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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Sports day shock

377 replies

Mrslarge24 · 21/06/2024 20:31

My children have recently had their sports days.
I have one very sporty child, and one that gets very anxious about anything sport-related and dreads sports day! Much like myself as a kid.
One sports day was for y3&y4, the other was for Y5 & y6.
I was amazed at the lack of general fitness in so many of the kids.
They had to do a "long-distance run" which was about 200m. A huge amount of them couldn't run it all and some didn't even make it half way before walking and panting.
My non-sporty one managed it fine, because although he doesn't enjoy much sport we do go for long walks, he plays in the garden alot and loves swimming with us so has a basic fitness level. Much like myself, I'm no fitness fanatic!
AIBU to think this is shocking to see children of this age not be able to run/jog 200m?!
i guess it's computers/iPads etc but at what point does a parent start to feel ashamed to have let their children get so unfit?!
Made me feel quite sad 😢

OP posts:
Rocketpants50 · 21/06/2024 22:26

TheBottomsOfMyTrousersAreRolled · 21/06/2024 22:17

But that is diet to diet, not exercise. Those over weight and obese children are being fed garbage day in day out through poor parenting and poverty.

It's all part of it though isn't it. Children eating a poor diet, not enough exercise. We need some proper joined up thinking and not taking everything in isolation - we need to take care of the whole child - mentally and physically.

Floatingvoternolandinsight · 21/06/2024 22:26

Beekeepingmum · 21/06/2024 21:07

I don't think the parents of the non-sporty kids should be ashamed. Should parents whose kids are behind expectations for maths or english be ashamed?

Parents of unhealthy children should ashamed of themselves unless there is a medical reason for it.

Houseofdragonsisback · 21/06/2024 22:27

anyone born over a decade ago or more grew up with much more walking and activity in daily live, lower calorie intake and far less UPF. Therefore there wasn’t a need.

Im a millennial and I don’t think an 80s childhood was that healthy diet wise but as I already said in general I moved more so agree with that point.

now there is a need and parents need to adapt accordingly

Its a great soundbite but in practice a lot of parents won’t have time to take their dc to the park everyday.

Houseofdragonsisback · 21/06/2024 22:28

We need some proper joined up thinking and not taking everything in isolation - we need to take care of the whole child - mentally and physically.

Exactly

AlphabetBird · 21/06/2024 22:28

I don’t think UPF are a new phenomenon. My main food memories from the early nineties are findus crispy pancakes, Mountain Dew, and vesta curries in a box.

Butterflyfern · 21/06/2024 22:30

DazedNotConfused1 · 21/06/2024 21:55

I have a DD in year 2 also, and it’s not uncommon for me to get her a McFlurry and/or milkshake with her happy meal. I even get her two happy meals sometimes! She’s is tall and as skinny as a rake though, so surely it must be partly genetic. She is pretty fit however, she does two sports clubs and we go to the park for an hour almost every day.

I'd be a bit careful with this logic. A study (on adults) has shown that people eating a 100% UPF diet eat on average 8000calories more per week than those on a non-upf diet. It is designed to make you overeat

Obviously, if you only eat McDonald's rarely, then occasional overeating is unlikely to be a problem for their overall health, but it gave me pause for thought

Floatingvoternolandinsight · 21/06/2024 22:30

It would help if parents stop making excuses like 'my child isn't sporty'.

Houseofdragonsisback · 21/06/2024 22:30

findus crispy pancakes

We used to get these as a school dinner 😋

Soboredofdiettalk · 21/06/2024 22:34

Procrastination4 · 21/06/2024 22:10

I am teaching in a primary school in Ireland. We have PE lessons once a week (60 mins in our school or can be broken up into 2x 30 min sessions as we have limited access to school hall and yard space so timetabling is tight) but our children spend both 20min breaks every day playing catch, soccer and generally moving around the yard continuously, whether they be in Junior Infants or Sixth class. Of course we have falls and collisions from time to time, but luckily, nothing too serious.

Are children allowed to run during break times in primary schools in England? That activity is far more beneficial to the children than a structured PE lesson, in my opinion, as you usually won’t have continuous movement in a PE class (children listening to instructions, taking turns, type of activity being done, etc.- e.g level of activity in a dance or gymnastics lesson won’t be the same as that in an athletics class, and so on.)

Edited

Yes, children are allowed to run around at break and lunchtime in England. Sounds a very similar setup.

The sports day sounds horrific tbh. What's the point in having it and making the parents miss work etc if they can't even do the sports? Sounds completely counterproductive as I'm sure the parents and kids found it a bit traumatic.

Our dcs school shuts the whole fucking school for the day on sports day, locks the doors, then has sports day in a park with no toilets or anything nearby and then invites us all to have a picnic in the park afterwards and then home early. It is a total pain in the hole.

I know this isn't the point of the thread btw, but it is so annoying!

I do think not being able to play out is part of it. But tbf, even in our fancy shmancy part of the country, we've recently had a rape in a kids' play park in the middle of the day a few weeks ago. I don't "think there's a paedophile on every corner" but it truly is more dangerous to let kids out in the evenings these days. Aside from possible creepy behaviour from their peers or older boys etc, traffic is awful now and some crappy driving too.

We walk a lot but that's because we can. Dh wfh some days and I work v locally so we can drop off the kids on foot everyday and same for pickups, play dates in the parks or soft play. I also only work school hours so that helps too. But I recognise that's a privilege. Most families have parents who both work full time, usually not locally and have to drive to school, then not collect kids till late. I get why they don't have the time for traipsing here there and everywhere.

It is sad though

eurochick · 21/06/2024 22:35

If the kids can't run that distance at all that's dreadful.

I do think 200m is an awkward distance. It's too long for most kids to be able to do at full pelt but not far enough to be able to settle in to a steady jog. If kids were taking off at 100% of effort and then running out of steam that's just poor instruction. My memory of school is that is every other subject you were told HOW to do something and in PE we were just told what to do with no advice for those of us to whom it didn't come naturally.

Iwishicouldflyhigh · 21/06/2024 22:37

NotMeNoNo · 21/06/2024 21:03

You do realise that 1 in 4 school children are in poverty and many in temporary accommodation, they may not have time or money or anywhere safe to play out.

Oh come on. It costs nothing to walk around a park.

Crystallizedring · 21/06/2024 22:37

For young children, mainly reception and Y1 I wonder if it is the change from nursery. DS gets at least 3 hours a day of outside play at nursery. Bit less on days he's at home probably about 2 hours a day.
Then they go to school and the amount of outside time is cut in half. Not the school 's fault just what happens. And if your child is at after school club until 6, then has homework where is their playtime?
Luckily we were able to walk over a mile to school and back every day with DDs and both did swimming and kickboxing but I don't think it's always down to lazy parenting .DS will not be able to do these things, apart from walking to school and back so maybe he'll struggle more with sports day, who knows? Still think it's down to bad parenting?

Houseofdragonsisback · 21/06/2024 22:39

Oh come on. It costs nothing to walk around a park.

It costs time which many parents don’t have unfortunately.

Clearinguptheclutter · 21/06/2024 22:39

That is a shame.
my kids (y4 and y6) had to do 400m and all of them (all the kids not just mine) did manage it I’m pleased to say. Some clearly hated it but that was me aged 9. I run all the time now!

Whatwasthatshow · 21/06/2024 22:40

Mrslarge24 · 21/06/2024 20:52

I do see some kids out playing in the evenings but do find more are keeping them in where they're safe now. Kids aren't being allowed out to play until much older now, my 10 yr old isn't yet but I think I would let him go to our very local play area if some of his friends would also be allowed!
I know they're all different but some people do seem to think there are paedophiles on every corner now 🙈

Don’t conflate two separate issues. There actually are paedophiles pretty much everywhere, despite cute little monkey face emojis (and accompanying naivete)
yes, it’s my area of work, before anyone asks

parentfodder · 21/06/2024 22:42

Our school does pe twice a week. Daily mile every day whole school . Have 4/5 after school sports clubs and there's a sports camp every school hols.
Children have hula hoops, skipping ropes and balls out at lunch.
Swimming lessons year 5 and 6.

I've never noticed a significantly unfit children.

40weeksmummy · 21/06/2024 22:42

I was waiting for this kind of thread.
I was honesty shocked today at my son's school. I couldn't believe I see kids, my 74 years old grandma is more fit than most of them!
I have very busy life, working between 2 jobs and no bloody way I'll give my kids ipads /phones to keep them busy. Our garden is terrible, we simply don't have money for drainage, etc. But I'm taking them out almost every single day for a walk, park, playground, etc.
The same with food - about 80% of kids coming eating crisps, chocolate, candies.
I'm sorry but some parents just need to move their a**. Again, our budget is super tight, but I'll wake up 5am just to make proper breakfast, even if I had terrible night with baby. It's ridiculous, these kids will have diabetes and other health issues in few years!

LuluBlakey1 · 21/06/2024 22:43

I don't know why schools are blamed. I work for a local authority in Education. Some children, even from starting primary, are lazy and unfit. The number increases as they get older. It is a concern across the country. There have been numerous initiatives but like most things the children who don't need them are those who enjoy them and buy into them and those who do need them, opt out and are supported by useless parents.

By secondary school, core PE is a farce. It's like the Barry Hines film Kes. There are those who love it, take every opportunity offered, are in teams, enthusiastic, generally active in life as well as PE. Then there are those who do very little that is activity in PE and pay lip-service to it they co-operate but walk instead of running, or make very little effort to really learn skills. Then there are those who avoid it - are absent or have a note from home (and every PE teacher gets absolute lu-lus of notes from home with excuses), or forget their kit every week and won't wear school kit, or refuse point blank and would rather get into trouble, or are very overweight and lumber at the back of groups doing nothing with their friend, or waste time messing about instead of taking part. PE teachers manage the ones who aren't particularly good but want to join in - it's the ones who hate it and are really unfit and avoid any physical activity that are the most difficult. Their parents always support them.
I see parents who drive their idle kids right up to school doorways . At work, we had complaints from residents in a street that backs onto a bridleway that parents were driving children down the bridleway in their 4 x 4s to get to a hole in the fence at the back of a local secondary school . We asked a member of staff to check. It was true. Mothers who were driving teenagers who were late, down a bridleway (no cars allowed, not a road) to a hole in a school fence where the lazy creatures squeezed through to avoid staff on late duty at the gates.
Our DC are 4 (almost 5), 7 and 9. They all walk to school - it is about 3/4 of a mile. They all cycle at least twice a week. I walk most evenings and weekends - 5-10K- and they often bring their bikes and cycle back and forwards where I walk. They swim once a fortnight. DS1 and DS2 play football. DS1 plays tennis. DD plays tennis (badly but loves it) and tap dances.
It's a parent's responsibility to make sure their children eat healthily and develop good activity levels- not lie in bed and play computer games in the dark, watch tv, eat crap and get paler and fatter. It's easier for parents to let them do this - and lazy parents who take the easy route end up with lazy, unfit children.
I grew up in a house where no one did any sport but we walked miles and I had swimming lessons. I had to do whatever school decided (my parents just made that clear)so I played tennis and badminton, hockey, netball and lacrosse (hated it), ran round the field, did cross-country (cheated). My family didn't deliberately eat very healthily but compared to what people eat now we were eating pretty healthy food.

Poor parenting is the biggest issue in Education and in children's futures.

EliflurtleAndTheInfiniteMadness · 21/06/2024 22:44

That's not my experience of fitness at my kids school at all. FWIW my kids are always the slowest but play regular sport that involves running around. My DC primary is a 4 form entry, everyone still gets a chace to compete on the day in both shorter springs and what the call long distance.

My DC play sport year round, so do a lot of their friends. The most active of my DC is obviously over weight but running round with his friends who are all football mad for at least 30 minutes every day it's not raining. Plus an 1 hr 20 training and 40 minutes of game time and an hour swimming most weeks. The other's regularly play games that involve running round at break times. PE at school varies term to term, anything from weekly to 3 times a week. They always do extra PE in the lead up to sports day.

Mrslarge24 · 21/06/2024 22:45

chillidoritto · 21/06/2024 21:28

Was it a hot day? Been pretty warm where I am - could that explain it maybe?
Otherwise it is pretty poor!

No, not a hot day. It was about 15/16°.
This is not about being sporty or not, and it wasn't a sprint.
As another poster has said, most people should be able to do that without gasping for breath whether you're a runner or not, and a 7/8/9/10 year old should have healthy hearts and do this with ease in my opinion. How fast they are doesn't matter, but giving up after 50m shouldn't just be accepted as 'oh they don't like running' in my opinion.
We do have a high proportion of children from low income families which would be a factor I'm sure, but just more evidence of the system failing our children it seems! Postcode lottery.

OP posts:
Anotheranonymousname · 21/06/2024 22:45

It may be a fitness thing, it may equally be a lack of resilience thing or a 'it's better to quit by choice than be last because I'm slow' thing.

I'm a primary teacher but our sports day doesn't involve distance running, or really any running at all because we're a PRU in a very urban setting with limited space... and children who run to escape. They do sport daily in addition to PE lessons and some of them do seem to be unfit but there are also a number who take part in activities such as boxing or a martial art outside of school and whilst they may not be fast runners, their stamina for physical activity is decent. As is their balance. We've got others who are runners (as opposed to escapers) but any competitive scenario is too hard for them, especially in front of other classes or in front of their parents. If you were to watch our sports day, you'd see a handful of those who opt out earlier in the day doing their own time trial minus an audience later on.

My own DD2 is extremely hypermobile. She came last in the Y5 800m having walked the last 100m. She was very clear that she wanted to finish because, 'I beat everyone who gave up...'. She was in agony for days afterwards as her knees and ankles aren't strong enough for travelling at any speed on uneven surfaces. She'd already walked a hilly mile to school and two hilly miles to the sports field so the run finished off her joints. But stamina-wise, she's good! At the time she was going to ballet conditioning classes to build her core strength, attending a martial arts after school club each week and doing a watersport at the weekend that also helps with core strength.

She's a teenager now and the hypermobility is worse than ever. Ballet has gone but the watersport is something she does a few times a week and she has a hilly 3 mile walk to and from school each day. She also does physio exercises most days. It's her sports day soon and she's now assertive enough to not participate in the events that result in the need for medical treatment. Thankfully. It means anyone who walks through the public place the school will use for the event may well wonder why a teenaged girl seems to be opting out of running, jumping or throwing. It's a very reluctant opting out but she didn't enjoy her kneecap spending a week on the side of her leg recently, or her arm seemingly detaching from the shoulder so she'll spend the day being reminded of everything she can't do... but she's not unfit, nor is she lacking in resilience.

Chessboardtable · 21/06/2024 22:46

That’s shocking

my 6 year old can run the Junior Park run which I think is 2km

Mrslarge24 · 21/06/2024 22:48

Beekeepingmum · 21/06/2024 21:07

I don't think the parents of the non-sporty kids should be ashamed. Should parents whose kids are behind expectations for maths or english be ashamed?

Not the same thing at all.
Being bad at maths won't eventually make you unfit, unwell and prone to allsorts of illnesses. Not being able to run 200m as a child is not an ideal start to a healthy lifestyle.

OP posts:
fluffyguineapig · 21/06/2024 22:50

I do think 200m is a tricky distance, pacing-wise, especially if children aren't used to it - if you set off at 100m pace then you might well end up walking, however fit you are.

I have one "sporty" child and one "not sporty" child so I don't think the blame can be entirely put at the door of the parents, although if a child is clearly overweight and unhealthy I think they should act, the same as any other health issue.

My non-sporty child is less co-ordinated, gets tired more easily, finds getting hot/sweaty/achy much more of a sensory issue and finds the pressure of races more stressful. All these things lead to a vicious circle of not doing as well in sports, losing confidence, not being as enthusiastic to do sports and then the issue is obviously compounded. He would definitely not finish a 200m sports day race.

Interestingly both children are very active, walk a lot, do gymnastics, do junior parkrun (2km but way less pressure) and spend a lot of time at the park playing. My non-sporty one is actually much skinnier than my sporty one (who would be wanting to win the 200m!).

It's a nuanced issue and I don't think you can tell a lot from one race at one school.

Needanewname42 · 21/06/2024 22:50

allmyown · 21/06/2024 20:40

it is a real worry - but 200m is a long sprint, and will require anaerobic respiration, which children may not be used to

That's what I was thinking. 200m is a fair distance lots of kids will have gone full pelt and quickly ran out of steam.

Even Usain Bolt would struggle to keep his 100m pace for 200m

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