To ask if you can think of an excuse which will get 11yo off PE for the rest of term?

[HelloKittyGirl]

Just that, basically. What would get her off games for a few weeks?

@Itsalmostanaccessory

What schools did you all go to? I loved PE at my high school. Set me up with a life long love of trampolining and handball. Wasnt great at racquet sports but badminton was always fun.

We didnt have bullying or jeering or anything during PE. There were the popular kids who were good at all the sports and the kids who were totally rubbish, but the bullying being discussed on here didnt happen. Not in my uesr group anyway; I cant speak for the rest of it. But I'm getting a shocking idea of PE from this and that doesnt go along with my experience at all.

I don’t know anyone who did handball or trampolining at school! It was netball, hockey, rounders(totally pointless as you barely moved for just of the lesson) and cross country,

I detested p.e. in school, OP, so I can sympathise. I have never had any issue with 'sportsmanship' & as an adult I am a supportive team player, but I was so completely shit at games & sports that I was last/never picked every time & couldn't keep up with stuff like netball & running. I found it absolutely humiliating tbh.
I'm also possibly the least competitive person in the world but I wouldn't mind if someone else had the title so sports just held no sway for me whatsoever.
I couldn't think of any excuse at the time to get me out of it for more than a week though, 2 weeks in a row max for a heavy period.
So, no advice I'm afraid, just empathy!

I wouldn't write a note. I would for a genuine health problem, be that physical or mental health. If they were being bullied in PE or felt uncomfortable doing PE I would speak to the school and try and resolve it. My ASC child has some issues which one talked through with the SENCO, but doesn't get to opt out. I do really value PE and exercise though, and as others have mentioned wouldn't opt my DC out of French or maths or science, so why PE?

It's also important to me that my DC are part of their peer group and anything I can do to support that I will do, treating them as though they are different from everyone else and can opt out of something everyone else is required to do I would never do. And why they don't want to and the weathers bad? Not a good example for the rest of their life is it

Go with tendinitis exacerbated by exercise. She needs a few weeks to heal before she can do it again.

I too, hated PE. I skipped school over it once. My dad was kind enough to write me a note after the event.

Unless it’s an entire ‘games’ afternoon with proper coaching and everyone encouraged properly joining in nicely, it’s a general waste of time that just puts girls off exercise forever. You have to get changed communally, usually somewhere without enough heating, then play a sport you dislike for a very short period, then rush to get changed again and get yelled at by the next teacher because they never give enough time. Ugh.

You are teaching her to lie? To get what she wants?

My god, grow up woman. Why do you think you need to make up excuses to her teachers? Have an adult conversation with the school.

You’re setting a really bad example here, that being immature and lying is the way adults behave.

Parents like this give me the ick 🤢

@Hercisback

You are asking for extra resources if you want her supervised elsewhere. You're taking up teacher time at the start of the lesson dealing with your DDs bullshit.

It takes a few minutes, surely, to read a note and mark someone absent. There is no additional supervision.

My dad is 14 and has a physical hobby. Her school does cross country regularly. I point blank refused permission for her to participate in case she got injured as it would ruin her chances when she competes.

She often asks me to give her a note to get out of PE, absolutely not!!

A few unnecessary minutes.
There is additional supervision if you're expecting her in the library.
There is additional supervision if she's sat elsewhere from the rest of the PE class. If she is outside with them, then she's outside anyway and may as well be doing PE.

I don’t know anyone who did handball or trampolining at school! It was netball, hockey, rounders(totally pointless as you barely moved for just of the lesson) and cross country

Yep. PE back in my day was so fucking boring and unimaginative. My kids do trampolining, just dance, gymnastics, badminton. Doesn't mean there's any less bullying and bitching about those that are slower or more overweight but at least the choices are slightly more fun.

I agree with other posters lying about an illness or injury is bad juju and tempting fate, I wouldn't do it.

I had a friend who faked appendicitis and appendectomy and then actually got it out a year later. Because of course everyone has two appendixes 🙄

Honestly OP just let her forget her kit.

FWIW I hated PE at school but did a yoga class outside of school that I loved. As an adult I love going to the gym doing various classes. Before kids I used to do heavy weights.

What I hated most was the other girls I did PE with. Some of my biggest bullies at school were in my PE class, made the whole thing horrific.

Given your posts, you do whatever you want.

PE is a core subject.
No one likes PE much but it's not just about doing a hated sport. It's about teamwork, fitness, Co-ordination, agility, dexterity, self-esteem etc..

You should be brought to task by your child's headteacher if you kept excusing.

Where would we all be if we excused our children from core subjects?

Not even sure you'd get away with it !

@Thesearmsofmine

Our school had several trampolines which would be set up in the hall and 8 pupils would stand around each and take turns. Our year group set up a lunch time trampoline club!

I do remember doing hockey once in first year, but we never did it again. One of our PE teachers played handball for Scotland and another played netball. Our PE department was really really good. None of the horror stories I'm seeing on here.

These arguments about not enjoying PE are rubbish. There are loads of kids out there who don't enjoy maths, English, science but they still have to do them.

Whatever the excuse, other kids would guess it’s not true and resent it. It might make her unpopular and be used against her.

I suggest being a grown up about it and talking to the PE teacher. Getting off PE with a lie is not good role modelling for your daughter. Just be truthful and see what they say.

I'm quite shocked you would encourage it if I'm honest.

I actually did get out of "PE" legitimitely for half a term but I took myself off to the local swimming pool for a swim on the afternoon we had double PE.

Perhaps PE should be an exercise class like zumba or something so they'd at least get their hearts pumping once a week and no opportunities for bullying I would think. Although how any future Olympians would be spotted...

OP, wish I could suggest something too. Maybe some sort of middle ear thing and she's been advised not to take part in sports? Missing PE isn't such a big deal. Its hardly a life changer don't know what all the fuss from posters on here is about! 😂 I bet if you googled the question you'd find something though...😉

No wonder kids are fat these days

@HelloKittyGirl

Just that, basically. What would get her off games for a few weeks?

Should be optional anyway so just say doctor's orders and print something out, job done

Resilience.... If anything... It will teach her to be resilient and today's teens are going to need to be even more resilient than we were when we left school!!!
Don't encourage her to dip out of stuff she doesn't particularly enjoy... You might find this becomes a life long habit and could easily backfire and take her down a path that you wish you'd never encouraged!

I absolutely hated PE, and although it very much went against my obedient nature as a teen I did skip it a couple of times (though felt very guilty and worried this would somehow get found out by those dealing with university admissions...)

That said I absolutely would not collide with my child being allowed to miss part of the curriculum purely because they didn't fancy doing it. It sets a terrible example - the fact is there are always going to be parts of life you do not enjoy (eg boring tasks, aspects of most jobs) and just skipping them is not an option.

Also really unfair to teachers that children and their parents can be allowed to show such disregard and disrespect for their subjects (even PE!)

Collude!