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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

does your 5 YO play football?

17 replies

BooyHoo · 27/03/2011 14:44

please tell me my Ds is completely normal for having no interest in football.

ever since he was born my mum has been ranting on about "get him into the football" now he is almost six and in year1 at school and she has upped her game, asking when the season starts, have i got his name down etc etc. and the answer is i dont have a clue when the season starst because he has no interest in football so no i don't have his name down and even if i did he would do it for a few weeks and then say he didn't want to go back. i dont want to force him to do it but should i? he plays outside at home for hours every day, he was at judo weekly until about a month ago (his choice to leave, he was there for 18 months) i have told him that i would like him to do some regular sport and asked him to think about what he thinks he would enjoy doing although there really isn't much locally apart from football. we aren't a 'football' family my parents were never into it, Exps parents arent, neither me nor EXp are either so it doersn't surprise me that ds isn't but my mum is making feel like i am doing soemthing wrong by not making him play.

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Chundle · 27/03/2011 15:35

My dd is 6 and plays footy in a team but loads of her mates that are boys don't play and they do other things like mini rugby, gymnastics, street dance, trampolining etc there's loads out there mate don't worry. I love dd to be a ballet dancer but she hates it! No point making them do what they don't like x

sprinklingsparkles · 27/03/2011 15:40

My ds was the same. he is now 7 and loves it! but it was the world cup last year that got him interested. give him time. he will soon find something he likes. the less pressure the better.

LawrieMarlow · 27/03/2011 15:43

DS is 7 and has never been interested in football. Has been to football parties but not in any of the local clubs. And having found out how often they do things I am v glad tbh

thumbwitch · 27/03/2011 15:44

Booy - if your DS isn't into it, he isn't into it. That's fine!
Mine is - as soon as he could walk he was trying to kick balls and he has been going to Little Kickers since just before he was 3. He absolutely adores it (but then so does DH). However, if he had hated it, he wouldn't still be going.
He also likes going to tap and jazz class - I thought I'd try him on those because he was always dancing at home - he loves those too! But he mightnot have done and I wouldn't have made him do them if he didn't.

Tell your mum to mind her own business - she had her shot at raising children, now it's your turn (as politely as you feel is necessary )

monkoray · 27/03/2011 18:18

er, whats so great about football?
My DH never played football and prides himself on not knowing anything about the game. Far from being alienated in conversations with his mates who do like footy, they enjoy trying to teach him and he enjoys mocking them for liking "a silly game for girls" (his words). If your DS isn't into football but likes other sports then don't push him in a direction he doesn't want to go in.
I'm probably going to annoy/offend lots of people with this comment but the way some footballers act both on and off the field does not make them ideal role models compared with some other sports personalities.

bigTillyMint · 27/03/2011 18:22

At 5 DS only ever played with DH, then he went to a very low-key ASC till he was about 7. Now he is 10 and is very very keen and plays for both his school and local team.

In his year group it seems that only about half of the boys are into footy (in DD's year group virtually all were) so maybe his class will be the same?

CointreauVersial · 27/03/2011 18:26

DS1 started when he was 4 - he was always mad keen, and now, age 11, plays for two local teams.

But some of his mates have no interest in it, and never have.

Some kids love it, some don't - just like some are into music, or painting or whatever. As long as your DS is getting some exercise and staying fit then that's fine.

But if you are looking for a sport for him I would recommend swimming lessons.

Original poster

BooyHoo · 28/03/2011 12:33

thank you all so much.

i think my mum has it in her head that that's what boys do (she had no boys) so she can't understand why he isn't playing.

bottom line is he says he doesn't want to. we will keep looking for something to spark his interest. i am guessing that he might pick up an interest if all his friends from school start talking about football. we'll just wait and see.

thank you.

OP posts:

BengtsPolarPineSauna · 28/03/2011 13:12

Hi BooyHoo

My DS has no interest in football, and that's fine with me. Instead, we do swimming, tennis and drama, and that's quite enough. To be honest, it was me who suggested all of these things, and at first he was resistant. Now he loves them all, and I think they have improved his overall confidence too.

I know martial arts can be popular at this age too, if that helps.

Broadwalkempire · 28/03/2011 13:17

My DS (almost 5) loves to kick a ball around, but equally I know boys of the same age who are not remotely interested. Why push your DS to do something that he clearly isn't interested in. My DS has no interest (really) in lego for eg - I've bought it but he couldn't care less about it so I don't try to get him interested as it just makes him very cross. He's just a bit hyperactive and needs a lot of exercise (like a dog !) ....my neighbours have three boys - one child is into it, the other isn't (the last one is too little just yet)... Sounds like your ds is finding other things he prefers.

A friend of mine has a son who hated the "team" type sports. Now he's older he loves swimming, windsurfing and those kinds of watersports. It's not that he's not sporty it's just that his personality suits a different type of sport.

Tell your mum to leave (you) and him alone on the subject.

GooseyLoosey · 28/03/2011 13:17

Ds had no interest in football at all at that age. However, age 6 1/2, we signed him up to the same under 7s football team that all his friends played in. The reason for this is that ds is a slightly quirky child and one of my colleagues said to me that he had not liked football as a child and it excluded him from so many playground activities that he would have had an automatic ""in" to if he had played football. I have to say, I think there is something in this and playing has helped ds' social skills.

Broadwalkempire · 28/03/2011 13:18

Oh and I bet you know a lot of men who are complete armchair sportsmen but really were non-sportsmen at school for eg....

Scholes34 · 28/03/2011 13:47

I've two DSs (10 and 12) heavily into football, and each play at school, development centres and for a local team each week. They started at school when they were 4. They love it and have made lots of new friends through football. However, they've also lots of friends who don't play football, plus they do other activities too - judo, ballroom dancing, cricket, scouts and cubs. If you are interested in your DS signing up for a local club, those organised through the FA will be signing players by the middle of August. Local sports centres will have less formalised training and games that you can be involved in on a more ad hoc level. Good to get him interested when the weather's warm and dry, rather than have him put off by cold and wet weather before he even has a chance to see if he enjoys the game.

UniS · 28/03/2011 19:40

DS age 5 does like football, in a kick about in the park kinda way. but he is the only one of his year group that does, so hes kicking a ball about in the park with Y2 - 6 boys. While the other 5 year olds are clambering on teh climbing frame or in teh hedge.

berylmuspratt · 28/03/2011 19:46

My DS is 5, soon to be 6, he is totally not interested in football. He does enjoy mini rugby though. When the boys in his class are playing football he is usually tearing around the playground playing tig.

dreamingofsun · 28/03/2011 20:54

my husband is clueless about football and loves rugby. At 5 we insisted our DS chose - he grudgingly chose football and quickly learnt to enjoy it. he still plays every weekend 10 years later. its a great way of being fit and i also think the team aspect is good - its made his people skills much better and enabled him to make lots of friends.

especially important if he's an only child - well i think anyway - as solo sports won't provide that rough and tumble/interacting aspect.

has he got a friend who plays, could they join the same team?

Rollmops · 29/03/2011 23:14

Sorry, I'd be horrified if my DS would want to play football, seriously.
Try him with RugbyTots or similar. Keep it civilised

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