To think children shouldn't be playing football at pick up time at school

[goodiegoodieyumyum]

Have to go into the playground to pick DD 5 up from school she has to tell the teacher she has seen me before she can leave, my 18 month ds was asleep in his pram and suddenly a ball hits his pram right by his head, very lucky it didn't hit him.

One of the boys playing says but it didn't hit him like that means it is alright to do, the mothers don't say anything, smaller boy keeps playing with the ball kicking it high in the air, I keep asking him to stop, it takes me yelling at him to stop for him to stop kicking the ball high in the air, I get strange looks from other parents not many parents left in playground so one of them must have been the boys mother, no one says anything.

Am I being unreasonable to think playing football should be banned during school pick ups. I did talk to one of the teachers who was standing bu the school gate and she did not seem happy

I do not live in the UK and children are allowed much greater freedom here but there seems no consideration for any one else, I am considering making a formal complaint to the school as a child could be seriously injured.

Playing after school is encouraged at our school.

I was only half way through your post and started wondering if you were in Holland, OP. We were there for 6.5 years and it was hard work at times. Children do get away with far more than they do in the UK or in Oz.

Playing after school I have no problem with kicking hard balls so that they can hit you in the face is another. It is a tiny playground and at pick up time full with parents and children. The children have to have different play times so that they can play, normally two classes at a time it really is a small play ground.

YANBU

There were lots of incidents of children being hit by footballs at hometime in my DD's primary school. I heard one teacher asking a little boy nicely to go and play football on the grass so the little ones didn't get hit, then I heard his dad say, 'Don't worry son, you do whatever you like, you don't have to listen to her.' [hmmm] There is no hope for some kids, if that's the attitude of the parents.

That should have been a ()

Proper footballs on the field only, soft balls on the playground, and not at pick up time. There are a lot of young babies/toddlers about, pregnant women, as well as several disabled parents at our old school. Kids of course should be playing and running around, but also need to learn there is a time and place, and consideration for others.

Ours can play football on the field at school and thats fine. Its good to let them.have a run around. Our school brought in a new policy where everyone has to be off school premises by 3:30 they blow a whistle. Its a shame as the parents and the kids would all stay until nearer 3:45-4pm in the summer and kids could play, parents would chat etc. Apparently its fot health and safety reasons. There is alreasy a big sign saying children are their parents responsibility and you play on equipmemt at your own risk out of school hours etc, which is fine. Seems shame to kick eberyone off the playing field when weather is so lovely and its great fot parenys to chat, helps build a community feel etc.

I can see both sides of this. I have 2yo DD and she likes to run around at pick up BUT I also have two DS's aged 11 and 9 and they need their own space to burn energy and be boys ( not that girls aren't active btw).

My DSs go to a small village primary, DS1 is at the end of year 6 and he is growing out of the school iykwim, so are his friends. They have been asked not take their rugby balls into school because of the little ones but I don't see why the littles ones have more rights that the year 6 boys.

Primary school has been so feminised that it's a bit shit for boys sometimes.

Football is banned in our school playground full stop

Perhaps the child didn't understand you, OP? If you have a foreign accent when you speak Dutch, perhaps that impeded communication? One way to deal with such issues in the future might be to ask one of the other mothers to translate for you, as they probably speak English and could translate more complicated phrases into Dutch.

It is really difficult to live in another culture, especially when you don't feel fully confident in the language. I hope things improve for you.