to keep my DS off school tomorrow?

[TheBigFatMermaid]

Bless him, he is not terribly sporty, but was happy to take part. When they were deciding what to do, he put his name down for the relay race.

He came home on Friday and told me too late for me to speak to the school that he is not doing anything, they have chosen other kids to do the relay.

Last year, the same happened, but I sent him in and they called me at the last minute to tell me he was taking part after all and could I please get there to see him do his bit. I managed to get a lift at the last minute, after having phoned all the taxi firms I know. It was a panic and not something I want to deal with again.

They have all day doing sports day, with longer events taking place in the morning, then in the afternoon it is opened for parents to go and watch. So literally all day with him watching other kids take part and no taking part himself.

I plan on being honest and telling them why he is staying home. Quite frankly, if they can't include all kids, they should not be doing it.

Fuck it, keep him off and have a lovely day.

How old is he? While it seems a bit unfair of the school, it doesn't send a good message to say he can just strop and stay off if he doesn't get his / your way.

Sounds like a dreadful way to do Sports Day. Each and every child should be included in something, no matter what their abilities.

I wouldn't "judge" you for not sending him in, but I think I would make mine attend.

He's 12, year 7. The school did the same to him last year, but sorted it once I rang and expressed my displeasure.

Thank goodness he only has one more year there.

He knows he can't strop and get his own way. He has not stropped at all any way, he is upset. Totally different to stropping.

As the mum of a dyspraxic child who is now adult, you can't be faulted. I still vividly ŕemember a group of cliquey mum's laughing and mocking one little 8 year old. Thank goodness my son did not hear them.

I was too shocked and annoyed to say anything.
So no sports day is difficult enough for some kids without stuck up cliquey mum's.

Oh that's awful Cryalot.

My DS has something wrong with his eye, which means he has no distance or depth perception. So, he can see a ball coming towards him, but cannot judge how close it is. At the first school, it was noted that he was reluctant to step off the bench when he had walked across it.

It is absolutely dreadful to do a sports day that doesn't include all children. To deliberately exclude those with lower sporting ability is abysmal behaviour.

I would keep him off, and write a letter to the head/governors telling them exactly why.

That sounds a very poor way to do sports day. At my school, the kids have to do heats to get a place in the “proper” events, but there’s recreational activities on the field for everyone else all day. Loads of games, silly obstacle courses, football, etc, to choose from. I ended up playing football for an hour with a load of Year 7s, it was a great laugh!

Plus, there’s big speakers playing music to dance to, and loads of the kids bring picnics and chill out with their mates.

More like a festival than a sports day! I think that’s how every school should do it.

In my experience , sports day at secondary level is purely voluntary - lots of kids don't want to take part, it really is for the uber sport lot. The other just get day off lessons cheering their house/class/teams on.

Is he the only one not taking part in any events? At my DC's secondary, the students are all expected to turn up and cheer those how are but ... probably fewer than 20% of the students actually do get to take part, so there is a fairly large proportion of them doing nothing!

No, they are all meant to be given the chance to take part. Sitting it out is generally discouraged. That's why I just don't get it.

He can't take part in Rugby, hockey or cricket, but track and field, he can. HE is only not allowed to because he had surgery to fix his eye problem, or at least the appearance of it and within a year, he got hit by a hockey stick and the surgery broke. He had it re-done for the 4th time a while ago.

I have kept mine off on sports day many times.

Keep him off my ds was same on friday hates sport. It ended up he was then sick but I was letting him stay home now his 2 sisters are sick. Hes looking to be off 2m to make up for friday but I said no.

The vast majority won’t be taking part; it’s a secondary school with presumably large numbers. They’ve obviously either shortlisted or taken names out of a hat. I’d send him in, by keeping him off you’re teaching him that it’s not import to support others unless he’s directly involved.

Yes in your situation, I would keep him off. Spend the day together having fun 💐

Quite sad that by 12 80% are on the not sporty heap.

That’s such a shame it’s not inclusive and I hope it doesn’t put your son off sports for life. With all the focus on metal wellbeing (both in schools and the workplace) you would have thought they’d encourage pupils to find a sport they will enjoy

that's really crap.
when we did sports day anyone who wanted to could take part, they didn't put limits on the 1500 and 800, and had lots of heats for the shorter events. and equally if people DIDNT want to take part, they had other things they could do like volunteering to help or keep score. it meant it was a nice day for everyone and everyone looked forward to it.

id honestly write a letter about this, with the state of peoples health in the uk and especially kids health, the last thing they should be doing is discouraging a 12 year old from sport.

id have him take the day off and take him swimming or to a sports class with him or something he would enjoy, maybe a trampoline park.

i dont see why they can't do lots of heats of something like the 100m, so no one would be left too far behind. really easy to organise and not time consuming either so no reason why they couldnt. or have more people doing shot etc.

I'd write to the school governors, but he should go into school. If not taking part on the day, the school could have had him involved in some way, I agree, but keeping him at home is not the answer in my opinion.

plus OP not sure if you've considered this but an athletics club is something lovely for a 12 year old to take part in, they welcome everyone and often have lots of training groups, the summer is a brilliant time to start as well - not sure if that's something he'd be interested in? they usually do a warm up, stretches and drills (mobility exercises like skips and butt kicks), then a session like say a set of sprints, a cool down and stretches. really social and i have massively happy memories of evenings at athletics clubs... maybe something he might enjoy? he would definitely be encouraged there :) and often the improvements are massive even in a few weeks.

skybluee, yes, I have tried things like this. He did Street dance for a while, then gave up, did karate with his sister, then gave up.

He just isn't into sports, but would have happily done it for me to come and watch him.

They really do all take part. Last year they claimed it was an oversight as they include everyone.