feel really down and want to cry ...
DS1 nearly 8 seems to get picked on wherever he goes.
he was a very happy toddler, made friends easily, and has always had a silly side, like living with a mini Jim Carey - stupid noises, funny faces etc
he started school and had a difficult start due to the above, he has settled down in school and is doing well academically.
He doesn't like football, so doesn't fit in with those boys, he has a small group of friends - 4 in total - he says he's o.k. but as we're walking into school he'll say Hi and they will ignore him
One of these boys spent the best part of a year telling him he hated him, to go away etc etc until he decided that it was never going to be sorted (strange words from a 7 year old imho) so they should be friends
things seem to have been better for him since then
I believe he has gained himself a reputation at school for being the one who messes about, and is treated accordingly, i watched this for myself at a school mass where he was sitting (although he did fidget a bit) the boy next to him was nudging him, talking to him - he responded - the teacher saw this and he was the one that was moved.
When something goes on I ask why didn't you tell the teacher he says they don't listen to him
Today he has been at an activity day preparing for his 1st communion, I picked him up and one of the helpers followed me out to say he had been using bad language, there was something going on in his group and they were getting on his nerves and he used the F word
When I've talked to him about it he said there were 6 of them in a group, 4 from another school and 1 boy from his school - he said the 4 boys were calling him an idiot, and were punching and kicking him, the boy from his school butted him in the back - so he did snap and did swear at them
I asked why he didn't tell the teacher - he said they never listen to him, I asked why the boys were calling him an idiot - he didn't know he said he was being nice to them
I am feeling really hopeless, he isn't as mature as other boys his age, he seems to be the one that does all of the trying, sometimes it works but other times his friends tease him or just ignore him (even the 4 he considers his best friends)
he is supposed to be going to mass tonight, but he doesn't want to go, and I'm not going to force him
he has just spent the best part of an hour crying, he says he never wants to go on one of those days again
i know he is immature for his age (but he is only 7) when I look at the boys in our street who are all into football and seem more street wise
all he wants to do is make up stories, games, play characters, make silly noises and generally just be a kid - he is quite a nice kid and doesn't generally go out of his way to be nasty
he doesn't get asked on playdates, and there have been no birthday party invites this year (don't know if that's just because there haven't been any)
if he goes out to play in our road he's normally in after 15 minutes because someone has been nasty - we've watched and witnessed this so we know it's happened
we've tried telling him to go back out
he cries at the drop of a hat, even coming out of school he asked what are we doing when we get home, I say 15 minutes of play then homework - he immediately starts to cry and shout "I am not doing homework"
I keep trying to stay positive, he will mature, he will find his niche, he will have friends, he will be happy
but right now I don't feel like this is going to happen, and now I am crying I just feel so for my boy and I don't know how to help him, I can't be there in school, the playground etc
what do I do ?