We poured thousands into cheerleading instead of my daughter's college fund. I don't regret that choice.

• I spent thousands on my daughter's activities instead of putting that money in a college fund.
• Cheer and gymnastics taught her discipline, hard work, and commitment to long-term goals.
• She may have to take on student debt, but I don't regret investing in her confidence and growth.

My oldest daughter is entering her senior year of high school, and instead of adding savings to a college fund to send her off to school, I've invested heavily in her extracurricular activities over the past decade.

This choice hasn't always been easy and required careful deliberation, but now that she's in the final stretch of her high school career, I can safely say I don't regret my decision.

I wanted to make her dreams come true

My daughter is an elite-level cheerleader and tumbler who fell in love with gymnastics and stunting in the third grade. That's when she first saw another girl flip across the football field, throwing one back handspring after another, and she became determined to do the same.

As many parents would, I signed her up for a local gymnastics class. Little did I know that it would become an almost decade-long pursuit. Over the years, I've spent thousands of dollars on all-star cheer, gymnastics classes, and private coaching, which is money that could have gone to a college fund.

I believe her passion for her chosen sport has made her a hard worker, with a determination I don't often see in other kids her age. She knows how to handle criticism, can push through uncomfortable situations, and has a strong sense of self-worth, all traits that are priceless to me as her mother.

While I wish I were wealthy enough to cover both the full cost of college and her extracurriculars, I'm not. So I had to make a choice.

Idealistic parenting met reality

Before I became a parent, I had a solid plan for how I'd handle things. My kids would be well-mannered and never throw public tantrums as toddlers. I'd always have an even temper, never losing my cool. And of course, after they graduated from high school, they'd attend the college of their choice, fully funded by mom and dad.

Then I had my first baby.

My ideas were turned on their heads, and I traded in my well-laid plans for a go-with-the-flow approach to parenting, mostly to save my own sanity.

I also couldn't have fathomed how expensive kids truly would be.

After paying bills, putting a little in savings, and covering regular child-related expenses, I didn't have thousands of extra dollars lying around every month.

What I did have was a little disposable income and the freedom to use it as I saw fit for each of my children. For my oldest, it was clear that she had a real passion, and I'd be doing her a disservice not to help her follow it. Now that college is approaching, we're mapping out what that decision will mean for both of us.

What college plans look like now

The years of all-star cheer and gymnastics classes have led my daughter to her next major goal: becoming a college cheerleader. But she also has big career ambitions, planning to enter the finance sector after college.

She's narrowed her search down to two schools, and both are relatively affordable. One of the schools offers a small scholarship to all its cheerleaders, while the other doesn't.

She'll likely graduate with some student debt, and I don't take that lightly. But cheer and gymnastics have given her confidence and determination, and shown her how to work toward long-term goals. While I'll help her with college as much as I can, I don't regret investing in the person that she is today.