, especially if you’re the parent of a teen.

“More often than not, our children are tuned in to how we behave during games, so the most common preference from our more competitive and older children is, “Come to my games, but be a good fan; avoid being a distraction.”

Additionally, Dr. Ginsburg has another bit of advice: “Ideally, we want to avoid the situation where the event of the game becomes more important than just watching our kids play,” Dr. Ginsburg says.

That’s not to say that you should never go to games—most of the time, your kids do want you there to cheer them on. One parent recalls just how much it meant to her when her parents went to her games, and it wasn’t until she became a parent herself that she realized how much.

“I know it isn’t always possible or easy to show up and be at every game, but parents, even if you think it’s no big deal (and even if your kids say it’s no big deal), it matters. And if you can’t be there, trying matters,” says Caitlin Gallagher. “I don’t remember a lot of the birthday gifts I got growing up or cookies I ate before dinner, but I vividly remember my mom and dad, in their work suits and jackets, walking into every game I ever played.”

Do you try to go to every game, or at least most sports games your kids play in? What’s your opinion on the debate?