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?

Anaemia is common with teen girls and makes you feel the cold more?

I hope you’re not going to be on here one day complaining that your darling daughter is forever lying to you to get out of things because she doesn’t like doing them OP.

DS had to sit out for two weeks because of 'possible concussion'. He had a headache after a blow to the head, he was fine, but once he'd said something (not knowing it would be two weeks) I had to write a note.

@Fridayfriyay

Something to do with mental health or gender confusion. They school won't wanna touch it with a barge pole.

For gods sake what is wrong with you? This just makes a mockery of children with ACTUAL mental health or body dysphoria.

She will have to sit and watch… do you always pander to her every whim?

PE at school is dire. All the emphasis on team sports but no talk about team spirit or recognition of different abilities. I got sick of always being the last one picked and never actually getting to touch the ball in PE lessons. As an adult thankfully I have learned that keeping active can be fun and do yoga, run and walk miles but it took me a long time to shake of the bad associations from school. Mean girls rule in PE and the teachers were often just as bad.

She doesn’t want to do PE because the weather’s cold?! So presumably you’re looking for an excuse to get her out of break time too? Yeah, thought not…

Walking to school isn’t sufficient exercise for an 11yo. If she’s not doing something cardiovascular outside of school a few times a week then getting her out of PE is not a good plan.

Broken toe, can take up to 6 weeks to heal.
Would not prevent walking, but would prevent lots of PE.

I loved sport as a kid, but PE typically sucks. Her body, her choice.
Never too early to learn about bodily autonomy, physical boundaries, and individual agency. Sheep can go bleat.

@ivykaty44

There are reasons that PE is really important

better academic performance
increased student physical health
It teaches children key life skills
It offers the chance for them to relax, release pent up emotions and to spend time having fun with their friends
Students who play sports are better able to concentrate and maintain focus
Students who exercise regularly have a better quality of sleep
Physical exercise helps children relieve stress and anxiety
improve their teamwork and leadership skills.

PE must have changed a lot since I was at school. It was a long time ago though.

This is inconceivable - you can't get her out of a lesson because it's cold. I mean it's not even cold.

It makes me sad reading the OP’s post and some of the responses, in part because it triggers memories of my own experiences of PE many years ago, the impact it had on me later in life (I ran my first marathon at 40, having ‘discovered’ the importance of exercise in my 20’s and do a hard cardio workout every day...) but also because I firmly believe that PE today is very different to what it was 30 years ago and, as parents, we need to be very careful about the precedents we set! OP, think very carefully about the message you are giving, as others have already said. Physical activity is important, whatever your age, and forming healthy habits from a young age is a huge positive

My mum did this for me, OP, and I'm still grateful to her. She didn't give an excuse - she just wrote to the PE teacher asking her to excuse me until further notice. Sadistic PE teacher was furious, but there was nothing she could do about it. I spent the time reading poetry in the library, which was a whole lot more useful to me than being whacked by some great lump of a girl brandishing a hockey stick.

The only thing team sports taught me was a) I hate sport; and b) I hated most of the girls in my "team".

I walked a lot, though, because I like walking, and have never been even remotely overweight.

@HelloKittyGirl

I don’t have a problem with it to be honest. I never liked PE either and she already gets plenty of exercise walking to and from school everyday. I’m not worried about her fitness levels. If she’d rather spend the time in the library doing homework, I’m happy with that.

Wtf! That’s hilarious she needs to do PE

This is such an insane thread that surely it's not real. Why on Earth would you not want your daughter to do PE like al the other kids?!

My dd wrote her own notes as did many of her friends, I told her I wouldn't lie for her and she would have to take the consequences. School never questioned the significant minority who never did PE and I was never contacted about it either. Dd's favourite excuse was fallen downstairs and sprained her ankle from what she told me. She did PE rarely enough that the PE kit I bought in year seven was still pristine when she left in year 11 anyway

YABVU to let her opt out of part of her education.

If she decides she hates maths will you pretend she has appointments every time there’s a maths lesson?

@DysmalRadius

I'd be interested to know how many of those that are berating the OP participate in a team sport as an adult?

At uni, yes. Also running in all weather was a great stress reliever from my professional role. And doing charity sports stuff was good fun. And larking around with friends and now kids playing football - once you get your head round one sport others are easyto pick up.

i am just agog at the idea of lying, though, and that the benefits of joining in cannot be seen here by the OP.

her dc is at a selective academic school and i am also thinking about the careers she will want to choose from and wondering how many will not require integrity! And the abilty to do the less enjoyable aspects of any job.

@Thesearmsofmine

I hated PE at school and would have loved not to do it, I can’t say doing PE taught me anything that I couldn’t learn in other ways, the only thing it did do was to turn me off any kind of physical activity for many many years.

I agree. I found PE humiliating and dreaded it every week. So many people don't realise how much it can affect children, it's a class where all your work is shown in front of everyone else. I didn't do any sport for years after leaving school, I had no confidence in myself. It took more than 20 years for me to find out that actually I am an ok runner.

Whilst I don't think the OP should lie to the school, I can see where she's coming from. Surely it's time to find ways of making PE something girls actually want to do. Maybe Zumba, step and more of the other classes gyms run - the ones that actually attract young women of varying abilities

@XelaM

This is such an insane thread that surely it's not real. Why on Earth would you not want your daughter to do PE like al the other kids?!

Because PE is shit. Being fit and healthy is good. Team sports organised by a sadistic cow in a track suit and gloves (while the pupils freeze in little skirts and short-sleeved Aertex tops) is not good. It just puts people off keeping fit (which I love, btw - but individual fitness, not team sports in my pants!)

My DD hates PE, always has since reception.
I've always encouraged her to do it in the hope she might find a sport that she thinks is fun. She's now year 11 and doing compulsory PE. Some of the teachers (I think) have given up trying to coerce 15 and 16 year old girls to put some effort in but a few times recently they've been allowed to do "just dance" which she has loved, and conceded she "actually broke sweat" 🤣 (she does dance as an extra curricular activity)

Wish you were my mum, all my friends got to bunk and had a great time. I always ended up partnered with the pe teacher for some crap like badminton because all my friends were skipping it with notes and sat on the sidelines.

All those saying they learn valuable lessons from PE were not in my class. I still can’t tell you the rules of any game and also I’m crap at all of them.

Why would you even consider this? Don’t be ridiculous.

Terrible parenting.what other lies do you teach your child.

Because it's cold hahaha!