8 year old has to stay in to study

[Swimmingwithoutfloats]

My Dd, 7 has a best friend on the road who she loves to play with. They often play together some weekends and occasionally in the evenings in summer.
He hasn’t been able to play out at our house or his due to tests at school.
Every time my Dd has knocked on, he’s said he has to stay in because there are tests at school at the moment and he has to do work. He loves very sad
Its been beautiful weather and Dd and another friend on the street have invited him for bike rides or to play on the trampoline or to swim in the pool and he isn’t allowed.
He stays fairly late at school, then goes to clubs/football etc, comes home, does homework and goes to bed.

Often at the weekend, he says he can’t play and sits in doing video games

Aibu to wonder why he can’t just play with his friends and be a child?

*Looks very sad

You have no idea what is going on in someone else’s life.
Edited to add, him looking sad doesn’t necessarily mean that the reason is because he is not playing out

There could be any number of things going on that you aren't privy to, maybe the parents don't want him playing out ,maybe he's overwhelmed after school and clubs, maybe he has health issues.

You wrote that he's not allowed, and that he can't play outside because he's playing his video games instead. It's him and his parents choice.

None of your business really is it?

It might well be that thi sis an exuse and that really, he doesn't like to play out as much.

It could also be true. DD has a friend from school whose parents have quite strict expectations for what she can do during the week/on weekends, including a lot of home learning and extra tutoring.

It is what it is. I'd tell your DD that they should ask, but accept that his life is a bit different to theirs and so hemight not play as often.

Maybe they just don’t want him playing with your child? Who knows.

11+ / private school prep starts at 8 so it’s probably true.

If he can’t play out he can’t. You should stop your DD from knocking for him. His parents clearly want something different for him which is their prerogative.

It's not your business.

All the children on the road and no other children over either.

He loves playing and tells Dd he’s sad he can’t very often.

Up to them. Not everyone wants their child playing out on the streets aged 8. Maybe they think the kids on the street are troublesome? Maybe he doesn’t want to play with them? You have no idea.

Perhaps his parents have higher expectations.

I often wondered why so many kids don't eat vegetables and eat so much processed rubbish, but I never said so because it's none of my business.

They don’t play out on the street, aside from going on bikes supervised by a parent (it’s a cul de sac) it’s at each others homes, playing with toys, role play, in the garden, trampoline, pool etc .It’s great for the kids

So he has a normal school day, plenty of after-school clubs, then do homework instead of just hanging around doing nothing? What's wrong with homework? If he's in England, they still have more than a month left!

Are you jealous of his parents or something?

Your OP is so judgmental and unpleasant, you think there's only one correct way to raise kids and that's yours?

How is it higher expectations? No playing out in the fresh alr, no imaginative play or bike riding, indoors playing video games

Maybe his parents don’t want him playing in the street?
Tell your Dd to stop pushing it.

Again, you do not know what is going on in his family’s life. Get down from your high horse

you do you.

Going to clubs to play football etc.. is just as great - and achieving good marks at schools even better.

There might be very good reasons from his parents, or from him, to decline joining with the children from the street. Don't look too deep in there, you might be a bit shocked.

Jealous of his parents how?

It’s not hanging around doing nothing, he’s playing, being a child?

He told Dd he hates school and hates going to football every night

DS told his friends that he really wanted to go that sleepover but I wouldn't let him.....

You said your DD does play out with him at the weekends and in the holidays.

So he does do all that - just not necessarily when you/you DD think he should.

Your DD isn’t helping here, you know.

It isn’t just all the children from the neighbourhood, he doesn’t have other friends over either. He is allowed to ours and Dd there, but a great deal of the time he has to stay inside, it just seems sad for him

Maybe he’s trying to make her feel better, have you thought of that?