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Original poster

7 year old picked on for playing with toys

54 replies

Thorpurpuk · 10/10/2023 15:54

My Y3 DS is apparently the only child in his class not into Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft etc (he has a nintendo switch bought for him by grandparents but really has 0 interest in it), and nor is he interested in any type of sport (not for lack of trying on our part). Now, as well as getting picked on because he wants to read his book or play imaginary games at lunchtime instead of playing football, he is getting picked on for being a "baby" because he still plays with toys. This seemed to start because he had a playdate a couple of weeks back and the visiting child relayed back to the others in his class that DS not only has toys in his bedroom, he has a sea-themed room and has cuddly toys on his bed. And one of the other mums recently made the comment "it's so sweet he's still into toys at his age, isn't it" as if 7 was absurdly old for a CHILD to still be playing with toys!

Surely toys are perfectly age appropriate for a 7 year old? It's not like he's playing in a jumperoo, he plays with completely normal toys which IMO are appropriate for his age - lego, puzzles, marble runs, kinetic sand and so on.

OP posts:

Original poster

Thorpurpuk · 10/10/2023 15:55

any advice welcome!

OP posts:

BoohooWoohoo · 10/10/2023 15:59

Does your son go to a very small school where differences are magnified?
My children are older but played Lego and Minecraft at his age. At school they played chasing games rather than football. Their rooms weren't themed but themed bedding is normal at 7 ime.

Original poster

Thorpurpuk · 10/10/2023 16:00

The room is themed based on what he asked for and wanted, he wanted an ocean themed room with blue walls and sea creature sticks and themed bedding, so that's what we did.

His school is about average, not big and not small.

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7 year olds Behaviour & development Families Primary education

msbevvy · 10/10/2023 16:01

I am decades older than him and still play with Lego.

QueenofTheSlipstreamVM · 10/10/2023 16:01

I think it's bloody brilliant.. they're only kids for a little while.
My eight year old Grandson does have switch/ ipad etc and he loves them.. but he loves lego/ board games/ anything airplane .. loves his skateboard/ scooter / bike.. he has a few cuddly toys too.. he is ASD and home educated.
He loves playing make believe with friends.. secret agents/ pilots etc .
Your child is normal and amazing.

BoohooWoohoo · 10/10/2023 16:02

I find it hard to believe that the other boys might not have Minecraft stickers or Roblox figures in their rooms. Sounds strange to me but my boys are much older so maybe things were more innocent back then?

Aria999 · 10/10/2023 16:02

Wow! DS is 7 and has loads of toys. The other kids seem pretty into them too, he often takes a toy in for 'share day' where they get to tell the class about something they find interesting. He sometimes brings toys in to play with the other kids at school too.

I find that chilling and possibly a sign of the future! I won't let him have Roblox yet as I'm alarmed by its internet socialization functionality and I get the impression Fortnite can be problematic though I can't recall the specifics.

I play Minecraft dungeons with him myself on the weekend but he doesn't play it with his mates.

Withnailandsigh · 10/10/2023 16:02

I expect the parents who encourage screen based interests are just enjoying the aesthetics of their little perfect grey and white houses. Children who stare at an iPad all day don’t mark the walls or leave lego on the floor or scuff the skirting with flying hot wheels. It’s bloody ridiculous. Lego is completely normal until the teens even and at 7 he’s quite entitled to play with anything he wants. Those kids are being manipulated into little screen zombies for their parents convenience. You’re doing it right, not them. You know, your son’s development will be being helped by creative and imaginative tactile play and I’d bloody love a sea themed room too!

Original poster

Thorpurpuk · 10/10/2023 16:03

BoohooWoohoo · 10/10/2023 16:02

They do, I think half the issue is my son isn't into Minecraft or Roblox, he is in to things they consider "babyish" - like a sea themed room.

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Fahhgedaboutit · 10/10/2023 16:03

My DS is 6.5 and still hasn’t tried Minecraft/roblox etc and they’re definitely not spoken about in his class- I can’t see this changing over the next couple of years! Some kids are just mean, but your DS is definitely more like the kids I know

ChilliPixie · 10/10/2023 16:04

Sorry no advice per se, as my DC are 7, 12 & 13. DS3 (7) still regularly plays with toys, so not at all unusual for your child to like toys still. My DS3 does like computer games (Minecraft etc) but I think that is more because he has older siblings. Unfortunately for your DS he is learning that other people can be mean over something completely normal, not liking sport and spending time reading.

Original poster

Thorpurpuk · 10/10/2023 16:04

I've not been happy with the way things are at his school for a long time tbh, this is all just cementing it.

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whatdoidoaboutit · 10/10/2023 16:06

My DD is 10 and still plays with toys (as well as online games), and I'm glad of it. I suspect it won't last much longer.

I can't help feeling if she was a boy, it wouldn't be allowed.

Your poor DS. He's coming up against toxic masculinity at a young age, being told at 7 (7!!!) he should hide his playful and gentle side.

It's also a generational thing, where the online is taking over from physical toys, and I worry about where that one is going.

Although DD plays with toys, she spends much less time on them than I did.

I wonder if they will be seen as old fashioned, soon enough.

But in the meantime, toys are great for 7 year olds! Reassure him he's doing nothing wrong!

And try to find him some kids to play with who are more on his wavelength.

PipersDream · 10/10/2023 16:06

My 11 year old still plays with Lego, puzzles, marble run. She is slowly starting to be taken over by gaming and other things but still spends a lot of time playing especially once her screen time is over. Probably she is unusual in her class, most of the girls seem to be moving towards fashion/trips to town. One girl's mum threw all her toys when she turned 10 and told her she was too old to play with them. She was 😮when she saw DD still had toys and spent the entire afternoon playing with them.

So I would say totally normal for a 7 year old to be playing with toys!

BuffaloCauliflower · 10/10/2023 16:07

All the 7-8 year olds I know play with toys. I feel sad for these kids at his school who are losing out on the so important imaginary play already, open ended play is so beneficial for development.

Marblessolveeverything · 10/10/2023 16:08

I have a 10 year old he does a lot of drawing and making his own comics and loves reading. He has a lot of figurines pokemon etc - they still come out on occasion.

The bedroom themes were dismissed around 6 here - though I tended to just do accessories from Primark etc as they grew out of certain themes very quickly. All the cuddlies are in a zip up bean bag like thing - so they are there but not visible.

It really depends on the cohort but they do tend to skip into the non- toy stage really early these days. Such a pity.

Stephisaur · 10/10/2023 16:09

My son is younger, but we have some neighbours his age and he's forever round their house playing with their Lego and card games! One of them has a lego themed bedroom!

I think the other kids sound awful to be honest with you.

Marblessolveeverything · 10/10/2023 16:12

Do a lot of them have older siblings? Sometimes that can skew their interests a bit.

Original poster

Thorpurpuk · 10/10/2023 16:12

I can't help but feel some of this is driven by parents who don't want toys scattered all across their house.

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JustAMinutePleass · 10/10/2023 16:12

He’s in Year 3, there really needs to be a balance between toys and screentime. Because like it or not if computer games are how the kids at your school socialise your DS won’t make friends unless he plays.

Original poster

Thorpurpuk · 10/10/2023 16:13

Marblessolveeverything · 10/10/2023 16:12

Do a lot of them have older siblings? Sometimes that can skew their interests a bit.

A few do but not the majority by any means. Some are only children like him.

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Katy123g · 10/10/2023 16:13

My DS8 and DS6 still play with toys and already have lists for Xmas.

I do get the impression that a lot of the boys in DS8s class are only interested in football and gaming. It dosnt seem to bother him though.

I love that they still play with toys and know it's only a matter of time before they stop.

I'd find it incredibly sad if at 7 a child has 0 interest in toys tbh.

MonkeyPuddle · 10/10/2023 16:13

My 6.5 year old plays with toys, don’t get me wrong he loves the telly. We don’t have any consoles though.
He plays with kinetic sand, marble runs, action figures. Those especially he can fill hours of time with.
I think it’s perfectly average for a 7 year old to like toys, hasn’t crossed my mind that they wouldn’t to be honest!
I’d be speaking to school, I always think kids tell us a fraction of what happens at school so the stuff that comes out at home is valuable information.

Original poster

Thorpurpuk · 10/10/2023 16:13

JustAMinutePleass · 10/10/2023 16:12

I've not banned screen time, he's welcome to do Minecraft etc if he wants to. It's his own choice not to. He has totally free access to his Switch and barely touches it.

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TedLasto · 10/10/2023 16:13

I have an 8 year old (girl) - just gone into yr4 still into sylvanians/ our generation dolls and so are her friends. Some of them are starting to become what she calls 'fashionistas', she tells me she is not into fashion though. And she is not the only one. From what I can tell of the boys in her class they only play football or on the playstation. She has male cousins though who play with bayblades, lego, pokemon etc (age range 7 - 10).

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